Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-10-23
RIPLEY WANTS TO KNOW
Where is the $1,000 for a Library Willed
the Town by Former Resident.

The Dexter correspondent Of th@
Bangor Commercial says Ripley peop,r
are Interested in a report that Si9t1
was left that town, two years ago. ars'
that the Request has never been pa
His story is as follows:
Two years ago, Miss Eliza be Il
Crocker of Richmond former resi-
dent of Ripley, died leaving Will IN
which was the clause: Il give to The
town of Ripley. in the county of Somer-
set, one thousand dollars for publ'e
library for the free use of all the people
in the town. No notice was taken e
this bequest by the executor. and i,
was only by chance that the Ripley
people ever heard of it.
A short time ago, Mrs. Sarah j. Dire.
of Bowdoinham. a sister of Miss Crock
er. while writing to friend. Mrs. VIII
liam Jones of Garland. inquired if the
town of Ripley had carried out the de-
sign of her sisters will and had made
the library reality.
Mrs. Jones knew nothing about til
bequest, and when the Exeter fair w2s
in progress she happened to meet VIII
liam Hoyt, one of the selectmen C.
Ripley. and asked him about it. Nj.
Hoyt was very much surprised 10
learn that the town had been reme,n-
bered in will and on his return home
wrote to Mrs. Drew and from her got
some facts in regard to the matter.
learning that the executor of the will
was Judge W. r. Hall of Richmond
A letter was then sent to Mr.. Hall who
replied that such a will had been made
and that the town had according to the
wording thereof been entitled to $1,000
In closing his letter Mr. Hall advised
Mr. Hoyt to come and he would ex
plain his position.
Mr.. HOyt went to Richmond, Friday
and met Mr. Hall. Among other things
Mr.. Hall said that he drew up the will
and that the document remained in his
safe for quite a long time. One day he
has received a summons to go to Bow
doinham where Miss Elizabeth Crockc.'
was stopping, and he says she told him
that she was DESTROYS of having the
clause in the will relating to the town
of Ripley revoked. AS the will was in
Richmond at the time. the easiest way
out of it at that time was to draw up q
new will. and this Mr.. Hall says he
suggested. But Miss Croker did not
want to do this and said that she
would wait until later when the matter
could be attended to.
Mr.. Hall returned home, and very
soon after was taken sick and confined
to the house for nearly three months
When he was able to give attention to
the will. Miss Croker was in falling
health. in fact, her mental condition.
according to Mr.. Hail, was such that
had a change in the will been made it
could not have been otherwise than of
questionable character. Miss Croker
continued to fail and >passed away
without the alteration III the will being
made. Mr.. Hall was named executor
in the will and has attended to his duties
but has never recognized the right of
the town of Ripley to the $1,000, and
has never intimated to the town in any
way up to within two weeks that there
was anything of the kind in the will.
He told Mr.. Hoyt that under the cir
cumstances he did not think the law
would sustain the bequest and refuses
to pay over the money. saying that he
shall carry the matter into the supreme
court before he will pay it.
In event of the money not being paid
over to the town, it reverts, according
to the terms of the will, to Mrs. Drew
of Bowdoinham.
MIR. Hoyt says it is quite probable