The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-28
FORCES THEIR HANDS
CONTEST OVER THE WILL OF
MRS. LOUISA REED is AVERTED
Charles Herbert Reed Consents to Pro.
bate in Consideration of Being Per-
mitted to Manage His Own Property
Will Disposes of a Large Estate.

The threatened contest of the~wilI OF
Mrs. Louisa Reed, deceased, widow of
the late Lathrop E. Reed, has been
averted by a compromise. Her son,
Charles Herbert Reed, long in charge
of a guardian, has been restored to
competency by the probate court and
permitted to manage his property. In
consideration of this he relinquished
his determination to dispute the valid
ity of his mothers last testament and
the will was yesterday admitted to pro-
bate by Judge Bazille, who fixed the
executors bond at $125,00o.
Mrs. Reed died Sept. "a at the Chi
cago home of her daughter, Mrs. Louise
M. Reed Cane. Her estate is estimated
at $4,000, of which $4,000 is real
property, mostly situated in st. Paul,
while the balance consists of approved
securities. The will named as execu-
tors Mrs. Cane, of Chicago, and Harris
Richardson, a well known st. Paul at
torney. The testatrix bequeathed her
property wholly to the members of her
family, except that $4,000 is divided
among four children of her late hus-
bands sister.
Requests to Her Family.
One third of the residue is be-
| Queathed to Mrs. Cane, who, the will
says, has already received twelve ST.
! 900 bonds of the st. Paul Gas Light
| company.
| The second of the residuary shares
| is left to the four children of the older
son, Edward L. Reed. The third is
| tav Willius, of st. Paul, for the benefit
of Mrs. Reeds second son, Charles
Herbert. 1t was this provision which
| the son was preparing to contest, but
which he. has now decided to accept.
| Long before the death of Lathrop e.
| Reed, the well known st. Paul capt.
| talist and leading stakeholder in the
| Capital National bank, the probate
| court had appointed the father and
elder brother Edward as guardians of
| this second son. When the father died
| Edward Reed continued to exercise a
| legal oversight of his brother, whose
habits the probate court did not deem
/ such as to justify intrusting him with
| the care of $4,000 of his own. But Ed
ward Reed, a few weeks ago, filed a
| resignation Of the guardianship, and
| at the same time Endorsed his broth
er's application to be restored to ca
pacity.
He Forced Compromise.
| In1S sudden CnanSe IN the alLlLuQe
of the elder brother and the sister is
said to have been brought about by
| Charles Herbert Reeds threat to con-
/ test the will of their mother.
The reason that led him to con-
template to a contest was the limited
provision made for bis wants by the
| testatrix. The will left the third OF
the residuary estate in trust for his
benefit, as has been said above, but the
trustees are directed to pay him only
| 800 per month till he reaches his fiji
| tieth year. On his fiftieth birthday he
2 is to have a lump payment of $4,000
! out of the trust, and thereafter it to
I receive $3.50 per month during the rest
of his life.
Charles Herbert thought this decid-
edly a meager provision and has con-
scented to forego a contest. of the will
on the ground of undue influence, only
upon the condition that he be freed
from the chains of the guardianship
that has so long kept him from doing
his own will with his own property.