The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-23

sTlLLWATER, Mimi, Jan. "a
tspecial.)IThe will of the late Hon
isaac Staples has been set aside tbe
jury returning a verdict for the CON
testant E. s. Bronson, late this after
noon. The jury decided that Mr. Sta
pies was not of sound mind at the time
the Will was drawn and also decided
tnat ne was not capable Of transactins,
ordinary business.
Inc jury was out thirty hours and
every one expected disagreement bu+
II seems that the jurors devoted q
great deal of time to the testimony
and weighed the admissions and as-
sertIons Of each witness.
Judge Williston was at tba ca,,,,o,.
mouse when the agreement was reach
cd and promptly went to the cour+
mouse and received the verdict. The
verdict involves an estate of an cot
mated value Of s., 300, 900. The case win
probably be appealed.
No case which has been tried In
washington county has, previous to
thls action, been so bitterly contested.
Inc property interests involved were
large and neither side has neglected
any point which might be turned IN TIA
ao'ahtage- There have been two hear
hgs; one before the probate cour+
which was largely formal in its nature
ana the second, the action which has
just oeen concluded, which was tried
upon d question of fact-the soundnesz
" unsounoness of mind of the testator
AT the time he signed the probated will
Ourlhg the hearing before the 1l1ry.
Mhicn lasted some thirty DAYS. over
LOU witnesses have been examined .
among these were those who had been
friends and employees of Mr.. StapIes.
men who had done business with him
doctors who attended him and the at
torney who formerly had charge or bfs
regal business. 1t was not denied thar
the late millionaire was a man with
many peculiar traits Of Character and
the jury, after considering all the evi-
oehce' decided that the oddities which
developed in his later life amounted to
dementia.
ST. CROIX PIONEER
MT Staples was among the pioneers
OF the St Croix valley and was sarlv
loent1ned with its numbering interests.
or a time that was his principal busi-
ness, but later his commercial activi-
tles Wldened and he embarked in bank
ing and other business ventures In
1888 he suffered from a serious illness
ana the contention of the contestant of
the will was that after that time bs
had never been entirely sound in mind
Mr.. Staples died in June of last yea,
and shortly after a will bearing date
OF Oct. 10. 1885, was produced bI, Nrv
Angelina Hover, his housekeeper-x
preVious to the death of the late Mrs.
staples had also been her nurse-and
onereo Tor probate By the terms of
eiiis Will the estate of Mr.. Staples.
roughly valued at one million dol
iars' was, after the payment Of certain
requests. to be divided into four equal
parts for distribution. Among the he
quests were several of Sc. 900 each m
grandchildren and one of $4,000 To
u Hospes, the husband of A surviving
daughter. The four parts into which
the bulk OF the property was divided
were to go one each to the sons of Mr.
staples-1- E. Staples, Charles Albert
staples and David E. Staples-whiIe
the fourth share was to be equally di
Vlded between Mrs. A. c. Hospes and
Mrs. Caroline B. Swaine, surviving
daughters
Shortly after the will was produced
contest proceedings were Instituted b,,
Edwin S. Bronson, son of a deceased
daughter of Mr.. Staples. This contest
was nrst heard in the probate court,
where the hearing was begun Aug. %
OF last year, before Judge Wilson. The
will offered for probate was proved bv
the proponents and some evidence 10
sustain it offered, but the contestant
decided to offer no evidence and the
Will was therefore admitted to probate
From this decision Mr.. Bronson an
pealed to the district court. and the
hearing was taken up before Judge
Williston and a jury in December. This
nearing resulted in the verdict given
today.
BENEFITS BRONSON.
The verdict of the jury. if it is final
ly sustained, will result in a division
at law, according to the contention of
MI Bronson, the contestant. No other
VIII is known to be in evidence and the
division will be according to the COM
mon law. Interesting as bearing upon
such division is a copy of a will Of
fered in evidence during the hearing
which left the estate as it will be di
vided by the courts. This will was
drawn in 1898, by Judge j. c. Netha-
way. and divided the estate, after GER
tain bequests, into seven equal parts
to be given to the children of Mr.. Sta
pies or their heirs.
The principal beneficiaries under the
verdict today are the children of two
daughters Of Mr. Staples, who died be-
fore his decease. These daughters were
Mrs Matthew H. Clark, Of St. Paul,
and Mrs. Bronson, who was the wife
of Col W. G. Bronson. There are three
children who will divide Mrs CIark's
share of the estate. and for Mrs. Bron-
sons portion there are also three heirs,
w. j. Bronson Jr..who lives in Chicago,
and Edwin S. Bronson and Mrs. W. H
Bean, both OF Saltwater. Mr.. Bronson,
who brought the action, will be enti-
tied, under the verdict, to one-third OF
one-seventh of the estate. Since the
death of Mr.. Staples in June, 1. E. Sta
pies, who, under the will, received one
quarter of the estate, has also passed
away
Going to China.