New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-12

WHERE JUDGE Holt : LII w I'-'i 80
DOUBTS AS TO ITS GENUINENEss LED MR. COl-
LEN To DISCLOSE HIMSELF
Washington. oct il-An authorized publication Is
made Of the manner In which the VIII OF the ia'e
ex-Iudge Acknowledgement Joseph Holt disappeared
and found ia wav TO the Office OF the Register Of
Wills in this city which only adds 10 the mystery Of
the affair Il is this effect:
The Will OF 1873. now file In the Register
office. was drawn by Judge James II Vaudeville an
old legal friend Of Judge Holt and his attorney anu
business adviser for number OF years. during
the wears between 1873. when the will was drawn
and the time OF Judge Mandeville's death, In lss2
the document passed for a few days out OF the at
tornev's possession. and partially burned IN
fire that occurred in the office OF Judge laite Inc
damaged will was recovered by Judge Vaudeville
and was placed In his own desk Here II remaiieu
until the time OF his death. when he bequeathed me
desk and al the papers II contained 20 friend
orl,n q Cullen without. however. saying anything
about the presence OF Judge Hollis will In the lot.
Mr.. Cullen removed the papers, without examining
,ban, ~ his home al Warren White Sulphur Springs.
u, and there the will remained in an old trunk Ill
tho newspapers ca.el his attention 10 the absence
OF the will Knowing the intimacy OF Judge Mande-
Vile and Judge Holt and having preYiously, re-.
ceived ntmatons that Mr. Mandeye haa tne e fio
Will In his keeping, MI tuIleh Was I.os.r ~ "a
anime the Vaudeville papers IN ms possesslo' ana
in doing so ear across the party burned VIII
Wishing TO restore the Will to its proper owners
but wishing the same time 20 aVoiu the notoIety
a
a witness I'm the case. Mr.. Cullen AYERS that ne ad-
dressed the will 10 the Register OF Wills at Wash
ingtor Disgusting his handwriting and taking other
precautions 20 keep his Identity concealed IL was
mailed the story says. by co.ored servant at
Tanxion a suburb Of this city. He had no DOUBT IN
his own mind. Mr.. Cullen says. that the VIII was
genuine and supposed 1t would be received or It's
face value when II made its appearance at the once
When a discussion as to the validity or the
Will Mr Cullen says he disclosed his own connec-
ton with the affair in the interests OF justice.
As 10 the burning OF the will. Mr. Cullen says that
h. has In his possession number OF charred ana
crumbled pieces Of margin about two inches wide
that had been burned from the Will These rag
rlents contain some words OF writing. but he de-
clares that they are not cOdicil He does not say
that they not revocation.
The story II is pointed out Is open TO serious
criticism Al parties heretofore have agreed that
the will was either a genuine piece OF Judge Hollis
writing OF else a clever forgery OF IT, and this.
the face OF IT, borne by the similarity between
the signature and the body OF the document. Mr..
Cullen asserts on the other hand that Judge
Vaudeville drew the Will
Mr. Cullen's Of the mailing OF the will IS
not I'm accordance with the facts. which demon
strate that the will mailed in Washington.
This Is shown very plainly by the date stamp
the envelope LangdOn has stamp OF its own.
with the name OF the station. and there Is no evil
dence that the envelope ever saw that pace.