Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-05-24
FIRST REAL FIGHT
ON IN EDDY SUIT
Lawyers Clash Today in Arguments Over
Next Friends" Plea of
Scientist"

CONCORD, n. H., May 20.-Although
the celebrated suit in equity to secure
an accounting cf the property of Mrs.
Mary Baker G. Eddy has been a matter
OF record for almost three months. the
first legal battle of counsel engaged in it
took place i'll this city today, when argu-
ments We're heard on the motion of the
trustees of Mrs. Mary G. Baker Eddy's
estate that they be substituted for the
next friends" plaintiffs in the original
suit. The hearing today was in the Mer-
rlmac county courthouse, where Judge
Robert NJ. Chambcrliu of Berlin is hold
ing term of superior court
On March /, 1907. there was filed i'll
the court Il bill in equity proceeding
signed by George w. Glover of Lead City,
). d., the only son of Mrs. Mary Baker
Glover Eddy; his daughter, Mary Baker
Glover, and George w. Baker OF Bangor,
Me, the only surviving nephew of Mrs.
Eddy.
An Accounting Asked.
These three. us NEXT friends" in legal
parlance of Mrs. Eddy, complained
against Calvin A. Frye Irving c. Tom
linSon. Herman 5. Dcering, and Lewis
{. Strang of Concord; Alfred Farlow,
Ira Q. Knapp, William &. Johnson, ana
Joseph Armstrong of Boston, Mass:
Stephen \. Chase of Fall River. Mass,
and Edward a. Kimball of Chicago, al.
leging, that Mrs. EDDY is and has been
for some time, incompetent to do buSi-
ness or to understand business transact
lions for her by others; and that the
defendants have possessed themselves of
her person and property and that there
is reason to fear that they have wrong
fully converted her property to their own
use.
On these grounds the plaintiffs ask for
an accounting ON the part of the defend
ants and the creation of Il reccivcrShip
for Mr.. Eddy's estate.
On March IL, Ebenczer j. Foster
Eddy of Waterbury, VT, an adopted son
of Mrs. Eddy and Fred Walter Baker of
Epson, n. H., her nephew joined as
plaintiffs.
Mrs. Eddy Turns Over Wealth.
On April >, announcement was made
that on five days after the institution of
proceedings, Mrs. Eddy had conveyed all
her property TO a board of trustees, Hen
~ NJ. Baker Of Bow, \. Il, Archibald
Mcclellan of Boston, Mass, and Josiah
e. Fernald of Concord, n. IL. These
trustees asked of the court the right
to intervene and be substituted as plain
tiffs in place of Glover and the other
next friends in the suit of Eddy vs..
Frye.
Bad Faith Is Charged.
Counsel for the next friends coun,
tered this step on April g. by asking that
the trustees be joined as defendants in
the original suit instead of as plaintiffs
To this on April IS, the trustees made
answer and prayed for n speedy hearing
on their motion. On the same date the
original defendants filed their answer to
the original bill, entering Il general denial
of its allegations and charging n lack of
good faith i'll the institution of the pro
ceedings.
Meanwhile vOluminous afiidavits have
been filed on both sides, including let
ter by Mrs. Eddy herself to the pre-
siding judge, expressing her disbelief i'll
ingS.
Long Fight Ahead.
Judge Chamberlin has granted already
motion made by counsel for the original
plaintiffs, asking for fifteen days after
his decision on today's proceedings to file
supplemental bills and pleadngs, and il
is known that whichever way his dec
sion is made the matter will be taken uu
to the supreme court upon appeal. The
latter court does not sit between June
and September, so any final decision of
the case seems months away.
Allan Hollis of counsel for the trus
tees, opened the hearing today, and for
the original plaintiffs, the next friends"
Dewitt G. Howe of Martin and Howe
of this city, made the opening. The
closing arguments will be made by vii
liam E. Chandler for the next friends
and Frank Il. Streeter for the trustees.
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