Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-10-20
WEIGHTMAN CASE
ENDS STRANGELY
Note. Yellow With Age, Ends Fight
For 100000.
NO FURTHER ACTION PROBABLE

L between two women over the distribu-
ion of the 100000 600 estate OF the
late William Weightman the chemist
1 who was Philadelphia's wealthiest
man, was abruptly halted by the pro
| duction Of a small white piece OF note
] paper that had been turned yellow
with age. What the piece Of paper con
tains was not made public, and the
less than a dozen persons who have
seen IL have pledged themselves never
20 reveal its contents. The halt in the
| proceedings was made at the sugges
ton OF counsel for Mrs. Jones wister
who is acting as guardian for her
daughter Martha. the contestant. and
the sudden turn in the case has made
the benehciaries of the will jubilant
They freely predict that the case has
been ended forever.
William Weightman in 1884 made a
Will leaving his vast estate equally be
tween Anne NJ. Weightman Walker.
his daughter. and two sons. William
and John. Ten years later he made a
new will, leaving his entire estate 70
| the daughter. the two sons having
| died. leaving eight children The
/ widow OF William Weightman. the
/ mother of FIVE OF the children. mar.
/ ried Jones Wister. and when Mr..
| Weightman. her father-inlaw. died she
| contested the will on behalf of her
minor daughter. Martha. on the ground
! that he left codlcil in which he pro
/ vided for the grand children. The
| other seven grandchildren. who had
reached their majority. were satisfied
| with the sums the wealthy chemist
had during his life left them in trust
| Mrs. Walker. the sole heir 20 the for.
| tune. denied that her father had made
a codiciL The contest was begun
| nearly two years ago and was called
FOR trial before Judge Ashman in the
orphans court with a great array of
counsel on each side.
Edward T. Davis. for many years
| private secretary 90 Mr.. Weightman.
and who was a witness 20 the signing
1 Of the last viii. was a witness Coun.
sci for Mrs. Wister asked him II be
remembered Mr Weightman subse.
quent 20 drawing up his viii having
/ written Something on piece OF note
| paper and then place il in his desk
/ He said he had. bat did not know
what Mr. Weishtmon had written
| Thereupon Alexander Simpson. Sr.. Of
| counsel FOR Mrs. Wister. demanded the
/ production OF the paper. and after AZ.
| torney General Carson. OF Penn SYLVIA.
MIA, and John c. Johnson. OF counsel
i for Mrs. Walker. had fumbled through
their documents they produced IL. The
i paper was carefully read by Mrs. Wis.
ter's attorneys and then handed 20 the
| witness. who said IL looked like the
paper he had seen Mt. weightman
| write.
| When court roconvoned Mr. Snip.
son announced that counsel for both
sides had held "a conference during the
! recess and al the request OF Mrs. Wis.
ter's lawyers the opposing side had
| consented 90 a continuance OF the
case. This sudden halt In the pro
| ceedings caused a sensation. and ru-
more were quickly put in circulation
that the case had been compromised.
! All attorneys denied that "a compro-
mise had been agreed 20 and none
would give a reason for the postpone
+ ment Finally Mr.. Carson admitted
that the piece OF paper presented al
the morning session was the probable
cause Of the turn OF affairs. and his
statement was confirmed later in the
day. The lawyers for Mrs. Wister
| positively declined TO discuss the case.
| and all that the attorneys for Mrs.
Walker will say is that the paper was
neither a will nor codicil. II is be
heved that the attorneys for Mrs. Wis
ter thought that the paper placed In
| tho H.aIr rr-ae al,
| Wister says Mr.. Weightman executed
and that when the paper was pro
duced and not found to be what they
thought II was. they asked for a con
tinuance.
/ There are many surmises as TO the
nature of the contents Of the paper,
but none of them can be confirmed
When Mr.. Johnson was asked what II
contained. he said:
II will not tell; il is beyond human
possibility for that paper TO be made
public"
l Richard Meirs son-in-law OF Mrs
. Wister and nephew of Mrs. Walker
who is siding with his aunt, said he
hoped II would never see the light OF
! day. II would rather have my tongue
Sut oIN N4diA ltftdl WLdl was III lndl
, paper" he said up to when il was
privately shown in court only -four
persons in the world had seen IT, The
paper is in the possession OF my aunt's
counsel and its contents viii not be
made public unless it is done by the
other side and I am sure they will not
80 IT,"
, While the lawyers will not express
, an opinion as 10 whether the case will
: ever be again called in court they
! plainly intimate that the Wisters will
take no further action.
A WEEKS NEWS CONDENSED