The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-06-28
The Biloxi Estate.

The hearing of exceptions to the ac-
counts of William B. Wills, executor of
the estate of Thomas Black, deceased was
resumed on Saturday.
THE News had an error in its report of
this case, last week, in the statement that
10 of the heirs had joined in making the
move against the executor. There are but
five interested and they all live in the
west.
Saturdays proceedings opened with the
executor on the stand for the purpose of
explaining the items to which exceptions
had been taken The majority Of them
were very trivial and it did not take much
effort to dispose of them.
One of the exceptions was to the APP
praisement of the stock of the Burlington
County Agricultural Society. The ex-
ceptants thought that the stock should
have been sold at a fair figure, Mr.. Wills
testified that he had advertised it at pri-
waite sale for several weeks and had also
made personal efforts to dispose of it, but
it was at the time when the affairs Of the
society were not in a good shape and peo-
pie were not anxious to get the stock.
In explanation of transaction with
Philadelphia brokers, Mr.. Wills said that
he was compelled to pay collateral inner
itance tax on $4,000, and the estate did
not have the ready cash on hand, so he
borrowed money to meet the expenditure
To have sold any of the securities at that
time would have entailed loss. Up TO-
that period he had paid to the heirs the
sum of SIT 600 There were some bonds
of Trust Company, one OF which he had
transferred to one Of the heirs The com
panv had since gone into the hands of a
ID ha had 10 DDnnS
on hand. Another allowance he craved
was on hay. 1t was appraised at SLOT,
but at the sale it only brought $531.Oo
The exceptants claimed that as the ex-
ecutor had some stock sold at the estates
sale. he should bear portion of the eX-
pense of advertising. They thought that
his receipts were about one-siXth of the
entire sum, so he should pay that proper
ton of the advertising. To this the reply
was that the increase in advertising was
nothing. as the naming of the articles
owned by the executor did not add line
to the advertisement, merely the change
of figure while the increase in the guam
tity of stock to be disposed OF attracted a
larger number of purchasers
Another exception was to the charge for
expenses in going to Philadelphia and
other places on business for the estate.
He explained that he did not, every time
he went to the city, ask the railroad com
pany for voucher for his carfare, nor did
he get receipt for his dinner, or his
street-car fare He said he could produce
his diary, if desired, and show the number
of times he had been away on business for
the estate and he ventured the assertion
that it would be found that he had not
charged for all the trips He went to see
the brokers on several occasions and he
was guided solely by them in the matter
of disposing of stocks.
To the objection to the sum paid Joseph
Huff, Mr.. Wills said it was necessary to
have the accounts made up in presentable
shape. With the idea that there was no
need of going to the expense of securing
lawyer, he called Mr.. Huff in knowing
that the latter was experienced in such af
fairs
Mr.. Wills attention was called to some
vendue bills that had not been collected
He said there was about $98 still outstand-
ing, and he thought he could get the most
of it.
The transaction of the sale of the In
dian Hill farm was next taken up Mr.
Wills purchased the farm at the sale, Civ
ing ST. per acre To pay this he drew
his personal check on the Union National
Bank and deposited it to his account as
executor in the Farmers National Bank,
and in few days after the transaction
distributed the money among the heirs.
There was another farm known as the
Biddle tract An effort had been made
to show that the executor had manipulate
ed affairs in such manner as to eventual
ly secure this farm for himself at low
price. This he promptly denied, saying
that he did not want the place. When it ]
was offered at public sale it was under
stood that purchaser was in attendance,
but just as the sale was about to begin
the latter went to Mr. Wills and said he
could not arrange to get the money. Mr.
Wills then went to man who worked on
the place to start the farm at SO an
acre, run it up to $25 and dump" it,
The only trouble about the transaction
was that the first bid of SO was all that
was received. The conditions of sale
were never signed and the farm will be
offered for sale again next fall.
DR.. j. Hume Carter was called to testi-
fly with reference to pair of horses on
which the exceptants thought too much
money had been expended. DR.. Carter
said he handled the horses When he got
them they were only partly broken. One
of them had lump on its leg and neither
had been used singly After they had
been handled awhile they showed much
improvement, and by the day of sale they
could be recommended in many ways that
would not have been justified before. HeI
considered that money expended on the
team increased its value to more than the
sum paid out I. Harry Bowker corrobo
rated Dr. Carter
George H. Harker was examined with
reference to the exception to the expendi-
ture of money for removing stumps from
the Biddle tract. Mr.. Harker said he
owned the stump puller used for the
work, and he did not make any charge for
it, the only cost being for the labor, and
he considered that piece Of work the most
advantageous he had ever seen.
Solomon Headley was asked about re-
pairs to a cranberry bog. He told what
had been done, and when asked if he
thought too much money had been used
he replied that he did not think half
enough had been expended to put the bog
in good shape.
This ended the testimony on behalf of
the executor, and the exceptants offered
some in rebuttal.
William P. Bryan was called to tell of
the actions of the executor at one of the
sales, where it was claimed he was in con
slant communication with Edward D.
Stokes, the inference being that there was
collision to get articles cried off to Mr..
Wills at low prices. Mr.. Bryan also gave
testimony to the effect that losses had
been sustained by the failure of the ex-
ecutor to dispose Of certain stocks when
there was favorable market
Stephen Clevenger gave some testimony
Il r IL 1
Edward D. Stokes was called to deny
that part of Mr.. Bryan's testimony refer
ring to his actions on the day of sale. He
said that he did not have any converse
ton with Mr.. Wills at the sale as had been
asserted.
This concluded the case for the day,
and the further hearing was postponed
until August 6.
According to a celebrated anatomist
there are upwards of 1000, 900 little glands