Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-10-19
LEFT FIANCE, 100000
Now Miss Mckeowns Relatives
Would Break Her Will,
FIGHTING HIM SHE LOVED MOST
xas oh Edward Murray, Young Philadelphia
LAWYER, The Man Contestants Claims
The Attorney EyeIied an Undue
lnauance Over no Girl
Influence Oger .he GIfI.


Philadelphia, Oct IA romance
of unusual interest attaches to the
contest of the will OF Mary G. Nc
Keown. formerly Of this city who
left all her rich estate to Joseph Ed.
ward Murray, member of the local
bar, to the exclusion of her nearest
of kin-aunts and cousins. The case
was to have been argued before Regis
ter of Wills Singer at II o'clock yes
terday morning, but owing to the alb
sence of one of the attorneys for the
contestants it was postponed until
October 20.
Miss McKeown, who had inherited
over 100000 from her father, was the
sweetheart Of Mr.. Murray. She was
taken i'll early in 1899 in this city.
and was conducted by Mr.. Murray to
hotel at Lake Saranac, N. Y.
The relatives Of the young woman,
who are seeking to break her will, de.
clare that she had always eyinced a
fca1-egs and love for them and fire.
qucn.ly came to see them in this city.
After she was seized with sickness
aiftA HSAit w Sli0uAE Win murray SIG
wrote affectionate letters to her rela.
tives and seemed as fond of them as
ever This continued for several
weeks, when suddenly the letters
stopped coming and no explanation
was given.
Several members of the family set
Nout to visit the young woman at the
I,r,f
they declare. by Murray. who, they
allege, told them they would not be
permitted to see the girl, because she
was too sick. All further efforts to
communicate with Miss McKeown,
they assert, were prevented by Mr.
Murray.
ION April II, 1899. Miss McKeown
died, and several weeks later the rel
atives were startled to learn that Mr..
Murray was her sole heir and execu-
tor. This discovery they made when
Murray asked fer and was granted an
cillary letters OF administration in the
estate, he having produced copy of
the girls will which had been pro-
bated in the courts of Monroe county,
Fla, where she had owned large prop
critics. The certified copy of the will
which was filed in the local registers
Office read as follows:
April II, 1899, Lake Saranac, N. Y.
'"All | possess in the world of real.
personal and mixed property | hereby
begueath and devise to him whom |
most love in ii, Joseph Edward Muir
ray, of Philadelphia, absolutely and in
fee. And ! name him as executor OF
this, my last will.
MARY C. MeKEOWN."
She was lying on her death bed
g@vhen she wrote this. and the relatives
aver that she was unduly influenced
by Murray. with whom she had be-
come acquainted in the settlement of
her fathers estate. The relatives be-
ban a contest in the orphans court.
where, after much litigation, 1t was
decided that the only one and original
probate of q will is that made in the
AaDmicile of decedent. In this lies the
whole point OF the case Murray al
1eges that Miss McKeown lived at
Key West, Fla, and the relatives say
she lived here.
Therefore it is a question of juris
diction that Register Singer will have
to decide. If he opines that the will.
whether in original or copy must be
probated here, the relatives will be
enabled to file a caveat and so begin
a contest to break the will. If the
register sustains the demurrer of Muir
ray and discharges the petition of the
relatives no further proceedings can
be begun.
Iohn G. Johnson and several other
prominent lawyers are engaged in the
case,