The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-20
SOME CURIOUS WILLS.
Nonsensical Provisions Made by
CRANKY Testators-Shortest Will.

NJ al2g AGbLaLCGS-90OrIeSL W III.
From London Leisure Hours.
There is a refreshing quaintness about
some old requests. Walter lie Taillour
for instance. in 1905, according to the will
recorded in the city of Lo,son court Of
busting, left TO Richard, his son, the re-
version Of a tenement held by Richard lie
Bakere for life, receiving yearly, imme
diately after the testator's death, a rent
of half a mark and weekly one penny
tart in respect OF the said tenement" He
also left fourpence to London bridge.
There is, however, a spirit Of genialty
about this will which is very different to
that of the man who left his SOn-in-law
"one penny to buy him a whistle"
The single shilling has, of course, been
left In large nun Ger of cases, but we do
not often hear of a receipt being given for
the money. Yet in 1899 Richard Harring
ton of Guided Morden, in Cambridge
shire, left his daughter Mary Martin,
and her husband one shilling each, and
his executrix paid it and got the receipt,
still in existence, dated March Il, 1900
There was a man who, in 1871, left his
wife shilling, TO be paid TO her within
six months after his death, and, as his
reason for doing so, remarked, seeing
that | have had the misfortune to be mar
ried TO the aforesaid Eliza beth, who, ever
since our union, has tormented me in every
possible way A good many single shil-
lings have been left as a cheap advertise
ment with the object of keeping the
testatOr's name alive, much in the style
of the man at Wath who left, among other
ct ceteras, a shilling to every poor wo-
man in the parish, guinea to seven
navvies for pudding him up in his
grave" a guinea to the old woman who
hq cd h &c hsal Ffnv, "A
forty dozen penny leaves to be thrown
from the church roof at noon every
Christmas day forever" OF this kind of
thing there are many examples, but most
OF the shillings, six pences, pennies, and
penny buns have to be displayed in all
their glory on the testator's tombstone.
One man leaves his money TO his son
ION condition that he shave off his mus
tache, " another leaves it to his nephews
"on condition that they rise at 4 o'clock
10 the summer aud O'Clock in the win
ter, another leaves his to friend ION
condition that he always wear black"
another that the fortunate man should
always wear morning ring. There was
John Reed, who left his head ITO be pre-
pared so as to be used as the skull of
GOrlck In the play of Hamlet by Shake
spere," having evidently felt the iucon-
venlence OF not having an article of the
kind in stock. There was DR.. Wagner
who left his limbs to different friends for
dlsSecJlng purposes; there was DR.. Eller-
by who left his heart to one man, his
lungs to another. and his brain to another
to be preserved from decomposition. and
pleasantly added, If either of the gentle
men named fail to execute this, l will
come and torment them until they shall
comply" thus reminding US of the Mr..
Zimmerman who desired in 1910 to be
buried plainly and in a decent manner,
and if this be not done | will come again
that is, if | CAMP
One gentleman, a crematioaist before
his time, wishes his body to be placed in
one of the gas retorts of the Imperial Gas
Company. Another, desiring his body TO
be converted to useful purposes, suggests
fiddle strings, smelling salts and optical
lenses as being the forms in which he
would like it to appear for the benefit of
mankind. Some prefer to be disposed of
in the ordinary way, but in extraordinary
places. But what shall we sayof the gen
tleman who wished his grave to be bat
tleheld, and left enough money to provide
twenty Irishmen every year with knives
and stout shillelahs, armed with which
they were to meet over his grave and
drink whisky by the half-pint, and then,
he grimly continues, knowing what l
know of the Irish character, my convic-
ton is that with these materials they
Will uOb ldll W ueSbTOy bdC0 ODQ6F! -
Some people are most considerate in
their thoughtfulness for the welfare of
those who have been dependent on them
Annuities have been left to animals of all
classes. Count Mirandola left an annuity
to his fish; a Mrs. Harper left 4l0O to her
black cat; Mrs Hunter left e200 a year
to her parrot; another widow left ESQ
year to her canaries; DR. Christiani left
10000 forms to his dogs, with remainder
n 10 ITDIry srxr 81
Vienna a Mr. Garland left annuities to
his monkey, his dog and his cat.
A good many testators leave a joke be-
hind them, hoping apparently TO enjoy it
in future state One of the most alb
surd examples of this elaborate foollng
was that furnished by the trousers man,
who owned no less than seventy-one pairs
of those useful garments These he di-
rected to be taken as they were and sold
by public auction, no person being allowed
to buy more than one pair The first pair
fetched but trife and great was the
purchasers JOY at finding bank notes to
the value of 1900 in the pocket The bid
ding progressed by leaps and bounds as
every subsequent pair was found to con-
tain similar amount; but the residuary
legatee was anything but gratified at the
return he got for that GA, 900 and the
trousers.
Some wills are in rhyme, like that of
the worthy Smithers
"As to all my worldly goods now or to be In
store,
give to my beloved wife as hers for ever
more
I give all freely. Iuo limit fix
This is my will and she's executrix."
Some are commercially short, like that
of the city merchant who left e4OO, 600 to
his wife and children by few lines writ
ten inside an envelope. But the shortest
will at Somerset house is in eight words:
Mrs. Browne TO have all when | die"