The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-12-22
THE CORBL|SS WILL.
Daughter Of the Testator
Tries to Prove I'm
sound Mind.

The contest over the will of John Cor
bilss,w no died in st. Francis's Hospital,
Jersey City, August q last, leaving ar
estate valued at $15, 900 to his half sister,
and practically disinheriting his only
daughter, was continued before Judge
Blair in the Orphans Court yesterday af-
ternoon. The session was devoted mainly
to expert medical testimony on the ques-
tion of the mental soundness of Corbliss
at the time he made the will which is be-
ing contested, and which was the seventh
drawn in the year prior to the testator's
death.
Corbliss was seventy-three years old at
the time of his death. He owned prop
erty at Colgate and Mercer streets. BY
his first will he left practically his entire
estate to his daughter, Mrs. John Quin-
lisk and her children, but each subse-
quent will lessened their share more and
more until the final one, drawn a few
days before his death. left Mrs. Quinlisk
s4oO, and aside from a few other minor
bequests, gave the entire estate to the
testators half sister, Mrs. Bridget Kel-
lert.
DIR. Baker, who was Corbliss's family
physician, said that the testator had two
the other in July, 1900. He described his
general condition and actions and gave as
MS opinion that Corbliss was mentally un-
sound at the time he made his last will
DR.. Loomis, who attended Corliss at the
hospital for eight days before his death,
corroborated this testimony.
The star witness for the caveators was
DR.. Britten D. Evans, superintendent of
the Morris Plains Insane Asylum, and
the expert who testified so positively at
the inquiry into the question of the sanity
of the late Edward Clifford, that the
slayer of Superintendent William G.
Watson of the West Shore Railroad was
insane.
DR.. Evans described dementia and also
the action of apoplexy on the mind. He
said that in apoplexy the blood vessels
break in the brain and the blood pours
into the brain, disarranging the outer
gray matter and forming blood clot.
If large area of cortex, the seat of
motive power, is destroyed, and if the
clot is not absorbed. permanent i'm
pairment of the brain or mental faculties
ensues.
He then described the various symptoms
of dementia anw hen asked if a man
afflicted with dementia could look after
his property until short time before his
death, asid that would give no Indication
of his mental condition.
Asked if it would show that such a
person had thestamentary capacity the
witness replied that it would not.
Lawyer George C. Tennan then put
hypothetical question covering the testi-
mony of Drs. Baker and Loomis and
asked if person VIII acted as the one
described could have testamentary cap
acity. and he replied in the negative
what would be your opinion of the
mental condition of such a mann?
Il have no hesitation in saying that he
was mentally unsound."
Another hypothetical question was then
put by the caveator's counsel It covered
all the points in the case brought out at
the previous hearing and described Cob
liss's condition and actions for two years
before his death.
1t was objected to by Lawyer Charles
Hughes, representing the proponent, on
the grounds that all the facts cited had
not been brought out in the evidence.
Judge Blair overruled the objection and
DR.. Evans replied that the whole pro-
cedure of the man, indicated by the ques-
tion, was that of person of unbalanced
Judgment, easily influenced, and of un-
stable and unsound mind.
The cross-examination by Lawyer
Hughes failed to shake the witnesses tes-
were adjourned until next Friday
Dr. John w. Dougherty will be the
principal expert for the proponents.