The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1905-08-10

cred around her many servants. Her
stables cootained Q 5000 team OF
horses. one Of her manfas was her love
for cats and dogs. She had many It
them, one OF the witnesses in the con.
tested will case saying: There was 4
cat up every tree ON the premises" Her
dogs were allowed to eat at the table
with her, and If any of them got sick.
regularly licensed physician was sum
moned to attend it. In one instance she
summoned specialist from New York
to attend to favorite poodle. The dog
died and the doctor got $500 fee and
his expenses. 1t was buried in the buria;
lot at The Naples and the grave was
ever kept green.
In her girlhood days, as Catherine
Guss. she had slight acquaintance
with Judge Bum, then a young lawyer,
now 80 years of age and a widower. This
acquaintance led her to employ him as
her legal adviser in the management
of her affairs and the divorce proceed
ings with her husband, yet pending in
the courts. Their renewed acquaintance
rapidly ripened into love, and they were
engaged to be married as soon as the
divorce from her husband, Reuben NJ.
Hoyt. was granted In the courts. They
were constantly together, and, with her.
he took several trips from Tiffin to New
York to attend to her property affairs,
and, as her afianced husband. she
turned over to him much of her personal
property. consisting of stocks, bonds,
etc., and also made will bequeathing
him almost her entire estate. only small!
legacies being left to her sister, Mrs,
Hill. and her stepbrothers, Frank and
Rufus Guss.
During the winter of 1903 Mrs. Hoyt
was taken seriously i'll with pneumonia
and her death soon followed. lmme-
diately after Judge Bum had the viii!
probated, the sister and the stepbrotn-
ers brought proceedings to have it set
aside. alleging undue influence and the
mental inability of the testatrix to make
will. Many important dispositions
were to be taken in different parts of
the country, and for this and other rea-
sons the trial of the case did not take
place until last June. The verdict of
the jury was rendered about the middle
If July.
The reasons of Mrs. Hoyt, as shown
in the evidence, for practically disin-
heriting her sister and stepbrothers and
other relatives were that until she came
into possession of her wealth they had
not been on friendly terms. In girl
hood, the sister, Mrs. Hill, and the
brothers had opposed her in a love
match. This led to bitter estrange-
ment, and the angered girl left home
When wealth came to her, however, Mrs.
Hoyt's bitterness of the years before
lessened and she often remembered
them with expensive gifts and large sums
Of money, but blood relationship with
her was not stronger than the love for
her lover, and she left him almost her
entire estate.
Since the death Of Mrs. Hoyt Judge
Bum has made The Naples" his home
1t Is but one of the handsome pieces OF
property Of which he becomes the pos
SCISSOR. As legatee he also owns a brown
stone mansion on Eighty -eighth street
New York, worth $4,000, residence al
Yonkers, N. Y. valued at $1,000 and
property elsewhere. He is Of the mould
to care for and enjoy his added wealth
He has been great traveller and is cul.
tured. He has been twice through Eu
rope. All Of his life since boyhood has
been spent at Tiffin. He is good law
yer with good practice, and, while no,
wealthy before, has always been "wel
fixed" His title as Judge" came to hin
by reason 6f having served four years
as probate judge Of this county. He Ii
prominent in politics. and, because o.
his pleasant social ways, has always
been popular.
FRANZ mr. ry>-E