New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-19
WILLS KEPT BOBBING Up.
CONTEST OVER THE Es-
TATE OF A COLoRED wAsHERWoMAN'
APPARENTLY SHE DIED WITHOUT LEAVING A
WILL. BUT HER HUSBAND PRODUCED ONE-
WHEN HE DIED A SIMILAR THING
IAPPENED-HOw THE CASE HAS

BY MANY DEATHS.


BEEN,sETTLED-A
BY MANY DEATHS.
Ono ~ the most sensational and remarkable viii
contests. after considerable bitter litigation, has
now reached a c,imsx. and will be settled TO the
ostensb;e sat. sfacton of az parties concerned as
claimants and Ngants at the law offices OF Henry
q De Witt No 206 Broadway. within few days
From the afidavits papers IN this case II ap-
pears that over twenty-five years ago Cyntma
Hesdra with her husband. Edward Hesdra po'h
coored people and slaves OF planter IN virginia
came 10 this city after the war, with sum OF
money given 10 them by their former master
CYNTHIA secured quarters 10 Thompson-st IN mat
mart OF the Eighth Ward Familiarity known as
"Africa" and began 10 take in family washing
It was not long before Cynthia's industry had Tor
ha- hank account Then she invested some
,,onev IN tho purchase OF house and lot in Amity
now West Third St. into which she moved fsom
rents and increased income from her washtuos
cynthia Hesdra enabled soon to make o'her
real estate Investments. including farm at NyacK
on the Hudson -
On February o. 1872 Cynthia Hesdra died Her
property in this city and Nyacktat that time was
estimated to be worth at least SooVV"' II was
found after her death that the forma4ity OF MAKING
a will had not been gone through ana accouns'''
her husband took possession of all the properly
nIasd-a had no more than made application for let
.ors ~ administration before Surrogate Gavin. or
this CITY, when a partition suit was lheu as@i"S'
him before the Surrogate, at the instance u wv
sisters and several nieces and nephews OF Cynthia
Hesdra who claimed their share OF the "aane'
,yonan.s property as lawful heirs. The parunoh
,rocaa1inos had been pending for some time Wheh
an ARRANGEMENT was decided upon by VINO" ''ie
alleged heirs agreed 70 coIcede 10 iiesuId O t
sixth of the entire property as MS snare lac
.Sonors were drawn up and aIhmade ready for the
signatures when claimant s1uoOorihy Ie4u'Su
IN sign the documents. Just at TINS luhcture anu
90 the utter amazenent OF al the claimants Ed
ward fIesdra through his counsel, appeared N
court and presented what they SAID was " w"
made by Cynthia Hesdra, leaving her eh'Ie Pi0P
erty her husband. .., 80
onca declared their intention Of showing TINS VIII 10
no a forgery Notwithstanding action taken 10 ''iS
end Surrogate Calvin received the Will anu au"n''s
81 70 probate The alleged heirs next appheo 10 inc
caneral Term of the Supreme Court TO nave the sur
,oata,s action on mis- will aside. his resulted
an the decision of the Surrogate oelng reversed anu
q now trial on validity of the Will TO be held oerore
a fury This jury, curously enough also pronounce
the will genuine. The strain OF THIS confess i'oe
Iesra so sick that he took to his bed al "i'
died. ,,s,
AT this point a new claiuant appeared for Hes1ra
.,.aa,,b IN the person Of one Amanda Tordon
white Girl who declared she the adopted daugA
Ter Of a brother of Hesdra, named solomon iis'>-N
Hesdra himself. ii said. had LEFT no WILL an"
Amanda TordoR did not apply for letters ol Hu-
miniStratiOn
the Surrogate in Rockland County THIS was caussu
nv Charles Durham a creditor Of Hesdra, WnA 10
secure himself on the estate at NyacK' hdd aPi''eN
for letters OF administration.
When Amanda Tordof appeared to administer. the
question was raised 10 whether she could eS'aO-
lsh any claim 10 blood relationship. She ueclIteu
she could, and depended upon the widow OF solomon
IIesdra to appear In court b swear she had given
birth to her. A few days before the time tor tle
foster-mother appear IN court she was laHel AZ
and died 1t was alleged that before He'dra eA-
r,red he had signhed desire 10 divide up all the
properly among relatives of his wife TO oohterae
mast differences but that Auanda Tordon, VINO
was constantly at his bedside Influenced Hesdra
against this She had taken full pC session OF the
property at Hesdra's DEATH collected rents llu
supervised in general ,
The hearing hDally taken up BEFORE inc
Surrogate. and one John V. Onderdonk. OF Nyack,
the editor OF small weekly paper appedifyJ1 sdrs
mad told him that amanda Tornon was ms Sa 9n b
blood relation. and Onderdonk also statea ina He
Of this the Surrogate decided that Amanda Tor;
o was Is the SIy Nor 70 5eT Xst own
this Onderdonk died. and Will was nne cal n
%sS as his sf} bs OSSs is 70 AMANDA Tor
do 5000 TO Hattie solomon H E6rdo Ml 1893 cash
10 Eugene Hesdra, 5000 to Julia, julia san ODE
$1,000 and to Cynthia soaltv 'e of yNsw T
Mount Sinai Hospital and Nneteenth Synago 1l
81 given as as s' Mard %O ondeTdS1k Of John
'0nderdonk and remarkable clause of the IN
strument was 10 the effect that ihe eXeca d M, he
compelled 10 give bonds. This VIII was onerei t 20
probate by the executor and heirs. buy AMANDA
forgery made ~ the elder Onderdonk ior the Dehe-
ft OF his son, the executor. Quentin McAdain, the
/uncle OF Chief Justice McAdam was AMANDA iot.
dof's counsel in this contest ana ne iaDoTel -
severely that he had 10 retire, broken down IN
health. The Surrogate however held tnat thls
will was genuine. But Amanda Tordon was not
70 be outdOne, and securing General BENJAMIN f.
Tracy for counsel the case was carried 10 the Cen
eral Term of the Supreme Court and the Court OF
ness OF the will upheld. Willard Onderdonk
as executor then engaged 10 sell all the property
in this city and at Nyack, which was valued no"
at about $4,000
A veritabe bomb fell into the camp OF the bene-
ficares Of this will when Henry Clinton De wiz,
of this city, who still Gained all the property Tor
dens and complaint In Rockland and New ork
counties suit Of e1ectment against Onderdonk
and az the egaees named In ne latest , wln .,
up 70 give accounting before the surrogate, ana
1t being found that he had sold one house IN this city
and could not produce the money. the StaIe IIust
in place OF Onderdonk. Onderdonk was ordered 10
pay $4,000 he had taken out Of the estate while
executor but he went 70 Boomneio; y: a. It,o es1
Jury OF Rockland County. An extraditon warrant
was Issued for him. but he has not been arrested
Merritt E. sawyer OF hs city, nov DeG Se nLnan1a
when Amanda Tordon became insane. It was sup
posed through her ultimate defeat. guardian was
a few months ago appointed TO look after her share
but another delay came In the death Lately OF her
counsel. Merritt Sawyer.
The papers for the final settlement Of this re;
snarkabe case all drawn and signed and
ready for the authority Of the Court TO grant the
sale OF the property.
THE TERKS OF RABBI KOHUTS WILL.