The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-24
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Contest Over Will
Tale Of Cruel Ssn. ST.
:, 'eer
MADE SELF SUPPORTING es'
ofl
Mrs. Woertz Says Her Fata g.,
Wife Used Undusfs
influence.


phans Court, yesterday afternoon, ~
contest of the will of Jacob RIP Sni
blacksmith of West New York, wh1e
in January last. He left a widow wil1 X
six children and two daughters by
first wife. They are Mrs. Annie NJ
and Miss Mamie Riehl. Mrs. Mertzl a /
contesting the will. which left $500 to J pii
and $500 to her sister. The remainderl WI
to the widow k 4
The real estate consists of a double fla
and some other property, and the value
of the personal property is estimated afl
$1,000. Besides this the widow received
s., geo insurance on her husbands life, burs
as she was the beneficiary there is no
contest over that. Lawyer William II.
Speer appeared for the contestant and
Lawyers James A. Gordon and Warne
Smythe took care of the widows inter-
ests. The contest is based on the ground
of alleged undue influence.
Mrs Riehl testified that her husband
made his will few days before he died.
Two men were with him in his room and
she was in the kitchen, three rooms
away. She had no knowledge of the con-
tents of the will until after her hus-
bands death and she had never spoken
to her husband about it. On the day the
will was made her husband called her and
she went into the room. She did not
know how the two men got there. They
had not rung the bell and she had not
admitted them to the house When ner
husband called her she could hear his
aunt. She then proceeded to tell a story
away, and one of the intervening doors
was closed.
ssDid you say to Mrs. Mertz or anyone,
asked Mr.. Speer, that you would not
have married Riehl if you had not ex-
pected to get his money!"
mo, sir replied the widow. sharply.
Mrs. Annie Mertz testified that Mrs.
Riehl is her stepmother and also her
aunt. She then proceeded to tell story
of having been driven from home when
she was only thirteen years old and COM
PEELED to earn her own living.
After 1 was confirmed, she said,
ssmy stepmother told me and my father
that was old enough to earn my own
living. She ordered me out of the house,
and my father told me 1 had better go to
save troubles My father got no peace
until l did 60 and I had no peace any
way. My father took me to New York
when 1 was thirteen and left me all alone
in that big city. He took me to house
on the East Side where 1 worked as SER
want. My father said he was sorry to
leave me, but he couldn't help it. I was
not strong enough to do the work and l
left the place in about a month";.
The witness told of other places wnere
she was employed and gave her expert @
ence up to the time she got married Two
years ago to John Mertz.
my father was good to all of u.s., she
continued. before he married that woIn-
an She drove my sister Mamie from I1..i,Iss nns
house to so and earn her own Avlng
when she was fourteen. l went 70 tne
house to ask my father to take Mamie
back and my stepmother orderea me ne OUT sas
my father and not her. She said 1t was
her house and if didn't go out she would
Mamie back and now she's disgraced-
My stepmother said 1t was my place "
look after my sister. She said that she
owned the house and every ya u, there .alss
L never went back to the house until my
father sent for me-
when was that?
"On the day he died.
Ibid your step-mother speak to you
that da,y?'
what did She say?'
"she asked me how was and told me
that father was sick" ,,,
WAS that the first you knew of 1t?
eyes; she never sent me word that ne
was sick"
On crnSS-e S-examination Mrs Mertz re-
peated the story of her experiences from
me time. she was driven from home until
she was married At one time she lived
with her Aunt Annie in Union Hill Ior
about a year. Her father took her homS
from there and she remained about g
month working in the day time ana
sleeping at home. ,x
'sWhere were you married?' asked Ars
I'm the church in Union HILL"
s'Was your father there's?
mo sir.
.'Did he know that you were married?,.
mot until some. time afterwards.
don't know how he found 1t out.
'Who took word to you that your father
w NV ssepsister. She came to my house
and told me that papa was dying l
reached the house about half an hour be-
fore he died
Where is. your sister now?''
s-Where did she live before your father
died?'
II don't know"
ibid you ever have any conversation
with your step-mother about marrying
for money?'' The question was objected
She told me-" replied the witness,
"that if father hadn't promised her every
cent OF his money she wouldn't have
sYour mothers will was supreme in the
house?"
Everything she said was law. My fa-
ther became very weak-minded."
The hearing will be continued next F'ri-
day.
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