The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-05-01
FIGHT FOR
THOUSANDS.
Relatives to Contest the VIII
Of 80.YeaT-OId SpInster.
LIVED ON FIVE DOLLARS A WEEK
Though Possessed Of Large Income She
Cared Little for Dress and Wore
One Gown for Years
LIVED ON FIVE DOLLARS A WEEK

New York. Nav 1.--Old Miss Sarah NJ.
Smiths carefully boarded wealth has be-
come tho subject Of a bitterly contested
litigation between her surviving relatives
and William A. Bryan, to whom she deed
ed most OF her property during her life
time and devised the residue by her will
Her relatives insist she was under undue
influence when she made her will and that
she was not in possession Of her mental
faculties when she subsequently signed
the deeds.
She had always been frugal. and during
the latter years OF her life she is alleged
10 have confined her expenditures TO s. a
week although she had large income.
She cared little for dress and wore one
gown for years, until IL became so latter
ed that further repairs were Impossible.
She boarded with family In Eatontown'
N j.. and Mr.. Bryan was practically her
sole companion.
She died on February last. at the age
OF eighty-two. Mr. Bryan was several
years her junior. The property involved
i'm the suit includes the buildings at zoe
West Forty-second street said TO be
worth S150.00O; GA Sixth street. and 400
Prospect avenue. Brooklyn. She also had
"a SuDttdnlldl pdlh dtIbuIA anu sunni
stocks and bonds.
CONTEST BY RELATIVES.
Major Merritt H. Smith. OF Yonkers.
nephew OF Miss Smith, has brought the
action In his own behalf and In the Inter
est of Mary Shields, a sister; Mary A.
Smith. Ann Ryerson and Elizabeth Mer-
ritt, nieces. and Thomas R.Clark. a neph-
CIV.
Miss Smith formerly lived in this city
with her sister, Martha j. Il. Smith. Both
were well To do, and when Miss Martha
died. twenty years ago. she left TO her
sister the real estate i'm dispute and
stocks valued at $4,000. Miss Smith was
then In feble health, and according TO the
complaint she fell under the influence or
certain spiritualists and gradually came
within the power of Mr.. Bryan. lie was
then iifty-siX years old.
He perceived her condition, the COM
plant alleges, and began TO exercise in
fiuence upon her. and up TO the time OF
her death continued TO exercise over her
n most remarkable control, TO the exclu-
sion OF all her relatives. They met In Sar-
atoga, but soon came 10 New York to-
gether and took up their residence at 2O2
West Forty-second street. MIR. Bryan as
kumed control OF her property and permit
ted no relative 10 approach her except In
MS presence. Later he induced her 10
abandon her home and 10 so 10 board
ing house in Eatontown, keeping her In
seciusion.
MENTAL INcAPACITY.
she was I'm i'll health and In feeble mem
tai condition, according TO the complaint.
on May ls, 1899, when she made her will.
bequeathing all her real and personal
property 10 Mr.. Bryan and appointing
him sole executor. The conveyance of the
real estate was made on October % last
when Mr.. Bryan drove TO Red Bank with
her TO have her acknowledge the deeds.
An attempt Will be made 10 prove that at
the time she was not only weaker than
usual. but apeared TO be dazed. as though
she had taken some powerful drug.
In the answer the charges OF undue in
fiuence are positively denied. Mr.. Bryan's
friends assert that he was unremitting in
his attentions 10 Miss Smith, devoting al
most his entire time TO her. and that she
wished TO have him enjoy her money TO
the exclusion OF relatives who had ignor-
ed her In her retirement.