Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-07-07
PROGRESS OF
HUTCHlSON
WILL CASE

the plaintiff finished and the defense
was commenced.
Geo. II. Hutchison was put upon the
stand In his own behalf. He testified
that he was u spiritualist and he ad
vanced the claim. which the defense
strenuously denies, that his late wife
was spiritualist and that Mrs. Hi
is a spiritualist. Mr.. Hutchlson sup
ported the views OF one Renfrow who
had testified earlier that during the
progress OF his wife's Illness. as the
physical body had been weakened, tho
spiritual essence became more suscep
tible to the telepathic influence Of thu
minds Of others. His theory was tha
while his wife's physical being was
In this weakened condition, her mine
had been unduly influenced to make
will that did not express her rea
wishes. Witness testified that HI
had been told by Chinese doctor II
California that his wife could not re
cover. On the morning Of May iii
he felt that he must tell her that they
must go home and that there was M
hope. He was troubled about this
and at breakfast was thinking intent
ly as to the best manner of breaking
the sad news. While his mind was
thus engaged, Mrs. Hutchison sud
denly said that 1t was no use to keer
up the struggle longer, that they
must start for home that day. Wit
ness explained this as the influence
which his thought had upon Mrs
Hutchisons mind.
A much stronger witness for the
plaintiff was DR.. Milligan. who saiI
that he believed that Mrs. Hutchison's
mind had been weakened before she
made her will. .
There was quite a little sensation
when the defense introduced as evi
dence the following letter from Mrs
Hutchison to her sister. dated May
10, the day before Mr.. Hutchinson hat
communicated the telepathic message
toshis wife on the subject of going
home:
Los Angeles. Calf, May 10. 1905.
Ny Dear Sister:
thought | would write you few
lines to let you know that we are go
{ ing home tomorrow or Saturday. Il
is all can do to write these few lines
to tell you that the G.iinese doctor
gave up my case and told me the
! best thing | could do was to go home
And | know too well what that means
Oh. lust imagine ny feelnse I
seems that they could not control thu
swelling: it is all up over or above
my knees, and it Is coming up fast
When it comes to my heart that Is
the last of me. Oh, what a struggle
have made from the beginning tt
try to get well, and all counts fol-
nothing. | have to use the medicine
for the bowels to keep the water from
overflowing the heart. I still vii
keep on trying and if there is any
thing that can be done | will do it
| thought | would tell you If anythins
should happen to me on my wa,
home. you will find my bank bool
and diamonds are in a little chamoi.
bag sewed to my corset waist. mus
now close as cannot write more.
Oh, how | wish that I could tall
with you, my dear sister.
| hope to see you again.
Your loving sister,
ANNIE c. HUTCHINSON.
The letter was introduced 10 show
that Mrs. Hutchison had been told By
the doctor of the nature of her i'll
ness; that there was nothing in tn,
story of the telepathic message; tha
! she was in possession of all her fac
ulties when the letter was written
that the writer, by her confidence re
| garding the bank book and diamonds
evidently regarded her sister as clos
| er to her than her husband.
Mrs. Anderson, the nurse who wit
messed the will, testified that Mrs
Hutchison was in full possession O
her mental faculties up to yer,
short time before her death. In or
position to the evidence of witnesse
for the plaintiff, that Mrs. Hutchiso
had been unable to walk around TO
weeks, she asserted that she ha
walked at 5 o'clock on the mornin
Of her death.
w. G. Hayden. VINO drew the vii
the Monday before the Friday OF tn
lady's death, testified that he ha
known Mrs. Hutchison for seventee
years and that she was in full posses
sion of her faculties when she sgne
the document.
This morning Mrs. F. A. Boone te,
titled that she had been close friep
of deceased; that the Saturday befor
the ladys death she had asked he
If she had made her will. Mrs. Hutcl
ison said she had not but would hav
1t attended to. She expressed her II
tention at that time of not leavin
her property to her husband.
Witness had asked Mrs. Hill IL sh
knew anything about a will and tn
lady replied that she did not. WI
ness further testified to the sane an
sound conditin of Mrs. Hutchison
mind.
Attorney W. B. Bunker, in the II
terest of the daughter of Frank Ba
ney, alleged to have been adopted b
Mrs. Hutchison, has been admitted q
a party to the suit and is watching tf
progress of the case carefully, e
pecting to carry on the contest whet
er the will be broken or not. Ho,
ever, no order of adoption has ev,
been entered upon the books of II
probate court as far as can be asce
tanned.
Il -----------------------------
IL to r,,,,nrad nm tho cfraat. opd