Evening star., 1895-08-29
BE VISITS TIE REGISTER OF WILLS
Satisfied as to the Genuineness oi
the Document.
COACHMAN JOHNsON's STORY

thorized attorney of his aunt, Miss Lizzie
Hynes of Lebanon, KY, who, with Miss
Josephine Holt Throckmorton, is a bene-
ficiary, an equal one, under the alleged will
of February 7, 1873.
Miss Hynes' Attorney Here.
Mr.. McCord is young Kentucky lawyer,
and Immediately after his arrival in the
city this morning he visited the Office of
Col. Wright. the register of wills. Having
introduced himself, Nh McCord was shown
the mysteriously received will, and, draw
ing letter addressed to his aunt by Judge
Holt in 1885 from his pocket, he carefully
compared the handwriting on each, declar-
ing that from that comparison he was sat
isfied that the will was in the handwriting
of the deceased. To a Star reporter Mr..
McCord stated that neither he nor his
aunt, Miss Hynes. knew anything about
the will except what they had read of it
in the Kentucky papers.
Both were positive, however, that the will
was genuine he said, and he declared that
he would take every step necessary to pro-
tect his aunt's interests and to secure her
that part of the estate to which under the
instrument she is entitled. Some Washing
ton lawyer would undoubtedly be retained
by him, said Mr.. McCord. and the matter
prosecuted vigorously.
Miss Hyncs and the Judge.
Miss Hynes, explained Mr.. McCord, is a
woman of about sixty years of age and
was practically an adopted daughter of
Judge Holt. She was the cousin of Judge
Holt's first wife-a Miss Harrison-and
lived with the family when they resided in
Louisville, KY, which was previous to the
war. When the first Mrs. Holt lay dying
her husband solemnly promised her that he
would always care for Miss Hynes and
would provide for her by will. My aunt"
stated Mr.. McCord, was regularly pro-
vided with funds by Judge Holt up to the
very time of his death, and the old man
frequently assured her liz letters to her
that he had made provision for her in his
will. Therefore, when my aunt learned of
Judge Hollis death she firmly believed that
would be found that he had amply pro-
vided for her OF course, she was greatly
surprised and disappointed when the
months passed and no will came to light
IDENTIFY that one would eventually be found
and that she would be discovered to be a
beneficiary under it. Therefore she was
not the least bit surprised when she read
last Monday in a Louisville paper that this
will of 1873 had come to light"
The Judges Letters t. Miss Hynes.
Mr.. McCord brought with him one of the
many letters received by his aunt from
Judge Holt. In all these she is affection
ately addressed by him, and in all Of them
she is assured, directly or indirectly, that
she would never want for assistance from
him. The letter brought on today. said
Mr.. McCord, is dated in 1885. and refer
ence is therein made to the writer having
then provided for Miss Hynes by will
That date being subsequent to the year
1873, the year OF the mysteriously received
will, and prior to January l, 1856, the date
of the one alleged to have been referred
to in the memorandum said to have been
discovered upon Judge Holt's desk after his
death, Mr.. McCord takes that fact as
strong evidence of the genuineness of the
will of 1873. However, Mr.. McCord does
not deny that Judge Holt made will sub
sequent to 1873, but he Is very positive
that If subsequent one was made his
aunt was duly provide for in it. He also
intimated that he believed that If a subse-
quent will be found it will be discovered
that Washington Holt, a nephew of the
deceased, is provided for in it, for Mr.. Nc
Cord says that Judge Holt became greatly
attached to this nephew.
Will Consult With Mr.. Devlin.
Mr.. McCord stated that he would prob
ably confer with Mr.. Luke Devlin, named
es executor in the will of 1S73 before TAX
ing steps looking to the probating of it. 1t
is said to be the duty Of an executor to
cffer will for probate, and it is expected
that Mr.. Devlin will take this step, after
consulting with Mr.. McCord and the rep
resentatives of Miss Throckmorton. He
has, it is explained, sixty days in which to
offer the will for probate, although he will
probably do so much earlier. He may offer
the will for probate at the meeting of the
Probate Court tomorrow. When it is SO
offered notice of that fact will be duly pub
liShed here in two or more newspapers, and
citations served on the heirs at law, re-
curing them, on a certain date, to show
cause, if any they have, why the will shall
not be admitted to probate. Then, it is ex-
pected, will be inaugurated the bitter con-
test over the estate which about every one
believes will surely follow.
Intricate Points of Law Raised.
In this contest many pretty and intricate
points of law are expected to be raised,
and one of the principal or es to be decided
is whether the memo randum signed by
Judge Holt and found on his desk after his
decease, to the effect that he made a will
dated January l, 1886, is a revocation of
the will of 1873. 1t is not certain that such
memorandum was found, however. Col
Wright, the register of wills, says he has
1eason for believing that no such memo
Iandum was ever found, and says that if
it was Washington Holt knew nothing of
it. A will may be revoked, in the absence
OF later Will, by such memorandum, it
is said, but 1t is claimed that the law here
requires such revocation to be witnessed
by three or more witnesses. Hence it is
claimed by some lawyers that if the memo
randum alleged to have been found really
exists it fails to revoke the will of 1873
because 1t was not legally witnessed.
The Break With the Throclsmortons.
The precise time when the break oc-
CURED between Judge Holt and the Tbrock-
morton family has been for several DAYS a
matter of interesting speculation, and the
date Is approximately fixed by the story
of George johnson, now in the employ Of
Secretary Carlisle. and fc1 several years
Judge Hollis coachman and body servant
Johnston is a tall. fne-looking man, with an
excellent memory for details.
To Star reporter today he said: "My
story shows Judge Holt's feeling toward
the Throckmortons ard the family of Wash
ington Holt. The way l entered his SER
vice tells something OF Mrs. Mary Throck-
morton's influence over Judge Holt. There
certainly was a strong intimacy between
them for many years. even back through
the war. At one time during the war her
cousin. DR.. Mott. of Leesburg, Va, then
surgeon general on Gen. Robert E. Lees
staff. was captured and brought here and