The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1903-10-29
BRYAN IN COURT
Accused of Exercising Undue Influence
in Makina she Bennett Viii.

in Making she Bennett VIII.
New Haven, Conn, Oct. 2s.-WlillaH
]. Bryan. beneficiary 10 the extent o.
$50, 600 by the will of the late Philo ).
| Bennett, was accused OF improper III
| fuence in making the will, during ar
guments before Judge Cleveland. me
case has attracted the widest interest,",
and the relatives of Mr.. Bennett are
making Il determined effort 10 preah
| the will. Mr.. Bryan has taken the Pc
sittica that the counsel for Mrs. Bennet
have been actuated by political motives
ir opposing the Bryan bequest. A let
ter written by Mr.. Bryan to Mrs. Ben
| nett, on October 81, said as much
plainly. 1t was read and made a doc
ument in the case, after being identified
by Mr.. Bryan. The letter follows:
A Remarkable Letter.
Chicago, Oct. 21.-My Dear Mrs. Ben
nett. l fine that | hay more than an
hour between the arrival of the New
York trains and the departure of the
Nebraska train, and l shall employ a
moment in writing to you. l nave MOI
yet recovered from my surprise at the
course taken by your counsel, your
niece and yourself in regard to the
money left you in rust. From the con-
daSl IL Soai sNSoA ASJ = aAiA
that, being one of the gold democrats
who left us in 1886 and not at all in
sympathy with the political views OF
your husband and myself, he is willing
to defeat Mr.. Benefits purpose, If 1t
can be done, no matter how plainly that
purpose is set forth. Your niece's dis
appointment at MIR. Bennet's failure
specifically to remember his namesake,
together with the fact that your niece
- ,,l lr, :, tl,,, ,NN11t.,ol 81 ac- IA n N wa
expected, seems to have influenced that
branch of the family to attempt to de-
feat the plain and long standing plan
of the testator. Disappointment can
also account for the half brothers Will
%lingness to defeat the will, but as my
proposed arrangement gives you prac-
ticallY as much as you could secure by
attacking the $$ssa.nfG0 provision q VOL
unfairly offered you the income on
about 100000 as long as you needed it
and L did not). and by defeating the
will you would only get absolutely
$25, 900, less attorneys fees and in
heritance tax; and, as I say, you could
profit but little. l am satisfied that
your action is due to the persuasion
of a lawyer unfriendly to the political
views Of Mr.. Bennett and myself and
to the persuasion of the relatives
whose disappointment has made them
Indifferent to the wishes of their bene-
factor.
Your expression of confidence in me
and the Willingness of the relatives of
Judge Stoddard to defeat Mr.. Benefits
purpose has led me to reconsider my
decision on the e~Xccutorship. / wish
YOU would, therefore, delay action until
further notice. I want to consider the
matter further. I may decide to serve
until Mr.. Sloan is ready to act, for I
want a friend of Mr.. Bennett connected
With the administration of the estate.
If I retire in favor of anyone | think
1t ought to be someone who sympa-
thized with his views and purposes, or
Mr.. Sloan, who was designated by him
and who was his intimate associate, l
told you that l would not, against your
wish, accept the sun intended for me
personally, but knowing that he gave
to his relatives all that he thought he
ought to, / am not willing that they
defeat his purpose il / can help
it, and 1 am not willing that they shall
put in my place an executor who will
go into the Office pledged to try to de-
feat the will. just what I shall do in
to the e~xcoutorship I shall de-
eide before the day set for the probate:
but / thought I had better notify you
at once, as I had old you that I
would not serve at all. I enclose a mo-
tice that you an give to Judge Stod-
dard. You can use Your own judg-
1nent, showing this to any n or keep
1t as confidential.
Please write to me SIS soon as you see
the sealed letters, as they may possibly
clear up the matter. Wishing you
". j. Bryan.
Mr.. Bryan Arraigned.
Judge Stoddard, counsel for Mrs. Een-s
nett, attacked Mr.. Bryan bitterly, al
leging undue influence. Mr.. Bryan re-
piled in his W behalf that if his de-
ceased friend (Nir. %Ijennett) could be
maligned for his political Views, he
lMr. Bryan) could stand being fnisrep-
resented for his. Mr.. Bryan admitted
writing the letter, and said he wrote il
because he had been fully convinced
there was more of politics than OF
law III the cppcsition to him in the mat
ter of the Bennett will. The case was
under adVisement by Judge
Cleveland.