The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-06-26
JUDGMENT FOR ATTORNEYS
Claim for Services in Will Proceed,
ings Partially Sustained.
Litigation Involving the Estate of
Marceliina Jarboe-su Award In
Favor of 4. y. Webb, and O. p. Hal
Ian, Against t. $. Queen and others

Andrew 3. Webb and Orrin B. Hallam
have just been awarded judgment against
Thomas s Queen and others for the sum
of SS25. claimed for legal services The
/ litigation was the last phase of the Jar
Doe contested will case,
This was a suit wherein the plaintiffs,
both attorneys at law. of this city, sought
to recover 500 for legal services rendered
defendants as heirs at law of Marcellina
Jarboe, deceased, in a contest against the
viii of Marcellina Jarboe. The suit was
on special contract in writing whereby
the defendants agreed to pay Webb and
BaIiam certain per. cent of the value of
all moneys or other property they should
receive by the contest or under the will
At the trial the special contract was aban-
doned before the jury and they returned
d verdict for what they. considered a rea-
sonabie compensation for the services
rendered
The suit arose out of the following state
OF facts:
On February, 1899, Mrs Marcellina Jar
Doe, an elderly woman, died, leaving a
viii dated February a, 1892. and two cod
icils thereto, one dated October % 1892
and the other dated February Is. 1888,
whereby she devised the bulk of her es-
tate. amounting in the aggregate to $I2.-
90 OF SI5.030 to certain persons other
than her relatives. with only small leg
acies of a few hundred dollars to them
When the will and codiciIs were offered
fer probate, Thomas S. Queen and the
I remaining heirs at law and next of kin,
six or seven in number objected to its
being probated on the ground that Mrs.
Jarboe, being extremely old and an in
valid. was incapable of making a legal
! will or contract They thereupon, on
April 2i, 1893, employed MeSsrs. Webb &
Hallan to represent them in the contest
entering into written contract for their
services. The ordinary caveats were fed
! and the attorneys gathered what evidence
they could get as to Mrs. Jarboe's mental
incapacity and surroundings.
Finally, after three or four months
work and innumerable consultations along
/ that line. they came to the conclusion that
a compromise OF the case would be most
! advantageous to all concerned, and &C
COrdingIy an agreement in writing was
drawn up by the attorneys representing
the parties interested, whereby the heirs
would receive about twice as much money
as under the will if declared valid. All OF
them had signed, or agreed to sign. with
one exception, and the agreement there
| fore never took effect.
While negotiations were pending Messrs.
| Webb & HaIlam We're in November. 1893
notified that their services would not be
further required. and John II. AdTiaans
appeared as counsel for the heirs at the
trial The contest was lost, and an APP
peal taEen TO the Court of Appeals was
| dismissed by the Supreme Court Of the
United States, and the heirs took nothing
| except their respective small iegacies.
| After this action on the part Of the heirs
| Messrs. Webb & HaIlam. feeling that they
had been aggTfeVed and Summariiy dis
| missed without cause. entered suit on
| their contract which. Under its terms.
| would have given them $3.50 or their
| share Of the amount of money. etc. re-
| covered under the viii itself
| When the case was called for trial the
/ heirs informed the court that they had
| engaged F. Snowden Hill to represent
! them in their suits. J. J. Darlington and
| " NJ Hallam appeared for the plaintiffs.