The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-08
A SCHOOL
TRUST FUND.
Question Of Disposal Be-
fore the COuri.
LEFT BY DEXTER BALLOU.
May Be Applied to Woonsockei
Manual Training School.
LEFT BY DEXTER BALL0U.
CASE TAKEN UNDER AMUSEMENT

The case of the Consolidated School
district of Woonsooket VS.. Providence a.
Worcester Railroad company ct pl., was
before Chief Justice Matteson and Justices
Stiness ana Tillinghast this morning.
The opening present alton in the case was
made by Arnold Green, who stated that
Dexter Ballou, by his last we'll and tesla.
ment executed in ls47. bsqueathed 10
shares OF the capital stock of the Provi-
dence 81 Worcester Railroad company. the
annual income OF which was To be applied
TO tie support OF secondary grammar
school in the school districts of tho village
OF Woonsucket Falls. Al the time MT.
Ballou died there We're only primary
schools in Woonsooket, but shortly after
stephen Harris made deed of land for
a high school, ana the income Of the
stock was applied TO this school after the
four districts were consolidated in 1919.
In 1888 the town o. Woonsocket took
charge of the schools OF the town and
since that time the income OF the stock
has teen accumulating. During the time
the trustees Of the Consolidated School
district held the stock new shares Were
issued to the stockholders so that the
number now held under the will of Mr..
Baliou is 81 and their value with the ac
oumu lated inc ONE Is about 5000.
The bill In equity upon which the hear
ing was held today was filed by the late
Thomas q. Greene In December. 1895, and
the trustees of tie consolidated district,
who arc Samuel Il. Cook, Il. Charles
Francis ana Charles l.. Ballou ask that
the funds be applied 10 the support of "a
manual training school as it cannot now
be applied to the purpose for which ii was
originally Intended. the parties named
~ respondents in tho will were the State
of Rhode Island, City of Woonsocket,
Providence IL Worcester Railroad Com-
pany and Mrs. Elizabeth Keith. The lat
ter Is a daughter and the sole surviving
child of the testatcr, Dexter Ballou.
Ihe city OF Woonsocket in its answer
offered no objection to the fund going to
the manual training school. and asked
that In case the court should direct IL TO
be paid for that purpose Ii direct its pay
ment 10 the general school fund. Mrs.
Keith claimed that the fund should go TO
the residuary legatees as the bequest was
n special and particular one, and there
being no school answering the description
in.the willsthe trust must DO at an end.
A further claim OF the city Of woonsocket
was tnat the bequest was general
charitable one, the school chosen being
merely n secondars consideration.
Mr.. Bassett who represented Mrs.
Keith, said that after the taking Of testi-
mony il became evident his client could
not suDstantiate the claims set up in her
answer SO he could not further oppose tae
bill.
Woltsr T. Ballou, city solicitor Of Woon-
socKtJ, said the manual Training school
was a private Institution in NoonsOokes
supported by fund left by Mrs. Rath-
bun, wife OF former Lieut.. Gov Ratn-
bun, and rs the residents of woonsocket
were mostly working people, the appli-
cation OF this fund 10 this school would
be of great advantage to many children
and would be an allotment of the CHARITY
very close to its original purpose. There
were at present Mr.. Ballob said. about
800 pupils i'm this school
Chief Justice Matteson asked as to the
course OF training in'tbis school and Mr..
Ball replied lao believed It was the same
as in Providence The court held the
matter for advisement.