Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-01-08
RECONCILIATION BETWEEN
MOTHER AND SONS OFF
ChdTle IF Mental InCdpdCity May
be Made Against Founder--lnti-
NATION That She Was lnflu-
enCed--Institution to Teach
Cult May Not be Built.

New York, Jan. S.-The sudden
renewal, with great tierceneSs, of the
legal fight between Mary Baker g.
Eddy, head and founder of the Chris
tian Science cult, and her sons, Geo.
w. Glover and DIR. Ebenezer e. J.
Foster Eddy, has created widespread
astonishment.
Especially mystified are leading
Christian Scientists throughout the
country. who have known for several
weeks that elaborate plans for a
complete reconciliation between Mrs.
Eddy and her sons, and for their
public reunion on Christmas day, at
Pleasant View, Mrs. Eddy's Concord
home, were definitely arranged.
This reconciliation" proposed by
Mrs. Eddy herself, and arranged by
the distinguished lawyers on both
sides, was designed to blot out all
discord: to shield Mrs. Eddy from
further attacks; ot avert the dreaded
possibility of litigation over her es-
tate after her death, and to rehab-
ilitate the sons, Glover and Foster
Eddy in all their rights and privi-
leges of their relationship.
Like a clap of thunder from a
ment from Mrs. Eddy personally,
few days ago, of her purpose to cre-
ate a Christian Science institute and
to endow It with 81 900 900. This
meant the distribution OF practically
her entire estate, now held by the
trustees under the deed of trust ex-
ecuted by Mrs Eddy three days af-
en- the service of the papers in the
now historic suit of next friends"
to prove her incompetent.
All Parties astounded.
1t shattered the plan of reconcilia-
tion as a blow. to the amazement of
the lawyers on both sides, and to the
CONSERVATION of Christian Science
leaders, who were eagerly looking
ahead to the promised Christmas re-
union at Pleasant View.
Within twenty-four hours after
Mrs. Eddy's mystifying announcel
ment the lawyers for her two sons,
ex-Cnited States Senator William f.
Chandler, John w. Kelly, of Ports
mouth, n. H.. and De Witt C. Howe,
of Concord, n. H., had decided upon
a course Of action, 1t will be an ac-
ton in the United States court of
to restrain the Eddy trustees from
hands, pending a legal determination
upon the absorbing question of Mrs.
Eddy's mental competency.
In The suit by the Next Friends"
all evidence as to Mrs. Eddy's men,
tai capacity was restricted to the
narrow limits of her business trans
actions. The only question before
the masters was her ability 10 trans
act business. But the new proceed
ings Will rest upon Mrs. Eddy's at
tempt 70 give away practically, her
whole great fortune to Christian
Science, in contradiction Of her own
trust deed, and in direct violation
of the terms Of a family reconcilla-
lion proposed by herself
This makes the question to be
raised by the heirs Of Mrs Eddy one
of alleged religious monomania, and
opens the way to sensational litiga-
tion of he most regretable charac-
ter But all feelings of apprehen-
sion are swallowed up in the sur
prise occdsioned by Mrs. Eddy's lat
est act.
It IS certain that her lawyers, Gen,
Frank Streeter and Attorney Gener-
al Eastman, hard at work in perfect
ing her plan of reconciliation, knew
nothing of the scheme TO donate her
fortune 10 Christian Science As will
appear later, Mrs. Eddy's announce
meut of the $1,0OO,OOO donation was
an overwhelming surprise TO these
gentlemen.
il is almost equally certain that
her trustees, pledged under heavy
bonds TO the fuldllment Of the trust
deed. ANA heartily in accord with the
reconciliation plan, were also total
~ uuprepared for the blow. All are
silent IN the face of his undreamed-
Of emergency and from no source
can anything be learned Of the Sc
cret influences responsible for Mrs.
Eddy's sudden change of plans.
The Original Plan.
The history Of this change dates
back 10 the closing days Of last sum-
mer, when the "NeNt Friends suit
had been Withdrawn and the next
friends themselves had scattered to
their homes. George Glover, Mrs,
Eddy's only child. had returned to