The Washington times., 1902-07-06

The Holt will case is closed. The
last order OF the court in what may
rightly be termed the most unique and
interesting civil suit ever tried in the
District has been. signed and Miss
Josephine Holt Throckmorton, the god
child of the testator, has inherited the
fortune bequeathed her by Judge Joseph
Holt, by his will dated February I. 1873.
While the case is ended still the
mystery which surrounds the disappear
ance and the temperance of the Will
after the death OF the testator remains
unsolved and may perhaps remain so
forever.
Judge Holt died in this city after a
brief Illness on August !, 1894 in the
eighty-seventh year of his age. At the
time of his death he was alone except
sfor the presence of his colored servants,
who ministered to him during the last
hours of his illness.
More than a year after his death, on
August 26, 1895, the will referred to. n
facsimile of which is here reproduced
was received by the Register of Wills
for the District. through the mail. There
was no accompanying word of informa-
ton as to where the document came
from or by whom it was sent. An effort
was made through the Postoffice De-
partment to determine exactly where
and when the envelope containing the
will was mailed, and also, II possible,
by whom The only information elic-
tied through this source was that the
envelope was mailed some time between
3 p. m. and p. m. on Saturday, August
"a. in one OF the United States mail
boxes located within the section bound
ed by North Capitol Street, the
Mall. and Georgetown. Sunday inter-
vening, however. the will did not reach
the office of the Register of Wills until
Monday. August 26.
A thousand or more theories have
been advanced as to how the will finally
reached the Probate Court. 1t was ac-
knowledged by all who saw the super
scription upon the envelope that 1t was
an unnatural and disguised handwrit-
ing. In investigating the matter II
was discovered that on the afternoon
of August "a, the very date on which
the will was mailed, Miss Throck-
morton, one of the benehciaries named
in the instrument, was in Washington
for about an hour. During that time
she waited at the Baltimore and Po-
tomac Railway station TO make train
10, tn
New York, her destination at that time.
1t will be noticed from a perusal Of
the will that Miss Throckmorton is
made an equal beneficiary under the will
with Miss Lizzie Hynes, so it passes
all reason TO conclude the document
was sent by her. Her great interest in
the matter and the value of the docu-
ment to her, If 1t were in her posses:
sion, would prevent her taking any such
risk for its loss, for at that very time
other relatives of Judge Holt were con-
tending for portions OF his estate as
heirs at law. So 1t can readily be be-
lieved that had the will been in the
possession of Miss Throckmorton she
would not have risked its transmission
TO the mail, but would have placed 1t in
the hands of the Register of Wills her
self, in the presence of witnesses and
taken a receipt for it.
The condition in which the document
was when received at the Office of the
Register also gave rise to much dis
cussion and speculation as to the cause.
It had been suggested that the testa-
tor at the time made up his mind to des-
troy the document and actually tossed
it into a fireplace. Some one. however.
deeply interested in its terms, It is