The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-31
A FIGHT OVER A BIG WILL.
TO BE A CONTEST OVER MRS. MARY
L. WILLIAMS PROPERTY.

Four who Claim TO be Heirs File a
Caveat-The Estate valued at $780,
COO or MOre-The CaveatOrs Claim
the Testatrix Was OF UnsOund
Mind at the Time of Making the
VIII, and That Undue influence
Was Used.
There is going TO be a big fight over the
viii Of Mrs. Mary E. Williams, recently
filed and probated In the court Of ordi-
nary for which Mr.. Horace A. Crane, vice
president Of the Southern Bank, was made
executor.
It appears from a caveat which was filed
yesterday that some Of the heirs We're
left out altogether, while others think
they did not receive as much under the
will as they were justly entitled to. The
oaveat was filed by saIle h. Bennett. Ola
Jackson and Archie Jackson, children Of
the testatrix's half sister, Ellen Jackson,
and by Sarah L. Richardson. daughter Of
the testatrix's full sister.
The property bequeathed by the will
amounts to something like $4,000. and IN
der the circumstances it appears the
contest will be an interesting one. and one
which viii involve several important le-
gal points as well as some interesting
questions of fact. The caveat was filed
by Messrs. Way & Beckwith, and the es-
tate is represented by Messrs. Saussy &
Saussy.
A large part Of the property was left to
Mrs. Williams brothers, and to close rel
atives Of her deceased husband, while her
sister was given a very small portion
comparatively, and this forms one Of the
grounds which will be brought to bear in
contesting the will. The caveators object
to the probate of the viii first on the
ground that the testatrix was not OF
sound and dispOsing mind and memory
at the time of making the WILL ana tnat
she was incapable OF disposing OF her
property or any part thereof
The second objection set forth in the
caveat is that the will was made under
undue influence Ii is claimed that the tes-
tatriX was Influenced to make the small
provision of $50 in item Of the VIII to
Mrs. Emma Richardson, by her brother
James J. Nixon Of Levy county tiorida,
and more especially by his daughter Mrs,
Mary Phillips. Ii is also claimed that she
was induced largely to dlsinherlt Saran
H. Richardson and the other caveatOrs
mentioned, by Jas. J. Nixon. The cayeators
ask for these reasons that the probate OF
the viii be set aside and that the order
be refused admitting the same to re-
cord
Judge H. L. Ferrill of the court of ordi-
nary has taken no action in the matter as
yet, but the hearing in this case will IN
doubtedly be one OF the most interesting
matters to come up at the June term of the
ordiuary's court. The estate is quite a
| large one and for this reason the fight
may be a harder one than is usual in such
cases.
Considerable business was transacted in
the ordinary court yesterday. Geo. T.
Cam administrator Of the estate Of George
W. Shaffer filed an application for letters
dismissOry.
Geo. r. Cam, administrator cum tesla
mento anneXo Of the estate of Emma
Jones, filed an application for letters dis
missOry.
L.. VI. Davis. administrator de bonis non
of the estate of Lemuel j. Brannen, filed
an application for letters dismissory.
David A. Byck filed an application for
letters of guardianship on the property
of Edna Byck, minor child of Elias S.
Byck, deceased.
A motion was fled by Walter Jones,
minor, through his guardian, Paul =. Sea-
brook. to set aside the order discharging
Jonas Mendel as administrator on the es-
tate of Thomas b. Jones'
The court of ordinary adjourned last
night at o'clock for the May term, and
viii convene for the June term Monday
morning at 10 o'clock There Is a good
docket on hand including number of ad-
ministratiOns, orders to sell real and per-
sonal property, settlements of accounts
and other matters such as the court usu-
| ally has to deal with.