The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1901-11-08
Letter From Father Purcell.

Following the trial of the now
famous Brady will case, there was
much comment relative to the out
come. Unbiased persons who read
the testimony as published IN the
Silrer Blade and noted the verdict
of the jury were astour'ied at the
proceedings. Shortly thereafter
Father Purcell, an interested party
in the case, wrote a letter to this
office for pu olication. hearing on
the case. For reasons understood
by most of our readers, we have been
unable to print any extended com
municatior-s until now. The letter
follows:
RATHDRUM, Idaho, Oct. SIS. d.
Taylor, editor of the HERALD, Dear
Sir: A few comments relative to the
trial of the Brady will case will not
be out of place at this time:
1. j. c. Brady, at the request of
J. G. Callahan, appointed me the
sole guardian of his children, Arva
and Elmer Brady. Callahan says
now that he did not make the sug
gestion, but l am positive that he
did, or at least | am positive that
he told me he did.
2. The instrument called Judge
Brady's will was acknowledged by
Brady to be his last will and testa-
ment and signed by him in pres
ence of DR.. Barker and Sheriff
Dyer, (who are the subscribing wit
nesses) Hugh Brady, Sr., Thos. J..
Purcell, Anna Orndorff and Jas,
Graham, who steadied his hand
while signing it The signature
was acknowledged by j. c. Gala
ban to be genuine.
3. All the above named people
together with Drs. Cunningham
and Roberts. and Miss Anna Deems,
trained nurse, testified on the
stand that John c. Brady was OF
sound and disposing mind when
!, the VIII was signed.
Q 4. Not witness could be found
n who would testify that Brady was
il not in his right mind, or that he
IL did not know what he was doing
= when he signed the will.
- 5. Look at the verdict of IT,,
! most intelligent (?) jury that evel
= sat upon a bench in Kootena
county.
= The first four questions asked h,
y the Judge are practically the same
namely: "Was Brady of sounc
q and disposing mind when he signed
!. the will? Every witness withou
7 exception said he was. The highl,
= educated, intelligent jury said h
was not.
= The fifth question asks if Brad
= consented and acquiesoeG to tn
| document in question. The wit
y nesses testified that Brady &C
knowledged it To be his last wi
z and testament, and heard him as
y for the pen to sign it. The wis
| men of the jury say he did not.
y The eighth question asks if tn
g subscribing witnesses signed the
+ names to the will at Graham's r,
y quest. They, Barker and Dyer sa
. that Graham asked them to sig
mr. The jury, good msn and true VIII
~ had sworn to render a verdict a,
#z cording to the evidence, say Thu
== the subscribing witnesses did M
81 sign at Graham's request.
=Z The eleventh question asks
== Barker and Dyer signed at Brady
=Z request. The Solomons on the ju1
A-4 said they did not. At whose r
M quest then did they sign? Aceor'
II ing to the verdict of this very il
" telligent (?) jury, Barker al
F Dyer were not requested either /
=Z Judge Brady or Jas. Graham
. sign the will. They must ha
FL voiunteed to do so.
== Would it not have been well
NJ ask the gentlemen of the Jury
81 Messrs. Barker and Dyer sign
TFiaz the will at all? I'll wager dolla
. to doughnuts that had the questi'
! been asked they would have ar
wered no; or say if Messrs. Bal K
and Dyer did sign, that they d
not know what CD they were abol
| have been told that there W
one man on the jury who held o