The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-01-07
A LEGAL PUZzLER
Heirs of Captain Bloomer
Fighting Over $4,000
in Chancery.
INTERESTING TO ARcANUMITEs
The Testator Changed His Bene-
ticiaries and Embittered
His Relatives.
INTERESTING TO ARCANUMITEs

Many years ago in England a wealthy
out very eccentric old gentleman to spite
his relatives. who were anxiously wait
ing for him to be gathered to his fathers,
feeling that his end was near sent for
his lawyer and told him to draw up his
will. bequeathing all his wealth, several
millions. to one John Smith and his
heirs, etc."
But" said the astonished man of the
law, which John Smith,"
That's for the heirs to litigate,'
grlnned the millionaire. 81 want to have
some fun"
The will was SO drawn and when death
came at last and the will was opened
there commenced a litigation by every
jonn smith in the British Empire to get
these millions out of the Court of Chan
Gerry. The money is still there.
A parallel case to this, but in a. smaller
degree. was heard by Vice Chancellor
Pitney this morning in Chancery Cham
bers. The suit was the Supreme Council
of the Royal Arcanum on bill of inter-
pleader against Mrs. Sadie E. Boomer. wild
ow of Charles Griffith Bloomer, Jessie B.
Wright, Harriet Bloomer. and Eliza B. Mum
to determine to whom a policy of 5000
should be paid. The widow says it is
hers, While the three sisters claim the
money belongs to them in the sums of
$l.VVO each. A curious point of the trans
actlon IS that each party to the suit ac-
cuses the other of undue influence and
each files answers and cross bills.
Boomer. who was a. steamboat pilot, re-
siding at No. n Sussex street, JERSEY
City. willed the $3.O to the wife and then
changed it to his sisters. He
changed again and again. and Vice
Chancellor Pitney was asked to %straighten
out the tangle.
The testator was a member of William
L. Dickinson Council No. 54S, Jersey City,
and contributed to the Widows and Or
phans' Benefit Fund of the Royal Arcan-
UNI. Ills policy was made out to the
benefit of his wife. Sadie e. Boomer.
On August 4. 1893. Captain Bloomer no.
titled the Council tina he wished to
change his beneficiary from his wife to
his two sisters. Jessie B. Wright, for
$1,000; Harriet Bloomer, 1900, and his
wife. $1,000. Two months later he gave
another notice to the Council changing
the disposition of the S 5000, shutting out
his wife and dividing it among his three
sisters in equal shares of 1000. Three
months later, on February /, he changed
again and his time left the s., 200 to his
three sisters in these portions:LEliza B.
Mum, $3.50; Jessie B. Wright, 5000, and
Harriet Bloomer, 81, $50. Five days later
Captain Blomer died and his widow, Mrs.
sadie E. Bloomer, made application for
the $1,000. Then the sister, Eliza B.. Mum.
VINO was left 81, 600 under one notice and
cut down to $3.50 in the last, put in her
claim for $1,000 and advised the Council
not to consider her sister-in-law's claim.
Inen, OF course, her example was follow
ed by Jessie B. Wright, the other sister,
whose portion was cut down 500. She oh,
9ected and the only one who was perfect
" content with the last will was Miss
harriet. she was left 1850 and she was
at peace with everybody.
since Inc sisters and widow each noti-
ned the Council that they must not pay
the money to the other 7 the Council in the
Chancery and then said
Get 1t out yourselves. Well pay our
Indebtedness. Settle among you who shall
The counsel engaged were Messrs. Gill
pert Colins, William Il. Speer. Jr., and
J lanes 5 6ob ErWin; who represented the
the contesting ladies. all dressed in black.
There was such a nodding of black
eehiefs w ddSh d e wa 6Iaegk Of ho White z ha nd :
diving into bags and retieules, such a
shaking of heads and such crossfires of
indignant looks on the one hand and tri-
umphant looks on the other. that but for
those feminine demonstrations the pro-
ceed1ngS would ave been unutterably
dull.
Mrs. Sadie E. Bloomer, the widow. first
took the stand and she, examined by Mr..
Erwin, said that her husband owned a
The insurance in the Royal Arcanum was
effected under an agreement between her
husband and herself for the provision of
business and aided him in paying the dues
Of the order. In September, 1892, her hus-
bands health failed. He was sick with
L n0nSl1mnfinn nnd hic rnfy,1 rr.r r-1- l. .-l
by the. advice of his doctor went to Colo
RADIO for nine months. During his alb,
sence she managed his business and paid
Mrs. Bloomer said that from that time
when he was sick, he was subjected to the
undue influence of his sisters and dur
respecting the policy Of 5000. witness
said that her husbands brother and
riet obtained 81, $50 was effected by that
lady, who had her brother staying in
her house fol-. a short time. It was Har-
change.
THE idea!" indignantly whispered
that lady, turning for sympathy to her
friends, while the other sisters %corrobor-
ated the widow with. vigorous mods.
The lucky sister had her ~innires lator
contributed to her brothers. support. Il
was not true, she said, that Mrs. Bloom
er sent her husband any money when in
SOlofdoO. Lite tApSiSeS VI tue Trip were
borne by the witness. Miss Harriet also
denied the statement of the widow that
the assessments were paid by her; on
the contrary, she, Harriet Boomer, paid
them, and her brother WED her large
sums of money which she had advanced.
Mrs. Jessie B. Wright, who had her
81 900 cut down to $500, at the last dis
position came next with her answer.
She said she didn't now anything of
her brothers intentions tc change the
! insurance and wound UP by asking sfor
4 81, 900 or if the last change be valid then
5000"
in the game Of freeze had her 1000 re-
duced to $3.50, claimed that the last change
was imperative, and she was entitled to
81, 900. Mrs. Mum then had a fling at
her sister Harriet by saying that the last
change was invalid because Of fraud and
undue influence.
Only the stern demeanor and chances
of Vice Chancellor Pitney prevented a
melee among the ladies when this came
out. Miss Harriet looked daggers and the
other sisters seemed to enjoy her dis
comfiture.
Mrs. .Munn's answer wound up by say
ing that Harriet Boomer has a mort
gage Of 800 on her property on Gardner
!. cate to be made. She cancelled the
. changes until the sisters found 1t out
from other sources, and these changes
were made under coercion"
The case lasted until a late hour.
} PASSENGERS KICK At DELAY.
The trolley wires of the North Hudson
u - $3.50 n.:1--.a nxorn be;,- a0oirol 80