The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-03-25
THE HOLT WILL CASE.
Decision of a Lower Tribunal Re
versed by the Supreme Court.

Versesl by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court today rendered a
decision in>the noted case of Josephine
II. ThrOckmOrton and Luke DeyIin vs..
w u Holt William G. Sterett
Margaret Bowner, and others The
Court reversed the decision of the District
of Columbia Court OF Appeals and or
dered a new trial
The history of the case Is interesting,
and involves the alleged forgery of the
names OF Ger " T. Sherman and ex-
President L. S. Grant as witnesses 70 a
viii.
In August. 1891. Judge Joseph Holt died
in this city. leaving an estate valued at
$4,000. The nearest surviving relatives
were a number of nieces and uephews-
No will having been found, three OF his
nephews, W D. Holt, William G. Ster-
EFT a local newspaper correspondent, and
John W Holt, filed petition in the Su-
preme Court of the District of Column
bia holding special term for Orphans
Court business, setting forth his intesta-
cy and asking the court 10 administer the
estate
On the 18th of September. 1894. the Ma
tional Safe Deposit, Savings and Trust
Company OF the District was appointed
administrator of the estate, and that cor
poration Immediately entered upon the
performance of its duties as administra-
tor and has since continued to perform
them.
on the 26th day Of August. 1895. there
came by mail 10 the Register OF Wills in
Washington a sealed envelope addressed
To that officer which was poStmarked
washington. d C. August p, 6 D. m.
1851" Upon opening this envelope the
Register OF Wills found therein paper
purporting TO be viii executed by j.
Holt dated -'Feb'y 9TH, 1873, 70 which
were appended What purported to be the
SIGNATURES Of Ellen 3. T. Sherman, L 5
Grant, and ". T. Sherman.
This will gave one half Of the estate 10
Lizzie Hynes' and the other half TO Jo-
saDhine Holt Throckmorton- on the aft
ernoon of August q Josephine Holt
Tbrockrnorton. who lived in New York,
passed through Washington. stopping
about an hour at the Baltimore and Po-
tomac depot. The envelope il question
was mailed between and 1 O'Clock, or a
little earlier or little later, on that aft
| ernoon, in a letter box ii the northwest
section
| Josephine Holt ThrockmOrton is J
daughter of Major Charles B Throcknor-
ton. of the United States Army. In 1S7:
| ana LOT q ltIS lIILc prior lA4-LStt NlAS =
Iations between Judge Holt and the
/ Throckmorton family We're intimate 10
/ sephine was born n September. 1855, Unt
was consequently about six and n hall
years of age at the date of his alleged
will
| Judge Holt was Judge Advocate Gen
| eraI of the Army from 1862 until 1919, and
/ in consequence had an intimate acquaint-
| auce with both General Grant and Geuer-
| al Sherman \ petition was filed asking
| the court TO admit the alleged will
| The trial began GA May Is, 1895, and the
| Jury found that the viii had nevEr, beer
! executed ny Judge Holt. The matter
| Went to the Court of Appeals which af-
| frmed the judgment Of the lower cousl
/ The matter came 10 the Supreme Court
/ by writ OF error
! The decision Of the Court is that the
! testimony Of the handwriting experts
! should not have been admitted. Among
| those who testified to the writing wer,
| Col. Theodore Bingham and son OF Gen
| erai Sherman.