The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-05
TWAIN'S
 NEW WILL Entire Estate of Famous Writer Bequeathed to
 His Two Daughters COMPANY HANDLES
 LITERARY REMAINS in Earlier Testament Miss Lyon Was Named Execu- trix with Clara Clemens Author of Biography Had Permission to Use-Not to
 Exceed 10000 Words

Bedding, Aug. 5.-At least two resi- hents of this town have avouched that they had seen the alleged codicn to Mark Twain's will by which his two daughters were virtually cut off from their natural inheritance, being sup planted as the main legatees by Ralph w Ashcroft and his wife. As a mat ter of fact they couldn't possibly have seen a codicil of this import because it has and never had existence. Your correspondent explained last week that the report doubtless owed its origin to the circumstance that the codicn in question named the Ashcrofts as the testator's literary executors. This was the truth of the matter, except for the detail that only Mrs. Ashcroft, then Miss Isabel Van Kleck Lyon, was so named. Today the writer saw copy of the will of which the codicil in ques- tion is a part, and is therefore able to say positively what its provisions are.
 The will was drawn last October but has been superseded by will or later date by which MT. Clemens bequeaths his entire estate to his two daughters, in trust. This will, like its predeces- sor, was drawn while the Ashcrofts were in his employ. The provisions of the codicil to the earlier will are wholly absent from the later document, which says nothing about the d1sposl- ton of the testator's literary remains The reason TOT CnlS OIn1SSlOH IS lndl these literary assets have passed under the control of the Mark Twain Co.,, a corporation which MT. Ashcroft con- ceived and organized and of which he is secretary, treasurer, a director ana manager. MT. Clemens owns all the stock
 Nevertheless a review of the defunct codicil may be interesting as showing how confidently made assertions can be utterly baseless, the degree of con- fidence reposed by Mark Twain in his former secretary and the designs of Americas most popular author respect ing the disposition of his literary es- tate The codici1 begins by setting forth that a ''part of the estate will consist of manuscripts, published and unpublished, literary articles and mem oranda and general literary remains,
 and then goes on to bequeath to Miss Clara Laphain Clemens and Miss Lyon, Jointly. ''the sole and exclusive right to arrange, control and dispose of upon such terms, provisions and agreements as they may deem advisable all of said literary productions, published and un- published and all my literary articles and memoranda of every kind and de- scription and generally all my interests therein and rights of renewal thereof, the income or royaly thereon, the pro- ceeds of the sale thereof to be paid in- to my estate and distributed in accord ance with my last will and testament" "
 Then follows a qualification Of this disposal clause to the effect that ten per cent of the royalties received from @'the proposed publication of the vol ume to be known as Letters of Mark Twain or any other books composed of similar collection of letters, frag- mentary writings, aphorisms, etc., compiled by my daughter and my sec retany or either of them shall be paid to Miss Lyon. her heirs and assigns.
 There is a further qualification or exception directing that Albert Bigelow Paine, the testator's ibiographer, shall have the privilege of making use for the biography of the letters or extracts from them to an extent not exceeding 10, 900 words, the selections chosen for this purpose to have the approval of Miss Clemens or Miss Lyon.
 For the main body of the will the testator's two daughters are named as eYecutrices and they are also made the 1egatees with the exception in favor of Miss Lyon as above noted. Out of this document grew the story of the daugh- ter's disinheritance and the selection of the Ashcrofts as the principal heirs.