The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-16
SCRAP OF PAPER
HALTs WILL SUIT
Mysterious Note Brings Sudden
End Of the Weightman
Case.

J l. l. y e;.E 2 s-s j. . Z 4
Philadelphia, Oct. 16.-The fight be-
tion of the $60,000OOO estate of the
late William Weightman, the chemist,
has been abruptly halted, perhaps ter
minated, by the production of small
piece Of notepaper, turned yellow with
age. ss a
What the piece of paper contains
was not made public and the few per-
sons who have seen it have pledged
themselves never to reveal it's contents.
at the. suggestion Of counsel for i Mrs.
Jones Wister, who is acting as guar
dian for her daughter Martha, the con-
testant. .s
William Weightman, in 1884, made
a will leaving his vast estate equally
between Anne NJ. Weightman Walker,
his daughter, and two sons, William and
John. Ten years later he made a new
will, leaving his entire estate to the
daughter, the two sons having died.,
has contested the will on the ground
that Mr.. Weightman left codicil in
which he provided for the grandchil-
dren. Mrs. Walker denied that her
father had made a codicil. -
>, Halts Proceedings. =,
One of the witnesses today was Ed
ward T. Davis, for many years private
secretary to MI. Weightmans who was
will. Counsel Sc for Mrs. wister re asked lasi
him if he remembered Mr.. Weightman
subsequent to- drawing up his will,
writing something on a piece of note
paper and placing it in his desk. He
| said he had, but did not know what
/ was written. e "-~ - ::
| 'Thereupon Alexander Simpson, Jr., of
counsel for Mrs. Walker, demanded the
production Of the paper. It was pro-
duced and read by Mrs. .Wister 3 at
like the paper he had seen MI. Weight
man write: 3D. s~-'.A't5,,-S
MI. Simpson announced that counsel
for both sides had held conference,
and at the request of Mrs. Wister 8
lawyers, the opposing side had consent
ed to a continuance Of the case. This
sudden halt in. the proceedings caused
a. sensat1on,. and rumors were put in
circulation that the case had been COM
promised: All attorneys denied that q
compromise had been agreed to, and
none would give a reason for the post
| ponement. = '.a
Finally it was admitted that the
piece Of paper was the cause Of the
sudden turn Of affairs.
Mrs. Wister g attorneys declined to
discuss the case, and all that the attor-
neys for Mr.. Walker will say is that
the paper was neither q will nor a
codicil: It is believed that attorneys
for Mrs. Wister thought that paper
placed in the desk was the codicil which
Mrs. Wister says Mr.. Weightman exc
cuted, and that when the paper was
produced and found not to be what
they. thought it was, they asked for a
continuance. W.
One of the attorneys asked what the
paper contained said: ct will not tell;
it is beyond human possibility for that
paper to be made public
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. IT would rather have
was iii that paper" he said. q Up to
\ today, when It was privately shown in
court, only four persons in the world
had seen It. The papersis in the pos
session of my aunt's counsel and its
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 in
innate the Wisters will take no further
action. 49,. -..... :, -