The Washington herald., 1907-01-13

| The mutilated codicil to the will Of the
/ late Mrs. Louise Augusta Beauchamp
/ Hughes was fled with the register Of
wills yesterday by Attorney W H. Sholes.
/ the paper being accompanied with an
afiidavit stating that when the attorney
received the document from James G.
/ Payne. auditor of the District Supreme
/ Court. it was in the exact condition in
which it now appears. Attorney Sholes
states further that the cod!cil was handed
IL Col. Payne by Edward G. Niles, who
has since died
In connection with the administration Of
the estate of Mrs Hughes. Judge Ivory
q. Kimbjll and W H. ShOles also filed
a petition setting forth that they were
/ the executors named in the last will Of
/ Mrs. Hughes, which paper IS now in the
possession Of Attorney John c. Cuttings
The petition asks that Cuttings show
cause why he should not file the viii with
/ the Probate Court. Judge Gould issued the
/ write prayed for. retuTnable January l.
| While Attorney Cuttings wants the VIII
filed in New York. the executors desire
/ that II be filed I'm Washington
signature Cut Dat.
( Mrs. Hughes died In New York January
/ Z. 1907 The codicil, which was filed with
/ her signature cut out evidently with q
sharp instrument, and otherwise mutt
/ lated. is dated June y. 1900 The estate
/ disposed Of IN the cOdicil has an ap-
/ parent valuation Of about $4,000 The
/ sTcater part Of the property is located IL
+ New York city, the rest Of the estatv
being Ia Washington.
The codicll is attested and Witnessed by
/ Alice n. Burke. 2Sl4 PENNSYLVANIA avenue
northwest William NJ Johnston. 1913 X
street northwest, and J. J. Darlington,
/ 40 Fifth street northwest Every one Of
/ the three sheets of the instrument bears
/ the signature Of Mrs. Hughes on the wide
margin OF the paper, but the signature
( is mutilated by six clean cuts scvering
/ the name OF the testator
The petition OF Ivory @. KimbaU and
W. II. ShOles executors OF the viii OF
March =, 1879, seems 60 throw "a most Pc
culiar light on the life of the late Mrs
Hughes. II is stated that prior TO De-
cember, 1901, Mrs. Hughes resided in her
home, 2g4 Rhode Island avenue north
west, which she owned at the time of her
death. Some time Ia October or Novem-
Der 1901, il is alleged, the mental c0ndi-
ton OF Mrs. Hughes became greatly I'm
paired. so much SO that local financial in
stiyuuons refused 20 cash her checks.
"She came under the influence. domina-
ton. and control OF one Edward g.
Niles, the petition continues, who re-
moved her, ia December, 1901, OF january.
1852, 20 a hotel 90 Baltimore"
Confined in Insane Asylum
/ Some time in May. 1882 the petition
claims. Mrs. Hughes went with Niles 70
New York. where she was installed in
the Broadway Central Hotel II is
charged that Niles u June. 1907. had her
declared insane by proceedings in New
York. She was committed % private
insane asylum I'm New York. from which
she was removed By writ Of habees cor
/ pus in November. 1892 because of ir-
/ reguarities in the former commitment.
on December Z. 1902, a jury declared
Mrs. Hughes mentally Incompetent Do
and Andrew ). Shlpmau. of New York
was appointed committee Of her person
and the nitCd States Trust Company
was appointed committee OF her estate.
{ succeeding Niles. who had been appointed
committee Of her estate and person by
I
after the appointment OF Shipman as
! committee of her person she was in the
; care of trained attendant at the Park
Avenue Hotel in New York
II is cOntended in The petition that
March Il, 1888. in this city. Mrs Hughes
executed "a viii prepared by J J. Darling
ton. which will, as well as later codicil.
were left I'm the custody % Mr.. Darling
ton. Some time IN November. 1901. il is
alleged. after the teSJatriX had come un-
der the influence Of Niles. Darlington was
requested 10 return Tine will 10 Mrs
/ Hughes, which he did Thereafter. they
| claim, il was given out that Mrs Hughes
! had burned the document
The claim is advanced that Mrs. Hughes
/ left no heirs-lt-law or no next of kin.
and that Washington, having been her
dOmiCiie. and her only real estate being IN
the District of Columbia. the viii should
I ice filed for probate in the District. which
Attorney Cuttings refuses TO do