The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-23
WILL OF HAROLD s. JOHNSON
TO UND YESTERDAY ABTERNOON IN
 ENDORSEMENTS NATION1L BANK.

Estate of $5s ,OO0 Had Been Distributed Equally Among Five Heirs, No Win Being Found When the Estate Was PrObated-NVu Drawn in 1876 -Be- quests Very Different From DistrIbu- ton Made by the Court.
 Yesterday afternoon Robert Foote, cashier of the Tradesmen's National bank, while looking over some of the old papers of the late George A. Butler, a former president of the bank, found will of the late Harold St. c. John son, who died on June 6, 1S96 After MT. Johnsons death his estate was ap- praised and found to amount to about $5S00O A search was made for a will, but none being found the estate was divided equally by distributors ap- pointed by the probate court, among the five heirs, brothers and sisters of the deceased Harold St. c. Johnson.
 The will found yesterday at the Tradesmen's National bank was drawn on February Il, 1878, by Attorney Sieg- Wart Spier, Charles E. Mallory and Harry Leigh. Its provisions are as fol- lows: To his parents, Susan H. John son and Sheldon c. Johnson, the life use of the entire estate, or if only one of these two survived him the life use of the entire estate to this one; on the death of the parents the estate to be distributed as follows: To Josephine w. Elliott of Seymour 9 sister, $1,000; to Oscar E. Johnson of San Francisco, a brother, S1000; to a nephew, Charles s. Johnson, $500, with the understanding that if he be a minor the money should be used for his education: to Mrs. Sarah J. Forsey, the life use of $2,000 the income to be paid for her sole and separate use, and after her death, if she had children, the $2,000 was to go to them If she had no children it was to be divided equally among her legal heirs. After these legacies and be- quests were paid the residue of the es- tate was to go to his sister Susan s. c. Johnson. If, however, she should marry then she was to have the use and income of the residue of the estate during her life. On her death, if she had children, the property was to be used for their support and education and divided equally among them. If she should leave no issue the residue of the estate was to be given to Oscar E. Johnson of San Francisco and his heirs forever. The will named George A. Butler, at that time president of the Tradesmen's bank, executor.
 MT. Butler, however, died on March 26, 1896, about two months and half before MT. Johnson died. When the estate came to be probated and no will was found the probate court ap pointed the following distributors, who divided the estate equally among the five heirs mentioned above, Henry c. White of New Haven Edmund Day of Seymour and General s. E. Merwin of New Haven. These distributors per formed their duties and made return of the distributions on January IA, 1s97
 When the estate was in the probate court Attorney Spier told of having drawn a will but as it could not be found the general belief was that it had been destroyed. Shortly after MT. Johnson's death meeting was held by his heirs and Henry s. Johnson and Henry c. Shelton were appointed by the heirs to look through the private papers of the deceased to see if they could find a will. These two gentle men accordingly took the keys of the deceased and searched through his rri- vate drawer at Johnson Brothers store at the corner of State and Court street, and also through his private drawer at the Tradesmen's bank. They made a note of the papers found in this search, but could find no will.
 Ex-Judge A. Heaton Robertson was appointed by the probate court adminis- trator of the estate and wound up the affairs and distributed the property ac- cording to the return made by the reg ularly appointed distributors. The will found yesterday was enclosed in a large envelope, on the outside of which was written Belongs to Harold St. C.. Johnson" The will was given to Mir. Butler to keep and he instead of put ting it with his private papers placed 1t with the banks papers and the sup position is that the bank officials seeing the writing on the outside of the en- yelope if they ever did come across the envelope, thought that it belonged to some one who would call for it when it was wanted. The Susan s. c. John son named in the will as the heir to re- ceive the residue of the estate is the wife of Harry Leigh, having been mar ried to him early in the sos.
 Judge Cleaveland of the probate court when asked yesterday afternoon what steps in the case would now be taken said that probably the property distributed among the heirs would be reclaimed by the probate court, if pos sible, and redistributed according to the terms of the will just found.
 Henry s. Johnson, speaking of the case last night, said that his brother, Harold St. c. Johnson, drew will in 1890, but that about two years ago Har- old was in court and heard the trial of the Kimberly will case and returning home one night said that disgusted him with wills, and that he had made one in 1890 but had just torn it up. He also said that he would have no will, and that the state of Connecticut was good enough for him.
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