Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-23
COT A FEE OF $500
W + BRYAN DREW WILL Foh r.
S. BENNETT.
Nebraskan Trying to Get $So'ooo BE-
quest Left Him by the
Document.

A disnatch from New Haven yesterday
savs. William J. Bryan again occupie" ~
u;tness stand in the propate coui'
| the hearing on the application 1or piooa.
| ,ro the will of the late Phllo D. Den
| WAS resumed today. a great zeal VI 'le
| ground which was covered yesterday was
| GONE over again during the cross-exanliiid-
| tion to which MIR. Bryan was supJecteo ~
Irdea Henry Stoddard. counsel Tor Mrs
ponna+t the widow Judge Stoodard spent
| considerable time in asking Mr.. Bryan why
| II was that in II, letter when was lei' ioi
| Mrs Bennett by her husband, dlrectlns iiet
| to give Mr.. Bryan $4,000 for hihsell dnu
! family. it was not stated that certain pai
of the fund was to be given 10 MIS-. bfy yam
ond no.. n the children. Mr. Bryan replied
that he did no. know. but that II was So u'i
derstood between himself and Mr.. Bennett.
and that after MI. Benefits death ne toio
Mrs. Bennett about the arrangement.
Indge Stoddard then asked Mr.. Bryan II
any one was present besides himself ana
Mr. BENNETT when they discussed the letter
in which the bequest should be made to
Mrs Rennett The witness answered that
no did not remember, but thought that Mrs.
Rryan was not resent, although she AFTER
ward wrote the two letters on typewriter
ons 10 Mrs Bennett and one to himself, re-
lating to this point Judge Stoddard also
manfred why 1t was not stated In the letter
to Mrs. Bennett that mrs: Bryan Knew ~, INC
| contents Of this sealed letter. since that let
| ter said that the writer preferred 10 nave
| nc one know 1t but Mrs Bennett and nm
self.
| bennett the details of the agreement when
| he came here after Mr. Benefits death.
! He added that he presumed that IT mad not
| occurred to either Mr.. Bennett or himself
in ia IA
witness was asked to explain why he had
| received $500 from Mr.. Bennett at the time
the will was drawn up, and stated that
while there was nothing said about 1t. he
supposed 1t to be 1or drawing up the docu-
ment.
Judge Stoddard then questioned the witness
regarding some offers he had made to Mrs.
Bennett with regard to the $4,000 bequest
to himself and family. Mr.. Bryan said that
he had told Mrs. Bennett that he was will
ing to pay the Inheritance tax on the entire
$50 600 bequest out of his $4,000 portion,
and that he would give her $500 in trust
for three persons who were her relatives.
the balance to be invested by him in gov
ernment bonds, and the interest to be paid
to Mrs Bennett, unless ne should need 1t
because of broken health or in case of her
death.
When Judge Stoddard asked the witness
il Mr.. Bennett had ever made any invest
ments for him, Mr.. Bryan replied that he
had made investments or the Commoner
nroceeds of the subscriptions which came
in advance. He also said that Mr.. Bennett
had never made an investment for MI
Bryan.
LAWYER Newton then asked the client
Mr.. Bryan:
"Was II ever suggested by yourself or
Mrs Bryan that he give you the $4,000?
"No, sir we never suggested 1t. 1t came
az a surprise to us when Mr.. Bennett made
the suggestion himself"
The witness then said that he had used
n portion of a previous will which had
been executed by Mr. Bennett in drafting
the last one.
James D. Dowell. wholesale grocer.
stated that for many years he had known