Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-02
The Will Of Judge Holt Was Not
in His Safe.
NO FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS TODAY
A Contest Over The 1873 Will
Expected.
NO MO R E Gil E S

mas returned 10 the city. she was iarnllfas
with her fathers papers ard with the
papers in his safe. She says Judge Hollis
will was not there.
Absence from the CITY," said Miss TAFT
today, has prevented my giving earlier
attention to what appeared in the local
papers last week in regard to my father,
the late Colonel James A. TAFT, and his
probable connection with the Holt will case.
While it is true that Colonel TAFT and
Judge Holt were friends for many years,
and that the latter was frequent caller
at Colonel Tait's Office, there is no
evidence that the will was ever i'll
Colonel Tait's possession. or that he even
knew of its existence. At the time of
wills in his safe, which were saved and
kept at his residence until properly dis
pos ed of. the last one going out of his pos
| session two years before his death.
1.-THE name OF the testator was plainly
written on the wrapper OF each, and as 1
saw them frequently 1 can say positively
that the Holt will was not among them. At
the time of Judge Hollis death Col. TAFT.
then confined to his house by the illness,
from which he never recovered, spoke in
feeling terms of the friendship that had
existed between them, but said nothing
that indicated any knowledge of the dis
position the judge had made of his prop
erty II the will had been in his possession
it would have been promptly produced at
the proper time
In His Sisters Behalf.
| Wickliffe Throckmorton, brother of Jose
phine Holt Throcknorton, came to Wash
ington Saturday night. and yesterday went
with Col. Wright to the city hall and ex-
amined the three pieces of paper that once
bore Judge Hollis intention to give his god
child a moiety of his estate. Mr.. Throck-
morton is said also to have shown letters
Ind oil tn 6iSrar he cfo
made by Judge Hollis servants and sew
eral intimate friends that he had expert
eHced change of feeling toward Mrs.
Mary Throckmt rton, and had hidden his
servants not to admit her to his house or
mention her name to him.
These letters are addressed to both Mrs.
Throckmorton and her granddaughter, and
are kindly and friendly. They are said to
show conclusively that if any subsequent
VIII was made after the mysterious one
now in Col. Wrishts safe, the Throckmor-
ten family was to be remembered. Mr..
Throckmorton had an interview with Luke
Devlin during the day. and ascertained as
far as may be at this time what steps are
to be taken to prove and enforce the will
of 1873.
Washington Hollis Movements.
Washington Holt made a visit yesterday
to the Holt mansion on New Jersey avenue
and conversed with the servants in the
/ house as to the source of the will of 1877
and the whereabouts of the alleged will OF
1856. Without forming theories or running
out clues, Mr.. Holt is quietly acq 'Iaintina
himself with all the facts in the case. He
believes the will of 1856 is in existence and
of course hopes it will yet come to light
He manlfeSts no uneaSiness about the will
of 1873, for he thinks there is abundant te S
tiinony to show that it was not Judge Hollis
intention to dispose of his estate in the
manner set forth therein.
Chanccry Proceedings.
| With that will set aside. the estate would
be divided according to law, unless, in the
| contest which is sure to come over the will
| of 1873, it can be shown positively that
| there was a will made subsequently, AMI
! that certain requests were known to have
| been made. In that event it is not un-
| likely that a suit in chancery will be in
| stituted to take testimony on the character
| Of the missing will and the requests con-
| tanned in 1t, and draft of that will would
| be agreed upon by the witnesses havin,
| knowledge of it, OF course, this presup-
poses definite testimony to the exist
| tnce and the major part of the legacias
| supposed to be contained in it. Thus far
more than is told by Judge Hollis mem
| oil andum, now in the possession of John
| Holt in Mississippi.
Talks With HOratie King.
| Gen. Horatio King seems to have been a
frequent visitor at the Holt mansion down
to the last year of Judge Hollis life. Many
| of his cards are found there in Judge Hollis
rooms. Gen. King, it will be remembered
| some years ago wrote several very care
| fully prepared articles for some of the
| magazines upon the trial and execution of
| Mrs. Surratt. his special aim in what he
| wrote being to meet and answer the criti-
| csm which had been passed upon Judge
| Hollis connection with that unhappy event
Judge Holt rever failed to show his
| gratitude &c Gen. King for this service. 1t
| seems to have teen one of the ruling pas
| sions of the old mans life to love those
who thought he was right in the Surratt
matter and tc hate these who thought he
| was wrong.
The intimacy between Judge Holt and
f, Gen. King said a member of Gen. King s
| family to a Star reporter today. was eX-
ceedingly close and lasting. l nave heard
| Gen. King mention that he had been to
| see Judge Holt and talk with him about his
| Gen. Kings Will, and at that time Judge
regard to the disposition which he intended
| to make of his estate, and said that he at
| one time intended to dispose of his property
| in a very different manner from his intan-
| ton at the time of the interview.
HE made no concealment of his dislike
| for Mrs. Throckmorton on account of some
| slight which the latter had put upon Mrs
Washington Holt. AT another time. can
| not remember whether it was after this
| interview in regard to General Kings will
| or before-but l remember the occasion
quite well-tieneral King came home and
| said he had been to see Judge Holt and
that he had found him quite sick.
| Gen. King said that he had had quite a
| talk with the judge about his business
| affairs, and that Judge Holt said that he
| only hoped and prayed the good Lord that
| ne might get well in order that he might
! set his business matters in just the shape
| that he wanted them to be. and that he in
| tended to make will which should include
every disposition he wished to make of his
| estate, and that Washington Holt his
nephew, would have entire charge of the
| settling of his affairs
Counsel for Mr.. Dcvlin.
| Luke Devln has retained Blair Lee
and j. ]. Darlington as counsel TO,
| him as executor of the will of 1873
| Mr.. Devlin says Major Throckmor
| ton has been advised not to come to Wash.
| ington until notified by Mr.. Lee that his
presence is required. Mr.. Devlin had the
choice of nine good lawyers. who all prof
| fered their services.
| Worthless Checks.
| Detectives Carter and Gallaher this after