Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-29
THE DOUGLASS WILL
A Long-Looked-For Document Filed
Today.
THERE WERE ONLY Two WITNESSES
Real Estate and $4,000 Left to
the Wi''ow.
THE CHILDREN'S SHARE

PROBABLY as one OF the results Oh tne
petition filed Tuesday last by Mrs. Rosetta
D. Sprague, a daughter of the late Fred
erck Douglass, for letters of collection
and testamentary, and to require the
widow and son, Lewis H. Douglass, to dis
close the extent and location of the estate,
the widow and son today filed the will of
the deceased for probate. They also ask
that letters of administration Of the goods.
chattels and personal estate may be grant
ed them.
In their petition for the probating of the
will and for letters of administration Mrs.
and Mr.. Douglass state that the deceased
died possessed of about $1,000 in bank,
seven $500 bonds of the Anacostia and
Potomac River Railroad Company, and one
certificate for ten shares of stock in said
company of $50 each. Other securities, con-
sfsting of trust notes, are estimated to be
valued at about $4,000, and there are about
81 600 worth of books. pictures and household
furniture. The debts of the deceased are
stated to be less than 500. AS the heirs
lowing are named: The widow. Helen
Douglass; Rosetta D. Sprague, daughter;
Lewis H. and Charles II. Douglass, sons;
and Charles Paul and Robert Douglass,
lass, jr., son of the deceased.
The Douglass Will.
The will, which is dated August 80. 1886.
provides for the following bequests: First,
give and bequeath to my dear. devoted
wife. Helen Douglass. my house and fifteen
acres of land, situated in Anacostia, D. c.,
with all outbuildings and appurtenances
thereunto pertaining. Second. give and
bequeath to the said Helen Douglass all
my writings. books, papers, pictures paint
lngs, horses. carriages. harness and each
and every description of property in and
about my house in Anacostia. except a cer-
tain portrait of myself, painted more than
forty years ago by Mr. Hammond of Flor
eEce, Mass, which portrait l give and be-
queath to my daughter. Rosetta D.Sprague.
Third, 1 give and bequeath to the said
Helen Douglass $4,000 in registered United
States bonds and $4,000 in lawful money,
the latter to be derived from my other
property not mentioned in the foregoing.
Fourth, l give and bequeath to my daugh-
ter, Rosetta d. Sprague, and to my three
sons, Lewis, Frederick and Charles, the re-
mainder of all property of which I
Shall be possessed at my death; that is to
say, to each of them one equal share, which
Will amount to about $4,000 to each.'
Some Criticisms.
The will was witnessed by B. E. Messer
.and d. L. Pitcher. but two witnesses, and
fails to appoint an executor. The law of
the District, 1t is said, requires will to be
witnessed by three persons to pass real
estate, and the will is. therefore, de-
ciared to be invalid SO far as the transfer
of real estate is concerned. As to per-
sonal property, however. it is said to be
valid and binding, and 1t is also stated by
some that the bequest of $4,000 ito be
derived from my other property may be
held to be charge on the real estate if
there is not sufficient personal property
to pay it. In any event, Mrs. Douglass
will, 1t Is said, take her dover interest,
which is one-third of the personal prop
erty, and one-third of the profits from
the unmortgaged real estate for life
In answering the petition of Mrs. Sprague
for letters of collection and letters testa-
mentary and for disclosure of the extent
and location of the estate, the widow and
Mr.. Lewis H. Douglass, a son, state that a
large portion of the estate was committed
to their custody by the deceased. They
say that the assets have been carefully
preserved and assert that there has been
no waste, denying that the rights of Mrs.
Sprague have been prejudiced in any way
by the delay in filing the will. They say
that after the funeral of Mr.. Douglass the
parties interested met the widow at her
home, when, after an examination of the
will, it was agreed that the will should not
be filed Until some time in April. They de-
ny that Mrs. Sprague Is entitled to letters
of administration, claiming that the widow
and two sons are entitled thereto They
also deny that they have refused to give
Mrs. Sprasue any statement concerning
the estate, stating that she made no re-
quest for statement. They, therefore,
claim that the appointment of collectors
for the estate is unnecessary. The extent
of the real estate is not given.
Judge Hagner. presiding in the Probate
Court, set the matter down for a hearing
on FRIDAY next