Evening star., 1897-02-08
FAMOUS WILL CAS- E
The Van Riswick Trial Dragging It's Slow
Course.
Witnesses and Their Testimony Given
Today-The Memorandum and Ac-
count Books Submitted.

When the third week of the Van Riswick
Will case closed Thursday afternoon, the d.
rect examination of Mrs. Martina Carr. who
Is contesting the will. that of her mother.
the late Mary Van Riswick had Just been
concluded. and an adjournment was order
ed by Judge McComas before her cross
examination was commenced. The cross
examination of Mrs. Carr was commenced
this morning, the first day of the fourth
week CT the trial, by Mr.. Jere NJ Wilson of
counsel for Mr.. Wilton ]. Lambert, Mrs
Van Riswick's grandson, who is charged
by his aunt with having procured the max
irg of the will by exercising undue influ-
ence upon his grandmother. This influence
Mrs. Cars counsel, Messrs. r. Ross Perry
and A. s. Worthington. claim, was partici-
pated in by Mr.. Lambert's mother Mrs
Iahmadse A. Lambert, and by her hus-
,sal panu- Inc Will was made in February
1893, about year before Mrs Van Ris-
Wlcks death, Mr.. Wilton Lambert and Mrs
carr being named as executors. piece
OF county property, Van View, said to be
thran ui.' aoout S2o,ooo. was given to him.
three pieces of city property TO his two sis
ters, Maud and Mildred, and premises 14I:
X street were left to Mrs Carr for life The
residue OF the estate was left to Mr.. Will
~: .Gn LAMBERT In trust for Mrs. Carr and
LIS mother with remainder to their Issue
"CEs oVerfule0.
Before Mr.. Wilson commenced the cross
examination OF Mrs. Carr Mr.. Perry called
Casnier Caldwell Harvey of the Norfolk
..a'iolai hank. who testified that before
Mr.. Carr left Norfolk to reside here with
NIB van hlsWlck ne was member Of the
cotton brokerage firm of Parker G. C,r-
Mr.. Perry then offered to show nv III. wit
ness that the financial standing of the firm
was good. and that Mr.. Carr did not fail
in business. ~ ''
Mr.. Lambert's counsel objected. on tb,
ground that the evidence was rehutta, n,
nature, and that 1T could not therefore he
ADMITTED at this time. Mr. Perry made a
sm1,ar caabar offer paer through tn the testimony of
tional Bank of Norfolk. But both offers
were overruled by the court.
mrs Carr then resumed the witness
stand, but before her cross-exa nina ton
was commenced Mr.. Perry asked her as to
the disposal by her of the Great Falls Ice
company stock received by her from her
rather. She said she sold it in 1887 private
~ put that her mother knew Of 1t, telling
her that Mr.. T. A. Lembert president of
the company, believed that she had sold II
10 1nJure him, charge she denied Mrs
Carr also denied that she sold the stock
because of statement made by Mr. Carr's
father that artificial ice would i'm time sun
plant natural ice. Her mother, stated Mrs.
Carr, often said the Lamberts wished her
mother to make Will. From her f. ther
she said, she received about S60OOD in
stocks and real estate, and about S25Oe
from the estate of her sister, Mary Jane
Van Riswick. Her property had increased
trstead of decreasing Her husband said
Mrs. Carr, owns three houses near oath and
l. streets, they being built by Mr. Carr and
herself, he putting in them about $4,000
He got nothing from her mother, Mrs. Carr
was sure.
Another Witness.
Mrs. Carr stated that both Wilton Lam
bert and his father attended to her moth
er's business for years, and she identified
statements made by Wilton of rents collect
ed, in which it appeared he charged his
grandmother commission of ) per cent
After stating that her mother was a wo-
man easily influenced possessing a very
changeable mind, Mr. Perry announced the
close of Mrs. Carr's direct examination.
Her couEsel then called Mrs. Helen p.
Laird, who testified that she had been
well acquainted with the Van Riswick
family, and thought that Mary Jane Van
Riswick was depended upon to a very great
extent by ner father and mother. During
the last years of her life Mrs. Van Ris-
wick's memory and mind seemed to have
deteriorated. Mrs. Van Riswick seemed
particularly fond of Mrs. Carr who SEEM
ed to have taken Mary James place in her
mothers affections, and helpmate
wick was impatient for her return, once
telling the witness that Mrs. Carr was a
very good daughter. Mother and daughter
were very devoted to each other.
Mrs. Carr said the three houses rent for
about s95 month. Two houses were also
built by them on NJ street between 18th
and Goth, and also one in Norfolk. He has
disposed of none of them. None of the
money she contributed to the erection of
the houses came from her mother, and she
repol ted that he never received a cent from
her mother. The houses are in Mr.. Carr's
name.
Carr ide entified many of the memorandum
books kept by her mother, and he read
numerous extracts from them to the jury
to show the peculiar system adopted by
Mrs. Van Riswick in spelling and the
many peculiar entries she made These
memCrs nda disclosed the fact that Mrs
Van RiSWick would never have been a sue
cess at spelling bee," and also showed
that she recorded about everything, from
exper ditures of money to receipts for boil
ing cattage and mixing wnitewash Mr.
Perry stated that the entries were placed
In evidence to show the state of Mrs. avn
Rlswick's mind, and also the marked diff
ference between her orthography in the
memo andum books and her letters to Mr.
j. j. Darlir gton instructing him as to the
manner of will she wished him to draw up
for her.
Mrs. Carr then detailed the circumstances
attending her mothers last illness, stating
that the Tuesday preceding her mothers
death she received her friends at her mo-
theI request. Sne engaged a trained
nurse and did everything for her mother.
never leaving her alone. The presence of
Mrs. Lambert even then excited her mo-
ther. She first learned that her mother
had, made will through Mrs. Lambert,
who told her husband of 1t the day her mo-
ther was buried. Mrs. Carr then identified
a letter written by Mr.. Wilton Lambert
to her husband and one written by him to
her. These letters informed them Of the
making of the will. of its contents, and
that 1t had been deposited in the vault of
the Union Savings Bank, his mother being
in ignorance of its contents.
A Green House Robbery.
For some time past Mr.. Fred. H. Kramer
who has large green houses in Anacostia,