The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1904-12-29
THE DODGE WILL CASE.
Testimony of Rev. A. M. McDonal

Testimony of Rev. A. M. McD0nald.
In the case of Charles H. Sweetser ani
others VS.. A. NJ. Mcdonald and others, il
the contested will case now before the cOur
in Jacksonville, Florida, Rev. A. NJ. Mcdonald
has testified at some length. He is the respond
ent and principal legatee of the late Mrs. A
R. Dodge, who died in jacksonville lasi
March, and is also the sole executor Of thu
estate of deceased. This is an action brought
by the relatives Of deceased to revoke thu
probate of Mrs. DOdge's will, on the ground.
of mental and physical incapacity of Mrs
Dodge TO execute the will at the time it was
done, and that Mr.. Mcdonald used undue
influence on deceased to have the will made
Mr.. Mcdonald said:
l first became acquainted with Mrs. Dodge
in the fall of 1894. l met her at the Duval
Hotel and at church also. Mrs. Dodge took
great interest in the church work and was
one of the few who could be depended upon
in the erection of the new edifice after the
old church was destroyed by fire. She was
the leader and promoter in this work; she
secured a large number of subscriptions
and contributed largely herself.
the witness said: "Why don't know that
Mrs. Dodge ever visited me before my mar
riage, but after l was married she very fire.
quently visited my family.
lie saw her Mrs Dodge very frequently
at the Windsor Hotel, but not nearly as fire.
quently as he saw her at their home When
he lived at the parsonage with his family he
said that he very seldom went to the Wind
sor Hotel because Mrs. Dodge was all the
tune running into their house, and whenever
Mrs. Dodge was sick Mrs. Mcdonald made
the visits. He recalled but one visit he
made to Mrs. Dodge when she was sick in
bed. 1t was before the fire, the time when
Admiral Dewey was here, perhaps in 1900
Mrs. Dodge was confined to her room: she
sent for him and he called on her; his wife
also visited her at that time.
"When you visited her in her room did
you hold any sort of religious exercises ?"
was asked. 81 only know Of once when, at
she was sick in 1907
After that there was never any religious
exercises held between them.
The witness said that when he was break
ing up housekeeping Mrs. Dodge wanted
him to take a room at the hotel, stating that
could give him very reasonable rates. Wit
ness did not want to accept the prOffer, but
she insisted, and he finally consented. Mrs.
Dodge said she would take their (McDOnald
and family parlor furniture and rugs and
apply them on account OF room and board
at hotel In this arrangement witness owed
Mrs. Dodge balance of $15, which he Of
fered to pay, but she would take no pay
from him.
When the witness told Mrs. Dodge about
having rendered his resignation as pastor
of the Congregational Church she tried to
persuade him to change his mind. She told
him that she would build him a house, and
hat ho
planned the situation, and she expressed
herself as being satisfied that he was doing
the right thing in reSignihg. 1t was at this
time that Mrs. Dodge handed him package
containing some deeds to lands she owned
in Florida, California and Mexico. She
papers ialso. Witness did not inquire of
her about will she had, but she had
spoken to him about it. The first conversa-
tion on this subject was before the fire
perhaps in 1900 or the winter of 1901. She
stated then that she and Frank Cullens
were thinking Of putting a favoring clause
in their respective wills favoring one or the
other in case of death of one or the other of
them, so there would be no trouble about
the continuance and management of the
hotel. Mrs. Dodge referred to the fact Ito
the witness) at that time that she had made
will. She told the witness that he was
the executor of that will He said he did
uOl pIcSS liSl COICcI uiIiS tuc uctdilS dS w
the contents of the will or testamentary in
tentionS at any time-nOt then nor SubSe-
quently thereto.
The witness saw Mrs Dodge in the sum-
mer of 1902 at Bath, Me-, at his fathers
home; she was there about ten days, and
witness family was there, too. She was in
about the same physical condition as she
had always been-feeble, but not too much
SO to be about.
Mrs. Dodge told him she was going to
make new will, saying that ''thngs looked
altogether different to her at that time from
they that did when she made her former
WILL and talked over the subject of rela-
tives closely with witness. A lengthy state
ment was made about the will.
The first knowledge the witness had that
he would be the residuary legatee in the
will was the day upon which the will was
executed in Attorney Rhinehart's office,
when Mrs. Dodge and Mr. Macdonald both
read it over
SIN reference to my excluding people
from the sick room of Mrs. Dodge when DR..
Liell was there l considered it was under
the doctors charge" Mr.. Macdonald then
told of a conversation between DR.. Liell and
himself on this subject. Regarding DR.. Lii
ells bill for services: 81 said it was appar-
emily large but it would be paid"
Told about the 5000 Mrs. Dodge wanted
him to write cheek for in favor of DR.. Lii
ell and how DR.. Liell in a patrOniZing way
asked the sick woman to repeat the cOnver
sation to Mr. Macdonald when the latter
came in the room. Also referred to DR.. Lii
ell's reluctance to tell witness how he Liell)
was going to testify until the bill Of the doc