The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-30
A SERVANTS REVENGE.
A story Sensational Enough for Plot
of n Drama.

of Drama.
From the New York Herald
Hartford, Conn, Tuesday Attach
most valuable property in Hartford
have brought to light a story sensa-
tional enough to form the plot of a
drama. The attachments are a move
in a suit brought by relatives of Hen
ry Kennedy, known far and wide
among horsemen as Col. Kennedy
His heirs, Mr.. and Mrs. William T.
Pitkin of New York, are accused by
a colored servant of securing from him
a will later than the one offered for
probate. This will, he charges, was
suppressed.
Some years ago Mrs. Leonard Church
was one of the wealthiest and most
respected women in the state. Henry
Kennedy was steward at the Asylum
for the Deaf. near Mrs. Church's
home, and eventually he became her
financial agent. At her death her
friends were surprised to learn that
all the property, except $4,000 for
charity, had been bequeathed to Ken
nedy. At the latter's death, in 1899,
he left only an adopted child, who is
the wife of William 7. Pitkin. Under
a will dated Dec. rs, 1898, all the prop
erty, about 100000 worth, went TO
the daughter and her husband.
Barnet Johnson was a colored SER
want of Col. Kennedy, and the Pit
kins recently sued him, in foreclosure
on a mortgage. Thereupon he de-
clared that he had been promised that
the mortgage should be cancelled if he
turned over to the Pitkins certain of
Kennedys papers, including the orig
inal draft, memorandum and duplicate
of a will that Kennedy had executed
on Feb. "a. 1899. Johnson further as
serted that he had given up these pa
pers in March, 1899.
Among the plaintiffs in the suit now
brought are Samuel H. Kennedy of
Hartford, Herbert Kennedy, William
Pratt and Robert Pratt of East Hart
ford and Robert Pratt of North Glas-
tonbury. They not only assert, in the
complaint, that they were disinherited,
but they allege that Mr.. and Mrs. Pit
kin destroyed Col Kennedy's last will.
They admit that the will probated was
a valid one, but insist that ii was not
the last one of their deceased relative.
New Haven, Conn, Tuesday.-Former
Judge Lucius 2. Deming, speaking OF
the Kennedy will contest tonight said:
II represent all of the brothers of Col.
lGuy-OdllQCl3 I1Cl DCl anu oOOA -
Kennedy-also their sisters and the
daughters and sons of them. In all
there are ten or twelve. We have no
doubt of the ultimate result. for they
have a good claim. The case is return
able to the October term and we shall
press for a speedy trial.
Mrs. Nellie w. Pitkin was never le-
gally adopted as a daughter by Col.
Kennedy. In a way she was, however,
for she was always so treated and gen.
orally was known as his adopted child.
But the legal steps were never taken.
There was one will dated Dec. 29, 1898,
which was probated, and 1t gave all of
the estate, valued at approximately
$500, 900, to Mrs. Pitkin, with only a
few small legacies to others.
But we believe we can show a later
will existed, bearing the date OF Feo.
a. 1900. That was not probated, but
there is no doubt that it once existed.
We think we can prove it was destroy
ed, but we may not be able to prove its
contents sufficiently to establish 1t as
a will. If we can show that 1t was in
existence as a last will and was de-
stroyed the estate will possibly go into
the Probate Court and be distributed
to the legal heirs. If we can prove its
contents the estate will go to certain
of Col. Kennedy's heirs, whom he in
tended to provide for"
New London, Conn, Tuesday-The.
cottage leased by William T. Pitkin
and his wife is a handsome summer res
idence owned by James O'Neil and is
next to the actors own villa. Mr.. and
Mrs. Pitkin had started for New York
tonight on the City of Lowell. but the
steamer had not left the pier when Mrs.
Pitkin was asked about the suit of the
Kennedy relatives.
81 have nothing to say on this sub
ject," she said. Affairs of this kind
are attended to by my husband. He Is
outside, close by, and l will call him
so that you can talk with him." A
search up to the time the lines were
cast off, however, failed to locate Mr..
Pitkin.