The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1906-11-24
Child Claimant
Seeking to Get
Hall OF Estate
Attorneys Allege Undue
Influence Was PraCticed
or Aged Widow.

Sensational developments are likely 20
follow the action Of attorneys repre-
sentiug Helen Margarite Beatrice Szch-
er. the six-year-Old at-grandchud OF
the late EllenM. Cotton. who is lighting
for a division OF her dead relative :
81. 900 estate, in fling petition In the
District Courts 10 compel Mrs. Caroline
Cotton Martin Dahigren. her aunt, 10
make a legal accounting o. many tEou-
sands OF dollars worth OF Fatuaole per
sOnal property declared 70 have been
spirited away from the Cotton mansion,
1917 Connecticut avenue northwest.
II IS charged by r. Golden Donaldson
great-grandchild, in the District Su-
preme Court. that Mrs. Dahlgren, and
her husband. John 3. Dahlgren, a
Washington attorney. whom she mar
ried shortly after the death Of Mrs. Col
ton. have removed from the Cotton resi-
dence articles OF great value, wlthou,
authority Of the court They ask Ihai
Mrs. Dahlgren be required TO pay rent
for the Connecticut avenue residence a.
the rate of 81 900 month since February
IL, 1905.
Undue Influence Charged.
The petition charges that Mrs. Dahl
gren and her husband packed the ex-
pensive linen, silverware. paintings
rugs. etc. belonging 20 Mrs Cotton,
secretly. while the aged woman lay on
her deathbed, too weak and i'll 10 pro-
test, and shortly after her death sent
them 10 Santa Cruz. Cal. the summer
home OF Mrs. Dalgren- It Is also dt
clared that Mrs. Cotton was induceSl
under influence OF Attorney waiter =
Barnett. John b DahlgTen, and Mrs.
Dahlgren. 10 sign paper, the con-
tents of which she never knew OF un-
derstoOd, and which the defndants now
claim is the will OF Mrs. Cotton, but
which she afterward repudlated as not
being her own.
In conclusion. the court IS asked 70
require the presence Of the triC Of de-
PENDANTS IN this city. that they may
sonal estate OF the dead woman 70 a
receiver appointed by the court. Inr.
such action should be taken in the neal
future is made necessary. the petitioner
declares, because the defendants have
made serious inroads on the Cotton
fortune.
Mrs. Cotton an Art ConnoisseuT.
The late Mrs. Ellen NJ. Cotton. who
was the widow OF Gen. David D. Col
ton. a pioneer OF the California "gold
fever" days. and a former partner OF
Coils ?. Huntington and George
Crocker, was regarded as something OF
an art collector. and during her life
her home IS said TO have contained one
OF the best private art galleries II
washington. Among the most costly
art objects named in the ejectment pro-
ceedings are two vases OF rare japanese
workmanship. said TO have been pur-
chased by Mrs. Cotton for SIS, 600
The Cotton home is regarded as one
Of the "show places in the Capital. j
is a fine example Of Gothic-Spanisi
architecture, and was Mrs. COlton's IA
vorite abode during her life.
Action TO break the Cotton viii be
gins az Santa Cruz on Monday, when IN,
defendants viii be formally charged
with fraud. coercion aud undue infiu
ence in procuring a viii purporting e
be that OF Mrs. Cotton. The instrumen
was drawn a short time before Mrs
Colton's death in this city and was
witnessed by H X. Willard and Thoma.
B. Huyck. friends of Mr.. and Mrs
Dahlgren
The contestant declares that IL Is al
4 Illegal GOcume1t, and does not repre-
sent by any means the expressed IN
tention of the dead woman To provide
literally far her little siX-year-Old half
American. nalf-French great-grandcniid