New-York tribune., 1905-02-28
MRS. BL0DGETT TRIAL ON.
Woman Who Ordered So Many Rare
Books Had Dementia, Doctor Says.

Three actions came up for trial before Justice
Scott, in the Supreme Court, yesterday, In which
william T. Blodgett, executor of the estate OF
Mrs. Abbe B. Bodgett. OF F1shkill-on-th Hudson.
is suing Frank H. Norcross, George J. Wells and
George D. sproule, to set aside contracts made by
Mrs. Blodgett for the purchase of set of the life
or Napoleon consisting of twelve volumes at sl'oco
volume, and set Of Dickens. consisting OF thirty
volumes at $1,000 volume The total sum Mrs
Blodgett to pay for the books was large. For
these and other books. it declared last year.
Mrs. Blodgett was to pay s25JOoo.
The defendant Norcross did not appear in the suit
Evidence was given TO tha mental condition OF
Mrs. Blodgett She died last July from valvular
disease of the heart. The contracts were entered
into by her on May 16 1903 ard June 8, 1903
DR.. Howell D. White of Peekskl. testified \that
he had attended Mrs. Blodgett from 1901 to 4SN.
and found her suffering from valvular disease OF
the heart She about seventy-fve years old'
and had had hemorrhages. which had weakened her
greatly in the last few years of her life. She was
at times. he said irritable and apparently IRA
tional.
DIR. Moses Allen Starr testified TO examining Mrs
Bodgett April p. 1904. and finding her suffering
from arterial sclerosis. Dr. Starr stated that Mrs
Blodgett was suffering from senile dementa' ana
had lost her memory to a considerable extent. she
was. he testified in his opinion incapable of under
standing fully the meaning OF such contract as
she had entered into with reference to the purchase
of the books within any time three years before her
death
Robert G. Newbegin. dealer in books declared
that the books had not been specially made for her
but had been prepared by him for sale NorcrosS
agreed TO take them from him for $780, but hau
never paid for them. The amount in the suit
against Norcross $4,000.
The hearing of the action against Wits was lheh
taken up but, after few minutes, II was an
nounced that this had been settled.
The trial Of the action against Sprouie then De-
gan Dr. White repeated the testimony given by
him in the Norcross case; ,,. &, o,-
dence In It he set forth that he had obtained the
illustrations of the books sold by him with sLeat
trouble from the book centres and engraving mar
of the whole civilized world" Mr. Newbegln Sald
this statement untrue, as he had OBTAINED tnei
all in New-York. -,
DR. William NJ Polk now Dean of the Cornell
University medical college in this city VINO had
been Mrs. Blodgetts family physician since 1919
and who previous to that time had Attended her
husband. testified she had been sufferer from
heart disease, and had also been troubled with
grip for a while he said. She could not have
known the full force Of the contracts Into which
she entering, he said.
DR. T Stewart Hart then declared that he mad
attended Mrs. Blodgett some time previous 10 her
death found her suffering from arterial disease
of the He considered that her mental condl-
ton was affected by her physical condition
DR.. Starr again called witness and was
examined. Counsel for Sproule submitted 10
him a number OF business letters written by MIS-
Blodgett to Sproule anG TO representative OF MIS-
named Wilson subsequent to the time she entered
into the contract for the books DR.. Starr admitted
that they written by a person of intelligence
and that their contents sensible enough to be
understood.
The trial then went until to-day.