Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-08-21
AUDITORS HEARING
In Case Of the Goodhue Heirs
VS.. ChaS. H. Thompson.
Claims Of the Contestants-Ponts
Brought Out in the Evidence Up to
This Noon


This Noon.
A hearing was begun in Waterman
& Martins office Wednesday in the
case Of Mary E. Goodhues heirs VS..
Charles II. Thompson. In July. 1902.
suit was brought by the son and
daughter of Mrs. Goodhue to compel
Thompson to render an account of
his management of their mothers es-
tate. At the April, 1903. term of the
Windham county court judgment for
an accounting was given and J. G.
Sargent of Ludlow was appointed au-
ditor.
The opposing claims in this case, as
made by the contestants. are these:
The. Goodhue heirs claim that from
the years 1896 to 1900. inclusive, the
property of their mother was in the
hands of Charles H. Thompson. who
managed it as he saw fit, and that
when. in May, 1901. they took the es-
tate into their own hands and asked
for his account Thompson failed to
render it. and that they have since
been unable to get it from him. Fail
ing to get satisfaction from Thomp-
son. Francis Goodhue. the son. began
an investigation on his own account.
and through brokers records and by
other means has traced out the items
in question. OF several of these items
Thompson has not rendered a satisfac-
tory account No statement is made
of the total amount of the shortage
claimed. Thompson held a power Of
attorney for Mrs. Goodhue, which the
Goodhue heirs say they did not know
he possessed
Mr. Thompson, on his own part
claims that when. in the early part
Of 1896, he took charge Of Mrs Good.
hue's property, he did so by request
of her children and as a help TO their
father. the homes Of both the children
being at a distance from Brattieboru.
the son in Philadelphia and the daugh-
ter, Mrs Van Kleeck. in Colorado. The
work. he says. was done by him en-
tirely as a family help and accommo-
dation. The property of Mrs. Good
hue was in the form of railroad stocks.
bonds of various kinds. and western
mortgages. This property came to her
from the estate of her brother. George
J. Brooks. In caring for the property
Thompson opened a special account at
the Peoples National bank. and de
received. From this account he drew
money as needed or requested by the
elder Goodhue, and gave il to him in
cash. No question is raised, he says.
but that all the items OF income were
properly accounted for. The contro-
versy is over securities that matured.
and on which he received the pay
ments. depositing them in the Peo-
rfn nj aft 81
funds over 10 Francis Goodhue. senior.
or reinvesting them.
Affairs went on until the latter part
Of 1900 without any question being
raised. About that time Thompson
observed change in the attitude OF
the Goodhue heirs which made him
think he was unwise in continuing the
management of the estate in this way.
He therefore told the elder Goodhue
that he could not continue the man.
agemert. made out a complete book
account of all transactions. and turn
ed il and all the remaining property
of Mrs GOodhue over to him, and took
from him his receipt in full. The date
of this final transaction was Dec IS
1900. Thompson further says that on
May l6 1901. Francis Goodhue. jr
f "i1"SHt HIS IdlHeI lhto tHc eiIuoA'
National bank, got from the bank the
safe-deposit box containing his moth
er's securities. and a stenOgrapher
made al his dictation a list of the Sc
curities found there. Thompson told
Goodhue junior that that was all the
property that remained, and that the
balance had been turned over to the
elder Goodhue for his personal eX
penses or to cover sums advanced him
for other purposes. The shortage was
then about $1,000. The correctness
of this, Thompson says, the elder
Goodhue fully admitted.
The claims of each side as here Civ
en- have not so been stated in full be
fore the auditor, but are in substance
as given by each in personal inter
views.