Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-07-13

culiar temperament, but IN ruiz possess
sion of his mental faculties. You may
find this will to be strange document,
but l think Mr.. Jones, the executor,
explains any mystery that may be sug-
gested by it's terms. While Sedgwick's
whereabouts were unknown to his old
friends in New York, it seems that he
was fully posted on all that was going
on here. He knew that you were the
only child of your mother and therefore
his only nephew. He sets forth the
dates of your mothers marriage, of
your birth, Of the death Of Robert
Brewster and Of Mrs. Brewster He
also was aware of the fact that old
Edwin Peter Brewster intended to be-
queath large fortune to you, and
thereby hangs a tale. Sedgwick was
proud. When he lived in New York he
was regarded as the kind of man who
never forgave the person who touched
roughly upon Ais pride. You know, of
course, that your father married Miss
Sedgwick in the face Of the most bit
ter opposition on the part of Edwin
Brewster. The latter refused to recog-
nize her as his daughter, practically
disowned his son and heaped the harsh
est kind of calumny upon the Sedg-
wicl5s. 1t was commonly believed about
town that Jim SedgwicS left the coun-
try three or four years after this mar
riage for the sole reason that he and
Edwin Brewster could not live in the
same place So deep was his hatred
Of the old man that he fed to escape
killing him. 1t was known that upon
one occasion he visited the office Of his
sisters enemy for the purpose of STAY
ing him, but something prevented. He
carried that hatred to the grave, as
you will see."
Montgomery Brewster was trying to
gather himself together from within
the fog which made himself and the
world unreal.
II believe I'd like to have you read
this extraor-the will, Mr.. Grant" he
said, with an effort to hold his nerves
in leash.
Mr.. Grant cleared his throat and be-
gan in his still voice. Once he looked
up to find his listener eager, and again
to find him grown Indifferent. He won
dered dimly if this were pose.
In brief, the last will CT James T.,
Sedgwick bequeathed everything, real
and personal, of which he died pos
sessed to his only nephew, Montgomery
Brewster of New York, son of Robert
and Louise Sedgwick Brewster. Sup
plementing this all important clause
there was a set of conditions govern
ing the final disposition of the estate.
The most extraordinary of these con-
ditions was the one which required
the heir to be absolutely penniless upon
the twenty-sixth anniversary of his
birth, Sept. %.
The instrument went into detail in
respect to this supreme condition. 1t
set forth that Montgomery Brewster
was 20 have no other worldly posses
sion than the clothes which covered
him on the September day named. He
was to begin that day without a penny
to his name, without single article
OF jewelry, furniture or finance that
he could call his own or could there
AlISA ASSAoll4 AZ y " ClOCh, INC" IOTk
time, on the morning Of Sept 20 the
executor. under the provisions of the
will, was to make over and transfer
to Montgomery Brewster all of the
moneys, lands, bonds and interests
mentioned in the inventory which &C.
companied the will. In the event that
Montgomery Brewster had not in every
particular complied with the require.
ments Of the will to the full satisfac-
ton Of the said executor, Swearengen
Jones, the estate was to be distributed
among certain institutions Of charity
designated in the instrument. Under.
lying this imperative injunction OF
James sedgwick was plainly discerni.
bic the motive that prompted it In
almost so many words he declared that
his heir should not receive the fortune
If he possessed single penny that had
come to him in any shape or form
from the man he hated, Edwin Peter
Brewster. While Sedgwick could not
have known at the time of his death
100000 to his grandson, 1t was more
than apparent that he expected the
young man to be enriched literally by
his enemy. 1t was to preclude any
possible chance of the mingling Of his
| fortune with the smallest portion OF
Edwin P. Brewster's that James Sedg
| wick on his deathbed put his hand tt
this astonishing instrument.
There was also a clause in which be
undertook to dictate the conduct OF
Montgomery Brewster during the year
leading up to his twenty sixth anniver
sary. He required that the young mar
should give satisfactory evidence tc
the executor that he was capable OF
managing his affairs shrewdly and
wisely; that he possessed the ability
to add to the fortune through his OWE
enterprise; that he should come to his
twenty sixth anniversary with fail
name and record free from anything
worse than mild forms Of dissipation
that his habits be temperate; that he
possess nothing Mt the end Of the yeai
which might he re0a rded "a a "Yixih1e