Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury [Connecticut]) 1903-1917, 1908-04-27
CARTER WILL CASE
Mrs Jennie c. Barnes on The
Witness Stand To-Day.

The hearing on the litigation over
the will lof the late Mrs Sarah =.
Carter Of Waterville, mother of Mrs
Jennie C. Barnes and Mrs Helen M.
Ford, wife of George II. Ford, post
master of Waterville, was resumed
in the probate court to-day before
Judge r. A. Lowe, Attorney W. II.
Pierce appearing for the will and At
torney William Kennedy represent
ing the contestant, Mrs Ford. It is
claimed by the Fords that two
grandchildren named Hare were
practically cut off in the will; that
what was left them, a gold watch
each, would be theirs eventually any
way, and that Mrs Carter was under
the undue influence of Mrs Barnes
at the time she made the will. The
estate is worth about $4,000. Mrs
Barnes testified that she never had
Loren r. Carter draw up deed CIV
ing her certain property and that she
asked her mother to sign that paper.
She was positive, she said, that she
matter. Butt she admitted there
was talk between her mother and
her husband of her mother deciding
to her certain property. Her hus
band, however, was to take care OF
the grandchildren until they would
become rs. She denied emphatical-
ly that she told her mother that
deed was merely a lease Of the prop
erty, or that her mother took the
paper to Mr. Carter to ascertain
whether it was deed or lease, be-
cause her husband refused to sign
it and declined to take care of the
Hare children
Mrs Barnes said she did not see
her mother sign her will; she did
not see the will, in fact, until after
it had been signed 1t was not she
who sent for Attorney Pierce to
draw up the will, but the Nurse, Miss
Ruth R. Sloane, at the request of
Mrs Carter. She did not know when
he came to the house that it was to
draw her mothers will, out she i'm
agined that was the cause of his
visit.
She was asked why she did not
send for her sister, Mrs Ford, at that
time, and she answered shat she did
not think it necessary. Moreover,
Mrs Ford had not been to the house
in six years. When Mrs Ford finally
was sent for 1t was DR. Graves who
telephoned at the request of Mrs
Carter. Another reason she did not
send for Mrs Ford was that she
knew her mother was not dying.
This was three years before her
death. Mrs Barnes said she had no
objection to her sister going TO the
house.
But you did not want her there,
did your" asked Attorney Kennedy.
Witness said it was immaterial to
her whether Mrs Ford was present
or not.
But you did not want Ter there,
did your" insisted Mr. Kennedy, and
after repeated evasions Mrs Barnes
replied:
Il did not.p
Mr. Kennedy asked her If she did
not try to poison her mothers mind
against Mrs Ford, and Mrs Barnes
said she did not.
She denied ever saying that she
would see to 1t that her sister Helen
would not get cent of he property,
and she said her mother was not
incapable when her husbands estate
was settling up; on the contrary she
70 H..
affairs.
Mrs Barnes admitted that her
mother had bank account when she
went to live with her, and in re-
spouse to Mr. Kennedy's question she
said she thought it was ..bout ST.
500. This was about nine sears ago
next month. Mr. Kennedy asked if
the bank account was not $4,000.
Witness said it was not. Mr. Ken
nedy persisted, however, and after
some thinking Mrs Barnes said the
amount was about $500. She was
asked what amount of that sum is in
bank now and she said about 5000.
She was asked what had become of
the rest of 1t and witness said she
did not get any of it. The question.
What became of 1t, them" was re-
peated and Mrs Barnes said it all
went in repairs and in paying off
encumbrances on the Wateryille
property. The money was drawn
byN her mother and witness could
not say If she was with her on those
occasions, but in the next breath
she said she thought she was.
She denied being with her mother
when the latter drew $4,000 . in
August 1900, but she knew that
money was paid on property her
father had an equity in because it
was her mothers wishes 20 clear IN
that Waterville property.