New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-04
SPENT FORTUNE IN BOOKS
MRS. BLODGETT NOW I'LL.
Son Asks Court to Set aside Con-
tracts for $3.50 900.

sci1d transactions amounting to nearly S25O,O0O
entered into during the last two years by his
mother, Mrs. Abbie B. Blodgett of No. 81 West
Twelfth-st. Mrs. Blodgett recently was de-
clared incompetent by the courts, and her son
was appointed a committee in charge of her per-
and estate
He has filed through his attorneys, Howland.
Murray & Prentice, No. 50 Wall-st, complaints
which declare that Mrs Bodgett was incompe-
tent when she was persuaded to undertake the
collection of a library. that she was not in fit
mental condition to enter into contracts of any
kind, that undue influence used IN per-
suading her TO make these extensive purchases,
and that the dealers and agents worked in con-
cert or furnished information to each other to
bring the sales about. The dealers named in
the complaints are Robert f. Newbegin. No. 118
Nassau-st; Merrill & Baker. No. . East Six
teenth-st.; F. H. Norcross and others.
RARE BOOKS ON LIST.
The complainant asks that the dealers be forced
to refund all money paid on account. with in
terest from date Of payment. and that the notes
now outstanding be rescinded; in return for
which the Bodgett estate will give up all equity
in the books. Among the sets said to be in
volved are a complete set of Dickens. 13O vol
umes, at $1,000 volume HaIliweIl's edition OF
Shakespeare. enlarged by the insertion Of illus
trative plates from seventeen to thrty-four vol
umes; set OF BoydeI's Shakespeare Gallery, for
which Mrs. Bodgett agreed to pay $4,000; an
edition Of a work on Napoleon l, in twenty-one
volumes. at $4,000. and set of rare books from
the private library of George J. Wills, No. 162
West Eighty-frst-st said to have been sold
through agent. Before Justice O'Gorman
yesterday there was application for in
junction to prevent the noteholders from bring
ing suit on the notes until the cases are tried.
Decision was reserved.
According to the papers filed by William T.
BTodgett. his mother is now over eighty-six
years of age. For the last five years she has
been failing IN health and mind. on April 2+
a commission consisting of Alfred Lauterbach.
DR. Joseph Wheelwright and Edwin Tracy
Greaves, after a searching inquiry, declared her
incompetent At the present time her entire
fortune amounts to $347, 600 OF which $4,000
is personal. Her son estimates her annual in
come at $500.
HER WHOLE FORTUNE Is INVOLVED.
Mr.. Blodgett says that soon after he took
full charge of his mothers affairs he learned
of the extensive book contracts which she had
entered into. involving practically her entire
fortune. She supplied some Of the details and
others were learned from servants I'm the house.
She had never been a lover Of rare books pre-
vious to the time she began 10 buy so heavily.
He was at a loss to account FOR her sudden desire
for editions. and came TO the conclusion
that IN her unbalanced condition she had been
He has filed the AFFIDAVIT OF George H. Rich
mond. expert books who declares
that Mrs. Blodgett was greatly overcharged in
the purchases she made
few days before Mrs. Blodgett was declared
incompetent Frank H. NorCross brought suit 10
recover on note OF S1.JO0 which he had
ceived as part payment for $4,000 edition OF
a work Napoleon /. brought out by the Ma
poleon Society Of London, and enriched Mrs.
Blodgett's order, with original autograph letters
Of Napoleon. his family and marshals. and with
many rare plates. In the complaint Mr. Nor
cross says he always found Mrs. Blodgett a
Of unusual intelligence and good sense.
She told him she had fine collection Of paint
ings tapestries and art objects and she want
ed her library to conform in magniicence and
general high character with the rest Of her
possessions.
She did not want her daughter to sus-
pect that she was collecting books. She
said she wanted the collection TO stand A me-
mortal TO her own personal taste. and she did
not desire to be Influenced by the advice and
suggestions of others.
THE BOOKSELLERS SIDE.
I'VE VIII endeavor to prove that Mrs. Blodgett
not incompetent when she purchased these
rare volumes" said Ambrose y. Tremaine at
torney for Robert e. Newbegin to a Tribune
reporter yesterday The charge that she was
persuaded to pay much more than the books
were worth is unfounded. l have afidavits from
book dealers and experts showing that the
works Mr.. Newbegin sold to her could not be
duplicated at any price. and that they were
The largest set which Mr.. Newbegin made
up for her of Halliwelrs Shakespeare, OF
which $50 sets were printed in 1855. 1t
originally in seventeen volumes. Mrs Blodgetts
set just double that size being enriched by
more than three thousand old engraVings proof
plates and etchings. There were also water
color illustrations especially painted for this
set My client has been years collecting these
plates
"Boydels Shakespeare Gallery which my
client also furnished to Mrs. Blodgett consists
of one hundred steel plates folio size From
70 doll " IN wac 7
man, had painters and etchers at work sub
jects from Shakespeare's works. He spent more
than 100000 the undertaking. and finally
bankrupted himself. Mrs Blodgett contracted
TO pay $4,000 for these works of which amount
$4,000 has been received. She gave notes for
the rest none of which have come due yet. AT
one time Mr. Blodgett promised my client that
the notes would be paid they came due
From information that has come to me- 7
believe that Mrs BlOdgett is a much richer
woman than certain persons are trying to make
case which estimate her fortune at about $3.50 :
600 1 am sure she is worth twice that amount
I don't see how they expect us to believe
that her income is only $500 year. Only last
summer she built an expensive summer home at
Northeast Harbor, the Maine coast / think
I am safe In stating that the contents of Mrs
Blodgetts house in West Twefth-st, are worth
not less than $2O0OO0. She is a woman who
priced art objects highly, and it is not at all
strange that she should turn her attention to
book collecting"
George w Murray, of Rowland Murray &
Prentice. when seen yesterday afternoon by a
Tribune reporter. said that Mrs. Blodgett was
sick 1T her home in West Twelfth-st. and 1t is
feared that she might not recover. She is the
widow of William T. Blodgett. who was we'll
known NewYork merchant at the time of his
death, twenty-five years ago.
WILL OPEN FOR employees SAKE.
| Fall River, Mass, May S.-George A Chace
| treasurer of the Bourne Mills. at Tiyerton r. l.
which wer, closed several weeks ago. when