The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-11-07
STOPS FIGHT FOR MILLIONS
| Mrs. Wister Quails Before Bit of
Paper Weightman Left.
Sheet, on Which Wealthy Chemist
Wrote Opinion Of Daughter-in-
Law, Brought From Hiding.

PHILADELPHIA with a
scrap Of yellow paper, upon which
her father-in-law, the late William
Weightman, had written his last
wishes and thoughts concerning her,
Mrs. Jones Wister abandoned her
suit against Mrs. Anne m. Weight
man Walker, her sister-in- law. to
whom Weightman left all of his $780,
100000. =.
Rather than have the contents OF
the memorandum read in court Mrs.
Wister acknowledged defeat and
gave up her fight, permitting her at
torneys to beg Mrs. Walker to make
10 opposition to an indefinite con-
tinuauce of the case, so that the best
possible face would be put upon Mrs.
Wister's backdown.
The admission of defeat came at a
moment when interest in the testl-
mony was at its height and when It
seemed that Mrs Wister's rem9rk-
able charges about the conduct and
intellectual capacity Of the aged
chemist were about to be substan-
tjated.
In holding back until tho very last
moment the weapon in her possess
sion. and choosing the most potent
tine and place, Mrs: Walker takes
full revenge for the social sights put
upon her by Mrs. Wister when thu
richest woman in America was trying
10 enter the exclusive circle of Pnila-
delphia society, in which Mrs. Wister
has been power.
Upon the paper there appeared, ac-
cording to the belief of Mrs. Wister's
attorneys, the codicil in which
Weightman might have made proyls-
ion for his granddaughters (Mrs.
Wjster's cbi!dren). on behalf OF
whom Mrs. Wister contested the will.
Neither codicil nor will did the
paper prove to be. With the Keen
ness of man who has made his $780,
100000 and is determined to protect
what he had garnered and devise it
as he saw fit, Weightman had care
fully transcribed upon this bit OF
paper what purported to be his pre-
else relations with Mrs. Wister, with
whom he is said to have been in love.
Moreover, he had declared conclu-
sively in that document that he had
no intention of having Mrs. Wister
or his grandchildren share his
wealth. He completely washed his
hands of the Jones Wisters and
jotted down some statement concern
ing which Richard Vain Meirs, SON
in-law of Mrs. Wister and nephew OF
Mrs. Walker, made this statement:
For the sake Of Mrs. Wister, !
would rather cut out my tongue than
1ivulge the contents Of it. Until the
paper was produced at to-day's hear
ing only four persons in the world
had seen it. I hope with all the ear
| nestness of which I am capable that
no one else will ever see it.
"UnIess the other side should per-
NIT it to escape them, feel sure that
the scrap Of paper which turned the
current Of to-day's events will never
be made public. 1t is buried deeper
than the foundations of my office
building. It is neither a will nor a
codicil, but what it contains caused
the abrupt ending of the case"
Mrs. Wister said her father-in-law
! wished her so we'll that when her first
husband, his son, died he was eager
to marry her. Weightman's mental
state was questioned by medical men
who were friends of the contestant.
Among the peculiarities for which he
was known were refusals ever to
give a cent in charity and hatred or
music and children.