The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-07-13
nHHHxY NM
BILLY MY
ONLY FRIEND
So Said jonathan E. Richards
Before He Died.
His VIII, Made In Favor Of w. H.
Benjamin, Is being Contested by
Miss Edith Richsrds, Sister Of
the Deceased.

In Morris Orphans Court before
Judge vreeland Monday morning,
the matter Of the application of the
probate of a paper writing pnrporting
to be the last will and testament Of
Jonathan E. Richards, deceased,
lately of Hanover township, was
taken up. The case came up on
caveat being fled by Edith Richards,
sister of the deceased, alleging inca
pacity and undue influence.
The facts of the case, as gathered
from the evidence are these The testa-
tor, who was only 26 years of age,
was left, on the death of his mother. a
piece of property consisting of a
house in New York City, jointly with
his sister, the income of which pro-
perty amounted to about 81, 100 year.
Richards was an infant when his
mother died He was 19 years old
when his father died. The later left
his property to Carnot B. Meeker in
trust for the two children for their
life.
According to the evidence young
Richards was feeble-minded and
easily persuaded by his companions.
He would not engage in any useful
employment and spent most of his
time riding recklessly around the
country bareback on broncos. A quiet
horse he had no use for and in fact
would keep no horse for more than a
month or six weeks. His chief as
piration was to be a cowboy. He
had full cowboy OUTFIT including
Mexican saddle. lariats, pistols, hol-
sters. etc. He also had the picture of
mounted cowboy on his letterheads.
Because of his eccentric doing, his
sister and the housekeeper would not
allow him to live home so he board
ed around with the neighbors One
and all seemed to consider him a little
weak mentally but harmless.
The evidence was that his principle
business transactions were that of
buying and selling horses in doing
which he always came out loser.
One instance in particular was the
time when he bought horse of
Michael Meyers, the Newark horse
dealer. Richards bought the horse
for a trotter with a record of 2. 90
and paid $40o for him. He drove
home and being advised by his neigh
bors that the harness was more yalu-
able than the horse he attempted to
drive back to Newark but the horse
died on the way.
In 1898 he contracted heavy cold
after which consumption developed
and from that time Richards was
mostly confined to the house.
His last boarding place was with
William H. Benjamin, Of Whippany
Here he died March 30 this year,
having made his will the January pre-
ceeding giving his property to Mr..
Benjamin At his death he said to
the attending physician, BILLY is the
only friend have. =
The will was offered for probate
by the executor, David F. Barkman,
shortly after Richards death and the
caveat being fled the matter came up
before the Orphans Court
The case occupied all the time of
the court from Monday morning until
Wednesday afternoon when it was
laid over until this morning. The list
of witnesses called seemed to include
most of the inhabitants of Alton on
the part of the caveator. 1t looks as
if most of Whippany will appear for
the proponent. Several witnesses
from Morristown have been called.
The lawyers are W. W. Cutler .and
David F. Barkman for the proponent
and Senator Mahlon Pitney for the
caveator.