Evening star., 1895-08-31

request, I went down there to see II I
could find any that once belonged to my
grandfather, Amos Kendall
L met there Capt. Cunningham, who was
In quite pronounced and advanced stage
of intoxication at the time. He showed me
quite large pile of papers and wanted to
sell them to me, which I, of course, refused
to buy. l went second time and made
something of a search over the dump piles
and found there quite a number of papers,
and hearing of the house of an old colored
woman who had had cart driver haul a
lot Of them to her house, where she was
burning them for fuel, l went there and
locked for papers in her lot to find any of
the Amos Kendall papers.
Il bought no papers of her, but gave her
Is cents, which was all the change I had
about me at the time, simply as tip for
the privilege Of looking over the papers
that were scattered about the lot. The
Kendall papers which I found 1 turned
ever to my aunt, Mrs. Stickney, as they
were her special property. never heard
of the Holt will or any papers Of Judge
Holt's in connection with the whole affair.
Il certainly did not find any paper with
Gen. Grants or Gen. Sherman's name
upon it. l am very much displeased by
the publicity which has been given my
| name in connection with this ridiculous
story and I can conceive of no motive
which this man Cunningham could have in
using my name in this way, unless 1t be in
some way to discredit me because 1 re-
fused to buy the miscellaneous lot Of pa
perS ne naQ tnere IOF safe.
Mr.. Lyles' Assertion.
Star reporter saw Mr.. Lyles, who is
| named as one of the men who is alleged to
have found Judge Hollis will in the dump
at the Knox fire. He said and repeated.
| particularly after having his attention
called to the discrepancies, that the will
! was found by him in the dump in May,
1894.
| His attention was called by the gentle
| men present to the fact that the Knox
| fire occurred in July, 1894, but he again
repeated that he had found the will in
May, 1894. He said that it was in very
wet and Shiny condition and that 1t was
not pasted upon any other piece of paper.
He said that it was in an envelope with Il
number of letters addressed to Judge Holt,
and was tied with piece of red tape, which
was sealed with SEAL He said that Cum
Love were there. and that he laid the will
spread out a stone, and that when he
came back in half an hour IL was gone,
and Mr.. Cutter and Mr.. Love were gone.
Somebody called his attention to the state
| ment that had been made that Mr.. Cutter
came there the next day. He said that
that was SO, and then Immediately after
ward said that Cutter was there and look
ed at the will before he put it on the stone.
He said that he did not read any part
| of the will, except the sentence, Hollis
WILL" written right across the top of the
will on the front and that he did not even
read the signatures. The envelope in which
it was contained he said, had something
written across the back of it, but that he
did not read 1t. but threw the envelope and
ali the other letters away.
He emphasized particularly that the will
was very wet and very Shiny. and that 1t
had no paper on the back of 1t. He said
that Mr.. Love found $4,000 of government
bonds at the same time
The will of 1873 shows no signs of having
been wet by rain or snow. 1t is plastered
to a sheet of paper, which is undoubtedly
re
much worn.
| Whoever had them folded the double
paper in a new place, because it had worn
| out in the other folds. Had the papers
| gone through rain and snow they would
have probably fallen lapart or show some
| sign of their experieRfe. -sa+.---
What Chns. Stother Says.
1t is generally believed by those inter-
ested that Judge Holt had no papers stored
| in the Knox building at the time Of the
| fire, which occurred a few days before his
death. Charles Stother, his faithful body
servant when seen today said: "If I am
right in my recollection the Knox fire oc-
Cured on the 18th of July last year. That
was after Judge Holt tell and hurt him
self, and he lay in his bed at the time.
Il used to go every day and give him a
general idea Of what was going on, and I
| remember telling him about the Knox fire
| and reading to him about it from the news
papers. He showed no special interest in
|
| would in any ordinary fire. He certainly
| did not say that he had anything stored in
| the Knox building. and manifested no con-
Germ as to the fate Of any papers or goods
| which might have been stored there.
''If the will of 1873 was in the Knox build
| ing, feel sure 1t must have been there
| without his knowledge, and in the possess
| sion of some one who was keeping 1t for
| the sake of the autographs or for the Ese
| to which it has now been put"
| Charles Strother today related a circum-
| stance which had its bearing also upon the
case He says he remembers on one occa-
sion, when Washington Holt was visiting
| his uncle good many years ago, Judge
| Holt brought up the matter of law which
| had just been passed by Congress provid-
| ing that executors might be relieved from
giving bond in the District of Columbia,
| evded the testator expressly waived that
| obligation in the will.
Strother says he remembers Judge Holt
| saying to Washington Holt, II am glad
| this law has passed. 1t makes the whole
| matter easy. In case of my death, Wash
| ington, all you will have to do will be to
| come on here and take possession of the
| estate and settle it up according to the
| terms of my will"
| Strother's recollection of this is very
distinct.
A Later VIII Expected.
AS the days pass by evidence is slowly
but surely coming to light and accumulat-
| ing as to the existence and character of
| Cne Will OI 1850. MUCH ol lcStiitiOHS
| Is to be found in conversations which
| Judge Holt had with old friends, and now
| and then in correspondence.
For instance lady now living in New
York, who for many years enjoyed Judge
| Hollis friendship, has written to say that
| he mentioned to her his will, and said that
! he had left her as mark of his kindly
| feeling a little memento. What it was she
does not remember, if the judge told her,
| and she is inclined to think that he did not
| say what it was.
1t was not legacy, but simply one of
| those remembrances which Judge Holt
SO Enthusiastically delighted to SHOW to
| his friends along through his life. This
lady is herself wealthy and takes pleasure
in making costly presents to her old
| friends.
But few years before Judge Hollis
| death she gave him small marble statue
| of Napoleon, which he very much liked,
and she suspects that it was in the way
| of a return for this gift that he thought
of giving her memento in his will, as he
stated to her.
The Supposed VIII of 1856.
| 1t was stated this morning by gentle
man who had been a neighbor of Judge
| Holt all his life, that the mystery in re-
gard to the witnesses to the will of 1886
would in all probability be accounted for
| hat feI, he fo,,y - I,x,