The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-27

was afraid at the TIM that her income
from the estate would not be sufficient Il
allow her to provide for the education %
her niece He added
The first suggestion ] had of contes
of the will came few minutes before
the will was filed for probate. had beer
here two or three days, and finally. ate
we had all agreed that the will should b'
fled in New Haven, | went to New York
10 get il. just before the will was filed
Judge Stoddard said to me that il the pro
visions of the will were the same as the
copy Of the will the heirs would make
contest
After these statements and explanations
Judge Stoddard was very bitter, and calico
Mr.. Bryan liar IL hiS speech IL" Sao
in part.
LOST TO ALL SENSE or HONOR
"What do Won think Of a lawyer hat
draws a will for friend and writes him
self an heir and then states that undue
influence was not used That lawyer II
no lost TO all sense OF .Ionor ana dehca'N
that courts and Iuries are not content 10
accept his statement.
sThey must have some more satisfactory
evidence. The law denounces such trans
action, for the safety of the country as
well as the honor of the profession is at stake
II is not permissible for u lawyer to prom
by such relations, certainly not wheh u
fortune is to be disposed of
"A law school student knows enough
not to draw friends will and make himself
q beneficiary. is it any wonder that Mr..
BRYAN wouldn't permit Mr.. Bennett to give
him $50 900 out and OUT He knew such a
document would not stand. SO instead
he made this subterfuge substitution, the
so called sealed letter -,
sThis sealed letter does not state mr.
Benefits will. Mr.. Bryan admits that
Mrs. BRYAN was permitted to draw it by
Mr.. Bennett. but why no man knows 1t
il not true as expressed. 1t was not ar
ranged at Lincoln, Neb., that the $5o,ooo
should go to Mr., Bryan. This sugg's-
ton in the sealed letter was mere sham
The pretence that Mr.. Bryan offers to the
widow. that he will not use tins 70 "o leu
to his family is sham. That is leit IN trust
and the law would not permit him to give
M this trust, even if he wanted to.
What do you think OF n solemn letter
addressed to wife in the shadow of death
secretfng the fact that $4,000 was gong TO
another mans wife? 1t liz not strange that
Mr. Bryan should think that possibly Mrs
Bennett might not like the idea of Mrs.
Bryan and her children provided for when
he did not make provision for his own
CALLS BRYAN LIAR,
what do you th' MI OF that letter IN which
he offered TO pay ne inheritance tax coming
from this liar who drew this WIZ so thia
offer to this widow standing in the shadow
of her husbands death offers to pay the
Inheritance tax. Well, what would he DO
and he getting the money? Take 1t out OF
his wife and children? In his desperation
to get hold Of this money for which he had
not particle of equitable or legal right
hewrote that letter.
Just think OF a lawyer taking $4,000
out of family and not anticipating a
contest. 1T is Incredible When he finds
out at last that he was not going 10 get
the money he made one more last despair
ing effort to influence the widow by writing
no her. II I had not seen this letter myself
nevsr would have believed that he would
write such u thing.
an it lie says: From the conduct OF you
attorney am satisfied that the lawyer -
unfriendly to the political views of Mr..
Bennett. that there is a Gold Democratic
in5i .ence at work. What conceivable right
u Dc, his man to intimate that any miserable
political controversy would prejudice me
in advising my client? What rule OF de-
cency did he follow to go behind my back
and say such things to my client? ..
Where do you get any authority, shouted
Judge Stoddard, turning to Mr.. Bryan
and shaking his hand in his face, for any
such allegation against my honestly That
incident alone marks the morality OF the
man and it shows the desperate ends he is
driven to in his avarice to get this fortune.
There was such tumult in the court
room at this point that the SheriH had to
rap for order.
Judge Stoddard went on as follows:
The statement is false and was made
as a last resort to get that $25.O0O for
his family. | ask the Court II such man
would be delicate in his methods in trying
to obtain legacy
After saying that the sealed letter would
not meet the requirements of any legal
jurisdiction in any State. udge Stoddard
quoted authorities to sustain his clam.
In closing, Judge Stoddaru said:
aMr. Bryan denies using any influence
on Mr. Bennett. | don't think he did ask
Mr.. Bennett outright for the money The
art of Legacy hunting differs from that
nett, introduced by somebody else. with
the result of this extraordinary instru,
rnent planned in private and executed
under peculiar circumstances. Mr.. Bryan
saws he did not influence him, but facts
speak louder than words
BRYAN MAKES HIS DEFENCE.
Mr.. Bryan followed Judge Stocldard,
saying that he would confne himself TO
the question Of fact while his counsel would
take care Of the question OF law de sad:
Il am not surprised at the language this
gentleman has used, nor the differences he
has sought to bring out from the facts.
II was because / believed him inspired by
motives that do not inspire reputable law
yers generally that l wrote as did con-
corning this case to the widow of the best
friend ever had.
Il am not surprised that Judge Stoddard
fails to comprehend such disinterested
devotion to a principle. The counsel
seems to think il strange that this will was
drawn, In secrecy. He seems to think
that Mr.. Bennett should have called public
meeting when he made his will, though
thst Is not the way usually followed
In reference to the claim OF the counsel
that secured this money through induce
nents, would say he has purposely forced
me to remind the court that the first letter
ever received from Philo S. Bennett made
me an offer of SO, 600 before l knew HIM
from the casual stranger on the street
when was running for President in the
first campaign, men like Judge Stoddard
here said | was not any lawyer and that
could not make my living at It. But am
pleased tonight to think he has reversed
this OPINION and classes me with thoroughly
competent lawyers when he says that was
too much Of lawyer not to realize that II
Mr. Bennett had made the direct bequest
to me the will would not have stood.
mir. Stoddard knows and knows that I
know that II the bequ est had been made
TO me direct he would never have counselled
a contest of this will. He uses language
here tonight that the court, | am sure,
recognizes as ranking deeper than the
mere opposition Of lawyer TO lawyer.
III I had been fortune hunter. would
! have permitted these gifts OF money To
educate students of this country in the
~. .t...