The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1906-10-19
sso,0oo,ooo WILL CASE DRAMATIC.
Ally INTERRUPTED IN PIN
ApELPHlA.
all ARE PLEDGED 10 st(Rtly
NEPHEW WOULD RATHER CUT
OUT TONGUE THAN TELL
CONTENTS OF PAPER. /.

Iullau0lpula, OCt.s It, He lSuG US,a
tween two women over the distribu.
ton of the $60,OO0,00O estate Of the
late William Weightman, the chemist,
was abruptly halted yesterday by the
production of small piece Of note
paper which had turned yellow with
age. What the piece Of paper con-
tains was not made public, and the
few persons who have seen 1t have
pledged 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.
Contests the Will.
William Weightman in 1884 made
will leaving his vast estate equally be-
tween Anne M. Wightman Walker, his
daughter, and two sons, William and
John. Ten years later he made new
will leaving his entire estate to the
daughter, the two sons having died,
leaving eight children. The widow OF
William Weightman, the mother of
five children, married Jones Wister,
and when Mr.. Wightman, her father
in-law, died she contested the will on
behalf of her minor daughter Martha,
on the ground that Mr. Weightman
left a codicil, in which he provided for
the grandchildren. Mrs. Walker de-
MED that her father had made cod
icil.
Paper Is introduced.
One of the witnesses yesterday was
Mrs. Walker; another was Edward T.
Davis, for many years private secre-
tary to Mr. .Weightman, who was a
witness to the signing of the last will.
Connsel'for Mrs. Wister asked him if
he remembered Mr.. Weightman, SUBJ
sequent to drawing up his will, writing
something on piece of note paper
and placing it in his desk. He said
he had, hut did not know what was
written. Thereupon Alexander Simp-
son, Jr., of counsel for Mrs. Walker,
demanded the production of the paper.
1t was produced and read by Mrs. Wis
ter's attorneys. The witness said it
looked like the paper he had seen Mr..
Weightman write. The examination
Of Mrs. Walker followed, no further
attention being paid the paper.
Case Is Continued.
After recess Mr.. Simpson announc-
ed that counsel for both sides had
held conference and at the request
Of Mrs. Wistcr's lawyers the opposing
side had consented to a continuance Of
the case. This sudden halt in the pro-
ceedings caused sensation, and ru-
mors were put in circulation that the
case had been compromised All at.
torneys denied that compromise had
been agreed to and none would give
q reason for the postponement Final
ly it was admitted that the piece of
paper was the cause of the sudden
turn of affairs.
Neithr Will Nor codiciI.
Mrs. Wister's attorneys declined to
discuss the case, and all that the at
torneys for Mrs. Walker will say is
that the paper was neither a will, nor
codicil.
One of the attorneys was asked
what the paper contained and said:
Il will not tell; it is beyond human
possibility for that paper to be made
public
Rather Lose Tongue Than Tell.
;. 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" he said. up to to-day,
when it was privately shown in court,
only four persons in the world had
seen 1t. The paper is in the posses.
sion of my aunt's counsel and it's con-
tents 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 In
innate the Wisters will take no fur
ther action. l,li &
i