Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-05-13
THE h'CIvNEY ESTATE
Hssbats Ceurt aesn Toe snall fer
 shs Msmbsr lntsrsstsl.

pssbats Court Aeea Toe snalI fer
 ths Msmbsr lnisrsstsd.
 The hearing on the account of Mrs Mary A. Lawlor as administrative on the estate of her uncle, the late Michael McGivney, took place before Judge Lowe in the superior court room to- day. the probate court room being too small to accommodate those interested.
 Mrs Lawlor was represented by At torney Guilfoile, and the heirs by At torneys O'Neill, Russell and Bronson.
 T see,' said Attorney O'Neill, ''that 1t is the 18th. It's going to be bad day for some one" The estate amount ed to $5,539.61. There was paid to At tOrneys Williams and Guilfoile $2,5O0, and Mrs Lawlor charged for her ser vices $1,35O. There is a balance of S1,539 left, out of which there are bills to be paid. The item especially contested was Mrs LaYlor's bill, but Mir O'Neill said he objected to the en- tire account. Attorney Williams's bill amounted to 1895. made up of the fol lowing items: Retainer, $1O0: prepar- ing case, $70; having case adjourned $25: getting ready for case, $25; nine days trial, October 30 to November 13, $45O; time spent on the case, $95; ar guing motion for new trial. two days i'll court, $65: going to Waterbury De cember 10, $20; hearing on taxation of costs, $25; preparing brief on appeal from taxation of costs, $40.
 Better have paid the costs. re- marked Attorney O'Neill There is an old saying. save us from our friends; say save us from ourselves"
 Mir Guilfoile's bill amounted to $1,- 505, made up of items substantially like the above and an additional $1OO for taking care of the case in the pro- bate court.
 The motion for a new trial cost the estate $4,O00, Judge George W. Wheel CT saying that he would allow the mo- tion unless the administratrix paid to the Scaddens some 5000. The yer dict was for about 5000.
 Mrs Lawlor not having an itemized bill, she was sworn and testified that after she was appointed administrative she proceeded to ascertain what estate Mir alcGivney had left She> under stood. or was told, that he had left about $32,OOO, but the Scaddens. in fact all of the heirs, refused to give her any information or help her in any way. However, she found will, and she went to see Mrs Bridget Thompson and Mrs Catherine Scadden. They re fused to give her any information and ch hc1 &hn,, xo ha fore the probate court to tell what they knew. She paid another visit to the Scaddens with Mir Guilfoiie and also with Mir Williams, but got no in- formation. She saw Michael Donahuc, as he was an old friend of her uncle's She had an injunction served on the Scaddens to prevent them from draw ing money from the Citizens bank or disposing of the property Mir McGiyney had given them. The last time she saw her uncle's bank book it showed deposits of $32,OOO. She got evidence in the bank that her uncle had changed his accounts and to whom he had given his money, and she had to guar antee Attorney Williams his fee be fore he would take the case. She knew she would have to pay high for good lawyers.
 On cross-examination MT O'Neill tried to show that Mr Williams. Mr Gull foile and Mrs Lawlor each charged for doing the same work. that is in collect ing evidence. Regarding her interview with Michael Donahue Mir ONeill made her say that Mr Donahue had told a different story in the trial of her case against the Scaddens than what he had told her. Attorney Guil- foile arose and tried to prevent Mfr O'Neill from further questioning the witness in that direction and in the arguments that followed the word perjury" was used. Instantly Mir O'Neill claimed that Mrs Lawlor had said that Mir Donahue had perjured himself on the stand. Mir GUilfoile contended no such statement was made. unless that Mir QNeill had put the words in the witness's mouth.
 The stenographer's notes were re- ferred to, but Mir Guilfoile maintained that the stenographer was acting in a private capacity and consequently his notes were not official and could not be referred to as an authority. The  argument closed favorably for Mrs Lawlor.
 Mir O'NeilI examined her minufeiy re- garding her private life. thus following the tactics he had pursued in the trial. He tried to show that she did not de vote the lime to the case that she claimed. Regarding the lawyers bills she said there was nothing left her to do but pay or refuse to pay and go to court. which would mean mere ex- pense. This closed the examination.
 Decision was reserved. During the hearing there was good deal of fun caused by Mir O'Neill's questions and the outbursts Of some of the heirs. who seemed to he on the alert for any little slip or mistake that might be made.