The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-26
.BAD 100 MANY COUSINS
COMPLICATED SUIT BEFORE THE
SUPREME COURT WAGED
BY KINSEOLKS
OVER THE WILL OF A BACHELOR
Impending Legal Battle Involves
Fifty-Edght Minneapolis Fam
lilies and Thirteen Prom
inent Lawyers.

! Had the late Lafayette Woodward,
! bachelor, of Minneapolis, paused before
| his death to contemplate the raniiica-
lions of his family connections and real
| lied from what remote degrees conSan-
/ guinity would be traced. there is some
ground for doubt that ne would nave
left the sort Of will he did. But the will
was made only three days before mis-
death and at a time when he was very
Ill, and it is but reasonable to suppose
that at that time he had no comprehen-
sive realization of the extent of his gene
alogy. AS 1t was, he laid the foundation
by the character of his will for a contest
which has now reached the supreme
court, after passing through the probate
and district courts of Hennepin county,
end which is so expansive in its nature
as to include some 200 or more claimants
to a share in the estate. There are fifty
eight prominent families of Minneapolis
involved in the contest, and no less than
thirteen attorneys and firms of attorneys
are actively engaged in the proceedings.
HAS HOSTS OF COUSINS.
Mr.. Woodward, it appears, died a
bachelor, and without immediate rela-
tives. His nearest kinsfoIk were cousins,
but of those he had enough, as has since
developed. to compensate for all short
age in other branches of his family tree.
There are all sorts of cousins, once,
twice and thrice removed, and in num-
Der limited only by the extent to which
the geneaIogy is traced It is between
these cousins, of various degrees, that
the contest has arisen. The case was
presented before the supreme court yes
terday, the various interests being rep
resented as follows:
J. D. Shearer, w. p Roberts, H. w.
Ch1lds and Russell Gray & Jam1son. at
torneys for the first cousins, appellants;
j. j. McHale and c. B, Holmes attor-
neys for third cousins, appellants: Young
& Waite, Wright & Matchan, G. NJ. Bleeck-
er, Alfred II. Bright, F. H. Griggs,
der. H. P. Roberts and H. w. Childs. at
torneys for second cousins, respondents:
Hahn, Belden & Hawley, attorneys for
executor
DIVIDES HIS $4CO, 0OO
The testator, Lafayette Woodward,
died Feb 3, 1899. just three days after
the execution of the will, leaving an es-
tate Of more than 100000, a greater por-
ton Of which was in stocks, bonds and
cash. The will was probated March g.
1899, and under the provisions of the will,
as administered by the probate court,
the property was ordered to be divided
between the first cousins of the testator,
of which there are twenty-one, the first
cousins once removed, that is to say the
children of deceased, first cousins of the
testator, who number ninety-seven; and
the first cousins twice removed, or the
children of deceased children of deceased
first cousins of the testator, of whom
there are sixty-four.
The first cousins wished to exclude
those designated as once and twice re-
moved, or, in other words, the second
cousins, but on an appeal the district
court affirmed the order of the probate
court. Then all, including g. host of third
cousins, appealed to the supreme court
both the first and third cousins seeking
to have the decree of the lower court set
aside, but from different motives The
first cousins want the second cousins ex-
Guided from participation in the estate
and the third cousins want to be includ-
ed themselves. Therefore the first and
third cousins appear as appellants, and
the second cousins as respondents. with
the exception Of two of them, who are
both appellants and respondents from
the fact that they are second cousins
themselves, and have children whom
they also wish to see share in the estate
A PECULIAR WILL
"I, Lafayette woodward do herehv
make public and declare this to be nv
last Will and testament, hereby revoking
al a. wills by me made, that is to say:
Il direct my executor, hereinafter nam
neral expenses and the expenses of the
administrator of my estate
''All the rest, residue and remainder Of
my estate, real, personal and mixed. Of
which, shall die seized wherever stu
ated, L give. devise and bequeath to the
same SAM; persons and in the same proper
lions as my said estate would descend
under or according to the laws of the
state Of Minnesota as existing at the
of any deceased parent taking the share
of such parent by right of representa-
ton.
II hereby nominate as the executor of
this will George w. Yates, on condition
that he make no charge for his services
as such executor, and / hereby authorize
my said executor to sell, convey or lease
any part of my estate for such prices or
upon such terms as he may think best.
hereby requesting that my said executor
be not required to give any bonds for
the performance of his duties as such
executor.
subscribed and sealed this 31st day of
January 1899.
'Lafayette Woodward"
Said deceased died Feb. 5, 1899