The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-04-04
The DaingerfeId Contest in AleSan-
dria Must Be Retired.
THE CASE AN INTERESTING ONt'
Tho Parties TO tho Suit Arc OF a We'll
Known virginia Family and h"ch
Interest Has Been Manifested.
Z eTriaI-History OF Case.

and which has occupied the attention OF
the monument people Of the city Tor over
. week. concluded this morning with 4
hung iurv-six for the proponents OF the
will and six for contestants The argu-
ment closed on Saturday night. as stated
before. when the case was given to the
Jury. and at 2:30 = VI to-day, not coming
10 any agreement, they were dlscnaIseu'
The case will be retired.
HISTORY OF THE CASE.
Perhaps no case ever tried in Alexan-
| dria has elected more interest than the
contest over the will of Mrs. Eliza r..
DaingerAeld. the history Of which IS
briefly az follows. says the Baltimore
Sun:
MIR. Henry D%aingerield. "A wealthy snip
| ming merchant of Alexandria, married IN
the city Of Baltimore. about fifty years
ago. Miss Eliza Il. Johnson, a daush.er
Of Hon. Reverdy Johnson. the dlstNn-
guished Maryland lawyer ana statesman
The Baltimore bride and the Alexandra
| merchant. after their wedding tour. re-
sided in the handsome mansion prooaDIy
the finest I'm this city. az the corner Oh
Columbus and Prince streets. There TWO
hovs were born to them. Henry and Rev
ordv. Henry married MisssNirginia Key
! and Rcverdy married Miss Ellie Nichoi-
SON both of distinguished Maryland fam
uios- Tho father. Henry Daingerheld.
diod An 1861. The two sons died within a
short Tina Of each other a few years ago.
and Mrs. Eliza II. Daingerneid' 'heit
mother. followed them I'm lSS. Inc wld-
ows. Mrs. Eme Daingerfield ana MIS-
Virginia Daingerfeid. were both iett VII"
children. IA.
ne fgu- R.hffn making 6niiSft
to an Of her children and grandchildren
| devised the greater portion OF her estate
| to Nlrs. Fife Daingerdeld the widow ana
! tho chldreo of Reverdy Daingerheid' her
youneer SON. assigning as "a reason mat
| tho others had been provided for by their
father. ~
4, n disposition did not prove salts
factory to Mrs. Virginia Daineerhsid
widow Of Henry. and she brought sult
several months ago. TO contest the Will
THE TRIAL BEGUN.
Tho trial was begun last Monday week
| bcr,ro a Jury OF twelve prominent cltl-
IONS of Alexandria. Messrs. K. walton
Moore. samuel G.. Brent and Edmund
rnrke represented the contestants anu
Messrs. j. NJ. Johnson and Eppa Hunton
aypcarcd for The proponents ol the VII
ar. Johnson opened for the proponents
OF tho Will and Mr.. Moore set iotth 'uo
grounds of contest. Messrs. Gardner j..
| Boothc and y. g. Miller. who witnessed
On. will and Judge O.. *. VI. Norton
who was present. testified that Mr. Daii-
| gcrfcld's mind was perfectly clear
Mr.. Henry Dainserheid. one OF ine CON
4 testaut>. and grandson OF the testatriN'
/ testified that his grandmother had sud
denly changed from affection toward MS
mother. Mrs. Virginia Daingerheld TO
hatred Of her. Being asked whether his
| grandmother heard OF the Asbury Park
scandal between Mrs. Ellie Daingeriieid
I and Mr.. Blunt in 1879 he responded that
/ his grandmother had told him that "Ef-
fe had gotten into "a terrible difficulty M
Asbury Park" lie further testified that
Mrs. Ellie Daingerfeld traded in the New
York stock market.
MRS. DAINGERFIELD TESTIFIES.
The contestant. Mrs. Virginia danger
field. in tesufying. said Reverdy Danger
| fields family had no use for her. They
| alleged that she was ~abundantly able TO
| support her family. Mrs. Eliza Danger
| field once told her that She had made Il
will. drawn by her brother-in-law. Hon.
! Charles J. NJ. GWinn. of Baltimore. by
which her estate was divided between the
two families. Witness said She and her
| little girl were absent much of the time.
so that she added little or nothing 10 the
cost Of keeping the family during the
time when. 10 is alleged, the trstatriX
! exceeded her income
r. II. Gemeny. a clerk for a Washing
ton stock broker. testified that Mrs. Efie
Daingerheld. in 1880. dealt with his house
on margins" In some cases she had lost
| and had TO renew her deposit for margins.
She came 10 his Office about four days
| fA Ill ~ Ia-m.Ffa.m- .H.l .rV nraa
times $50 went against her.
Abram McCorkle. n. colOred servant. tes-
tilted that about six months before Mrs
Daingerield's death she had several
! severe attacks. When he first went there
She was fun OF life. In the last few years
of her lie she changed and went grad
ually down; she became weak i'm body
and mind and ~forgetful.
DR.. T.. l.. Tompkins. OF Washington. an
expert. I'm response 10 a hypothetical ques-
ton. said that the paralysis Of Mrs. Dam
cerfcld, the testatrix. was caused by a
'ocalized softening Of the brain. IL might
he caused by a number Of things acting
together.
FOR THE WILL.
Mr.. Julian Burke, q banker. said Mrs.
Eliza Daingerhcid was a. kind. amiaOle
ady. with "a loving. genial disposition.
Witness had as "A banker many lady
clients and thought that the testatriN was
equal TO the average. but there were
ladies and ladies as to financial ability.
on Thursday evening Mrs. Sally Car
ter. wife Of Mr.. Charles H.. Carter, OF
Baltimore. was taken with commissions
while Miss Johnson. an intimate friend or
Mrs. Eliza r. Daingerhid. was giving tes-
tlmony I'm regard 20 family affairs. BUT
Mrs. Carter quickly recovered and was
the PRINCIPAL witness on Friday for the
will. She gave a detailed history of fam
ily affairs and told how Mrs. Eliza pam
gerheld had informed her I'm regard 10
certain clauses Of her will. TestatrfX said
that Witness mother was her pest
friend. She waited on her. bathed her
owes at night and did constant klnh
Offices. Testatrix told witness In BaIu-
more thai her mother had been always
her hest friend.
During wednesday evenings session.
Mr.. Charles II. Carter, OF Baltimore was
on the witness stand To- two hours
Finally he became indissosed' when cIuii
adjourned. The next morning he hnlsneo
his Testimony. he produced several let-
tiers written bv Mrs. Eliza r. Daingerneld,
which counsel for proponents arEueu
were proof that her mind was clear WIZ"
she made her Will. ~
A number of other Witnesses tes'ileu'
some IN favor OF the proponents WIZ
others thought Mrs. Daingerteld had nc"
unduly Influenced I'm making her VIII
SATURDAYS PROCEEDINGS.
The sixth DAVIS session 81 the VIII 'as7
was begun this morning. Saws the WASH
ington Post. OF sunday When the court
was called "a ordar tho Julge. Jury, at