Los Angeles herald., 1910-08-29
BURNED WILL TO
ASSIST HER SON
Granddaughter Make Charge in
Suit to Recover Prop
erty in Aurora
BIG SUMS ARE INVOLVED
All Parties Named In Case Are
Now Dead Except the
Two Petitioners
BIG SUMS ARE INVOLVED

AURORA, ILL.,, Aug. .2s.-The story OF
a mothers love for an erring son,
which led her to destroy her husbands
will and thus enable her son to inherit
his fathers wealth, was revealed IN
a curious petition filed in the probate
court of Kane county.
Kate Terry Prindle and Laura Terry
Hunt, the petitioners, seek to recover
property in the heart of the Aurora
business district, valued at thousands
of dollars, which they declare was
bequeathed to them in VIII drawn
up by their grandfather, Richard TER
ry, a wealthy Aurora land owner, who
died In 1888.
CONFEssEs ON DEATHBED
1t is alleged in the petition that
Richard Terry's widow confessed on
her deathbed two years ago that she
destroyed the will after her husbands
death. At that time the son, Arthur
Terry, was accused of numbering his
wife, and desperately needing money
to save him from the gallows inveigled
his mother into burning the will.
One striking feature in the case is
that all the principals are dead. with
the exception of the two granddaugh-
ters and two witnesses of the Richard
Terry will. Ali Of the property Is II
the hands of others, but the grand
daughters hope under the terms OF the
destroyed will to get 1t back.
The strange story brought to light
with the filing of the petition goes
back to the time thirty years ago when
Richard Terry, with his wife and two
granddaughters, lived in a beautiful
home in Fourth avenue, Aurora. Ar
thur Terry, the only son, was a menu
ber of the firm of Terry & Riddle,
Aurora's leading stationers. He had
married a Chicago girl and was con-
sidered at one time the city's most
popular man.
son ACCUSED OF MURDER
Conditions changed. however. and
Arthur Terry entered upon a life of
dissipation. Enarmored of a woman in
Chicago, he soon became estranged
from his wife. She died suddenly after
q short illness and under mysterious
circumstances. Some time afterward
her body was disinterred and chemi-
cal analysis of the stomach developed
the presence of a large quantity OF
arsenic.
Arthur Terry was arrested and in
dicted by the grand jury. The case
was the sensation of that year and
dragged along for months. Terry was
finally released on bail, however, and
after a year or more the case was
stricken from the docket.
In the meantime MS latHef, INiShliu VI
Terry, made a will leaving all his prop
erty to his wife during her natural
life and upon her death to his two
granddaughters. 1t was especially
provided that Arthur Terry should be
cut off without a cent.
This will was witnessed by Attor-
ney Charles /. McNett of Aurora and
DR.. William T. Patterson. who now is
living in Louisiana. Both of these men
will testify in the hearing on the
petition.
After the death of Terry in 1888. RAN
dali Cassem was appointed administra-
tor and the property went to Arthur
Terry and his mother in the absence
of the will.
Arthur Terry left Aurora shortly af-
ter the case against him was dismissed
and lived for a time in Chicago. he
became insane and was committed to
the Elgin asylum, where he died four
wears ago.