The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-04-09
WILL FOUGER PLEADS GUILTY
PAPER GIVING MILLIONS WRIT
TEN 3 YEARS AFTER DEATH.
Estate OF james l.. Crawford, LOng In
Litigation, WIN go 10 RIghtful Heirs.
and George schOOlcy, His Cousin, WIN
lie Sentenced to Jail on SATURDAY.

Litigation, WIN GO 10 RIghtfuI Heirs,
and George SChOOlcy, His Cousin, WIN
he Sentenced TO Jail on Saturday.
SCRANTON, Pa, April s.-The closing
scene Of the Crawford will contest will be
enacted on Saturday, when George Schooley
| Of Philadelphia will be sentenced for utter
ing a forged document. The maximum
penalty is ten years.
After years Of litigation the estate Of
James L.. Crawford, a wealthy mine opera
tor, will 60 TO his wife, Hulda Crawford,
and his son, James q. Shepherd.
The unexpected termination Of the con-
test for millions came to-day when Schooley
was brought TO trial for conspiracy, perjury
and forgery. Last Friday A. n. Bahman
and e. F. Reidel Of New Jersey, after an all
night session with the authorities, signed
confessions declaring that the will offered
for probate by George Schooley was q
forgery and that their signatures to it we're
affixed after James Crawford was known
to be dead.
With this blow dealt TO him when he
least expected II, Schooley's bail was with
drawn by his %sureties and he was arrested
at NoSen, Pa, the next day. He was locked
mp in the county Jail for a few days, when
several friends managed to raise sufficient
money to bail him out,
BY agreement between counsel it was
arranged that all the charges now pending
against the contestant for Crawford's es-
tate would he dropped II he pleaded guilty
Ia forgery. az the Commonwealth realized
that the witness who had openly declared
that they had peTjured themselves IN order
10 obtain a portion Of the estate could make
little II any impression on = falr jury, .
SchUOley to-day came into court and
pleaded guilty, He was taken TO the county
jail. 10 I've produced on Saturday, when
sentence will I've imposed,
keldel and Bahman, the subscribing
Witnesses. were locked M to-day when the
, Title Guaranty and Trust Company, which
acted as surety, placed the bail pieces into
the hands Of the Sheriff. II was announced
to-day that they would also plead guilty
and will he sentenced together with
SchoOiey.
Miss Giula Ivy, a stcnogra pher in the Of
flee Of an Easton attorney, was a witness
against SchOoley, She testified that she
had written for Schooley the cndicil which
he offered in evidence as having been sent
TO him 10y the late James Crawford. Mise
Ivy testified AZ the civil trial that she drew
up the will and codicil on June !, 1905, three
years after the death Of Crawford.
II was shown by representatives Of keat.
ing 4 Co. Of Philadelphia that Schooley had
ordered a rubber stamp Of Mr.. Crawford's
signature in April Of the anne year,
Lewis n. circuit Of Noxen is the only de-
PENDANT in the conspiracy case who has yet
10 stand trial. He a indicted for perjury
for the false testimony he gave at the civil
case about meeting j. l.. Crawford at the
Manhattan Hotel in New York on Deem
her 10, 1903. II was intended TO show by
this evidence that Crawford contided TO
circuit that Schooley. a cousin Of Crawford,
would he made the beneficiary Of the lat
ter's will, and that on the very same day
era wford had written the alleged will and
codicil and mailed them TO Schooley in
Philadelphia. circuit will he tried at the
next term Of court. BY the will which
Schooley offered he was TO get practically
the entire estate,