Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-07
Register of Wills Files Tam
pered With by Outsider.
SHEHAN WILLS TAKEN
DETECTIVES SEARCHING FOB THE
PARTIES SUSPECTED OF THEFT.
Certified Copies of Documents Retained
in the Of3ce-Mr. Dents
Statement.

Mr.. Louis A. Dent. register of wills for
the District Of Columbia. Is the latest ON
cial to seek the aid and advice OF the ponce
and Of the United States attorney in con-
nection with a robbery. None OF the en-
ployes of the register of wills office Is In
volved In the alleged crime, however. The
three original wills in the matter of the es-
tate Of Geo. A. Shehan. deceased. have, 1t
is stated, been purloined from the files OF
the Office The estate is said to be worth
$4,000. Mr.. Shehan was formerly q.
prominent lumber dealer of this city.
The wills in question were filed the 9th OF
last month Last Friday morning a young
man called at the Office and requested OF DE-
NJ. ]. Griffith. the junior deputy recorder.
permission to see the papers In the Shehan
case. The jacket containing the origlnaI
wills was handed to the visitor. YESTERDAY
morning the empty Jacket was discovered
and a search made but the wills could not
be located
Mr.. Dent was informed of the situation
and, after making an investigation. ne Wis
tied police headquarters. Late during the
afternoon, with Detective Helan, ne con-
ferred with United States Attorney Beach.
Detective Helan. accompanied by Dr. 9TH
fifth. last evening visited Baltimore tney
following a clue which led in that direc-
ton. The visit proved fruitless. however.
Detective Helan is in Baltimore this after
noon, while Detective Pratt Is on duty
here in connection with the case. Register
Dent and the police officials say they have
reason to believe that the young man who
called at the Office last Friday morning
and asked for the papers was nephew OF
the deceased, whose name is the same as
the latter and whose home is IN Baltimore.
If the young man is located In the monu-
mental city Dr.. Griffith will proceed there
Immediately for the purpose of Identifying
him.
The Wills.
Each of the three wills bequeaths the
bulk of the estate to Mrs Shehan. the
widow. The several wills differ merely in
that they make different disposition OF GER
tain personal estate.
AS the testator left no children, it is ex-
planned. that were the wills not in existence
the widow would only receive her dover,
while the remainder of the estate would go
to the heirs-at-law of the testator. These
include several nieces and nephews. 1t Is
declared. The first will and the only one
of three for which probate has been asked
was executed in 1891, the second one in
1901 and the third in 1902
Certified Copies Retained.
Mr.. Dent explains that even should the
Wills not be recovered, the result would not
prove very serious. for the season that he
took the precaution of having certified cop
les of them made.
These certified copies are at present Sc
cure in the registers safe. Mr.. Dent Is
very much distressed because of the loss OF
the wills. He said that they could not have
disappeared had his strict orders on the
subject been Obeyed One of the rules OF
the office is that original wills that have
not been admitted to probate are not per-
mitted to be handled by outsiders, except
in the presence of an. employe OF the othce.
Similar thefts from the Office of the regis
ter of will have occurred twice before. .
The custom of making certified copies OF
each will Immediately after it Is placed on
record and keeping such certified copies
separate and apart from the original tesla
ment Mr.. Dent says, makes 1t almost Inn
possible for any very serious results TO fol-
low the loss of an original document
In the event the perpetrator OF the al
legged robbery is apprehended it Is the In
tention of the officials interested to prose-
cute him to the fullest extent of the law.
Attorney J. J. Darlington. representing
Mrs Shehan. has been consulted in regard
q the matter.