Omaha daily bee., 1906-10-16
FIGHT FOR BIG ESTATE ENDS
ontest for Millions Of Late William
Weightmsn Suddenly Terminated.
MYSTERIOUS SCRAP or PAPER PRODUCED
A. soon as Lawyers for grandchildren
see IL They Ask for COntin-
uance-COntents Care
fully Guarded.
MYSTERIOUS SCRAP or PAPER PRODUCED

PHILADELPHIA. oct 15.-The fight DO
tween two women over the distribution
of the t6O0OO,OO0 estate OF the late William
Weightman, the chemist. was abruptly
halted today by the production of a small
piece Of note paper that had turned yellow
with age What the piece Of paper cen
tains was not made public and the few
persons who have seen it have pIsdged
themselves never to reveal its contents.
The halt in the proceedings was made at
the suggestion OF counsel for Mrs jones
wister. who is acting as guardian for her
daughter, Martha, the contestant. .
william Weightman in 1854 made a will
Leaving his vast estate equally among Anne
~ Weightman Walker, his daughter, and
two sons, William and John, Ten years
later he made new will, leaving his en-
tire estate to the daughter, the two SONS
having died, leaving eight children. The
widow of William Weightman the mother
of five Of the children, married Jones Wis
ter. and when Mr. Weightman, her father
in-law. died she contested the will on be-
half Of her minor daughter, Martha, on
the ground that he left codicil, in which
he provided for the grandchildren. Mrs.
Walker denied that her father had made
a codicll The contest was begun nearly
two years ago and was called for trial
before Judge Ashman IN the orphans court
today.
Mysterious Piecesof Paper
One Of the witnesses today was Mrs
Walker. another was Edward I. Davis, for
many years private secretary to Mr..
Weightman, who was a witness to the
signing OF tho last will Counsel for Mrs.
wister asked him II he remembered NJ.
weightman's subsequent codcfl 70 draw
ing up his win, having written something
on a piece of note paper and placing IL in
his desk. He said he had but did not
know what Mr.. Weightman had written.
Thereupon Alexander Simpson, jr. OF coun-
sci for Mrs. Wister, demanded the pro-
duction OF the paper 1t was produced
and read by Mrs. Wlster's attorneys. The
witness said It looked like the paper he
had seen Mr.. Weightman write The ex-
animation OF Mrs. Walker followed, no
further attention being paid TO the piece
Of paper.
After recess Mr. Simpson announced thar
counsel for both sides had held confer
ence and at the request of Mrs. Wister's
lawyers, the opposing side had consented
to continuance of the case. This sud
den halt in the proceedings caused sem
sation. and rumors were put in circule-
lloH' lildl tue case 1du Detn compromised.
All attorneys denied that compromise had
been agreed to and none would give a rea-
son for the pnstponement. Finally It
was admitted that the piece of paper was
the cause of the sudden turn of affairs
Mrs. Walker was not aware that the case
had been continued until she arrived at
the court room In the afternoon. There
was general shaking OF hands end every
indication Arc' Wally
satisfied with the arrangement
Lawyers Decline to TnIk.
The lawyers for Mrs. Wisttr declined to
discuss the case. and ali that the attor-
neys for Mrs. Walker Will say is that
the paper was neither will nor a codcll.
1t is believed that attorneys for Mrs Wis
ter thought that the paper placed in the
desk was the codicil which Mrs. Wister
says Mr.. Weightman executed and that
when the paper was produced and found
not 10 be what they thought It was, they
asked for continuance
one Of the attorneys was asked what the
paper contained. and said:
Il will not tell; II is beyond human pos
sibiNty for that paper To be made public 4"
Richard w Meirs. son-in-law OF Mrs
Wister and nephew of Mrs. Walker, said
he hoped It would never see the light Of
day Il would rather have my tongue cut
out than, reveal what was. in that paper 9"
he said Up 10 today when il was pri-
vately shown in court only four persons
In the world had seen II. The paper is in
the possession Of my aunt's counsel and
It's contents will not be made public"
While the lawyers will not express an
opinion as TO whether the case will ever
again be called in court. they intimate that
the Wisters will take no further action.
To Cure n Colo IA One DIV