New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-02
RICHARDSON WILL PROVED.
Spite HOUSE" MLLIONAIRE's WIDOW
GETS SHARE OF THE ESTATE.


FAVOR OF THE LAST WILL. WHICH
DIVIDES THE PROPERTY AMONG
THE WIDOW AND THE TEs-
TATOR's TWO CHILDREN.
The Will Of Joseph r. Richardson the eccentric
,,nlIonaire Of the spite house." at No 1216
i, ,exington-av was yesterday probated by Sur
~oea,e Fitzgerald. after war in the courts ex-
tending over a year and half. Mr.. Richardson
~ ,be eleven years preceding his death had
,,ode three Wills and each Of these was brought
,nto ,be litigation which has resulted in the will
"vscu,ed on April "a. 1897. some six weeks be-
,o-e his death being declared valid
nv this will the testator bequeathed more than
s9oOoOOOO but during the contest as to its pro-
ho,e 4, was alleged on behalf Of Mr.. Richard
cons two children. George and Dellarifa Grace
p,cbardson. that the estate was not worth more
than about S35OOOO. Mrs Emma ]. Richardson
,rbo was the chief proponent of her husbands
,+ will was his second wife. He left her
s1OOO0OO0 and TO each of his children SIM
uor sum. He also left $4,000 to the Rev. Harry
N Warren. the pastor OF the Central Park Bap
,,s+ Church and S17.500 TO the officers of the
church to pay off mortgage.
Mrs Richardson by the second will. executed
IN 1894. was excluded from all share in the
estate which was divided equally between the
,vro children TO the exclusion of their step
mother.
George and Dellarifa Richardson asked that
This will be declared the last will and testament
of their father and opposed the probate of the
later will on the ground that undue influence
was exercised over him when he executed that
instrument They further contended that he
was not Of sound and disposing mind at the
time Of its execution. Mrs. Richardson filed
notice of contest Of the will of 1894. which her
stepchildren desired to probate. and the third
wifi was then brought into court. 1t was exc
cuted in 1887. and its provisions were substan-
TALLY the same as in that Of 1894 except that 1t
made some minor bequests to other relatives
than his two children. 1t never figured in the
contest.
Hosts Of witnesses were examined for Mrs
Richardson to prove that her husband was of
sound mind when he executed his last will, and
the number of witnesses who testified on behalf
Of his children that their father was incompetent
10 make a will at the time was equally large.
Complaints we're made to Surrogate Fitzgerald
that the securities left by Mr. Richardson could
not be obtained. and that they were in the hands
Of Miss Richardson and her brother George. The
Surrogate appointed a temporary administrator
of the estate. and examinations were held, at
which George Richardson and his sister were
compelled 10 testify as to the securities in their
hands and as to the manner In which their
father conducted his speculations.
Miss Richardson did not testify or give up
certain securities In her possession until she had
been brought up for contempt Of court for at
tacking the court officers who went to her house
at No 10 East Houston-st. TO take charge of
tin box which was said to contain 100000 worth
Goth aafaf
After a considerable amount Of trouble the
administrator succeeded in getting into his
hands some 100000 worth of securities.
Mr. Richardson was born in England. and
came here when young man. He was eighty
four years old when he died. His widow is over
seventy years old. He had large holdings in
the Manhattan Railway stock and in the New
York New Haven and Hartford Railroad, and
was one of the principal owners Of line Of
boats trading between this city and Bridgeport.
He owned a large interest In the Pintsch light,
and In his last illness was engaged In negotia-
tons with the United States Government TO
supply the buoys and lights in the harbors and
other waters OF this country with the light.
George Richardson contended that in any
event his fathers estate was not worth more
than S5O0O00. and alleged that of this Sl5OWU
was due to the firm Of r. H. Bissell & Sons,
stock brokers, with whom he transacted most
Of his financial business as collateral for money
advanced him by that firm.
Homer W. Nichols, of the firm Of Bissell q
Sons testified that he witnessed the will of
1894. and that he told Mr. Richardson that there
would be trouble because provision had been
made for his wife He declared that Mr.. Rich
ardson replied that he had given her enough,
and that he did not propose to give her any more
money TO squander II was testified that short
IN hqf Richardson executed
he had complained that an attempt had
been made 10 poison him, and this was alleged
as proof that he was Of unsound mind at the
time.
Surrogate Fitzgerald. in his decision. minutey
reviews the testimony given on both sides The
evidence on behalf of the contestants does not
show, he says. that at the time OF the execution
Of the last will the testator was Incompetent In
capable or Of unsound mind. With regard 10
the testimony given as 10 the belief OF the tes-
tator that there was conspiracy 10 ron MN
that the water given him TO drink was poisoned,
and that he labored under the delusion that
he was in Europe when he was actually here,
and that he was unable at times to recognize
MS friends and acquaintances, surrogate fllI-
gerald contrasts this evidence with that glVea
by the proponents Of the will. and says that IL
shows that during all this time he was, despite
periods OF mental weakness and disability, trans
acting business involving hundreds OF thou
sands OF dollars, and that the parties alleging
DIS insanity did not contest the wisdom or these
transactions AS matter of fact singular
!ect ne says these people carried out these
transactions and never even insinuated that MT.
ton
=, surrogate Fitzgerald comes TO the conclusion
@ .lia' al the time Mr.. Richardson made his last
VIII VIII ne was In condition Of nationality above
we, we STANDARD required. in order that MS VIII
might be adjudcated TO be legally made.
IT IT," he concludes, "a most natural land
equitable disposition Of property in the man
ner which is provided for by the wisdom or
our laws as expressed in the statute of distribu-
ton"