New-York tribune., 1910-04-03
Wills Give
POSthumOus
Note to Them
SOME ODD BEQUESTS
Moses Crossman Tells Instances
of Startling Provisions in
IcStamcnts.

BY NJ w. Mount.
Moses II Grossmsn. lawyer. OF the firm
.. 1gouse Grossman & Norhaus, No. lIs
p-oadwsv. in discussing novel wills the
other dsy said;
o..-scit- OF mind If testators Were in
e...-,ed tv the Judgment Of their advisers
-, &c q certain stubbornness that char
.,-.1ss a person about 10 make will.
-. ss aroused 80 the seriousness OF his
=. tx- -he complications that might fol-
- 1he adoption Of suggestions from
..osa -,-hora he consults in ordinary mat
- 7. is peculiarly a question in which
\. --sfe-s 10 follow his own judgment-in
- be insists upon that right, and gen.
80 exercises IL. Possibly. he IS led to
- .o-cl,,sion by the fsct that he regards
...a7s SIS the best and only judge OK
-. s,,rls be done with his property.
T--,,xual provisions in wills are oc-
- ~, feelings Of the testator which
=, justified or not. The law does not
-. ;nro his feelings unless they
,sse ,ynon the statute and the will con-
-,trs something in violation Of it
81, the preparation OF this solemn docu-
-.n- the lgw conpels person TO act
.-s.,e,ser1tlv of the wishes Of those who
,,irb- 1gnduly influence the testator and
,,-re him 10 CO something that is contrary
% hss intention. Courts in constituting
Ills hare regard solely 10 the intent OF
TIE deceased, and confer upon him the
right of making any disposition he pleases
of his property.
IN making a will q person must prove
.l,z- re is the msster Of his or her own
mind. and so-called queer provisions are,
~ many instances, the result OF delibera-
-ions based upon an unusual affection by
80 restaror for certain persons, a hatred
cr diminished regard Of others. or desire
10 rerpetuate an institution or institutions
whose policy or policies conform tc his or
her Ideals Of charity or anything else that
rsht have Influenced him at the time OF
ne making OF the will
That marriage is the definite goal of
woman in India WAS evidently the convic-
tsoa % the late Naoroji wadia, wealthy
s-fpbuilder of Bombay. who has just be-
oaeathed a large fund TO assist poor girls
iuto the estate Of rnatrimony- The $40, ,o00-
600 left 70 Indian charities and the $780,
o6a scattered TO beEgars at the funeral Of
the kindly disposed Naoroji wadia have
not awakened half the interest that this
fund for portiOnless girls has done in 2
land where a single woman is looked upon
with contempt and a widow with scorn.
A Young man Of Philadelphia was pos
sessed Of morbid generosity when he made
2 viii deyising $4,000 to Miss Elizabeth
Croskey. Of the Quaker City. and then
committed suicide because that young
woman had spoken scornfully Of his at
tentions. The wedding OF the fair legatee
followed q few days after the funeral or
the -estator.
''Thirty-hve years ago Sarah Marsh, of
Caldwell, y. J.. bequeathed 10 her nephew,
not explained his reason for opening the
book recently, but he loudly expressed his
establishment al the s&.se7 80 which he
found laid between the leaves and his
srst that he had not read that Bible years
Ego
Evidently a good liver was a man at
rurnhau1. England. who willed fund suf-
fcient 70 provide the inmates Of the poor
house Of the parish with Christmas din
rer. accompanied with proper supply of
sIe, tobacco and snuff forever
s'Ore Henry Green exhibited more famili-
arity with the pardonable foibles Of
women when he provided in his will that
On or before December e1 every year four
green waistcoats lined with green galloon
lace. should be delivered to four poor
women who were expected TO wear this
inery on Christmas Day
n
gone 70 his reward, adopted curious way
- discovering charitably inclined persons.
7 own stated he IN his will 'seventY Y-one
psirs Of trousers and I strictly enioin my
Executors 10 hold a public sale. at which
these shall be sold TO the highest bidder
and the proceeds distributed to the poor OF
TIE city ] further desire that these gar
nents shall in no way be examined or
n1eddled with. but be disposed Of as they
a~e found ~ the time OF my death: and
20 one purchaser shall buy more than one
pair Kew York has probably never
known such another trousers sale, and
certainly never heard of such sequel. for
-sch purchaser discovered in pocket of
Tho trousers thousand dollars in bank
notes
1T is 10 uncommon thing TO hear that
= woman is worth her weight IN gold,
F-It 10 he worth her weight in banknotes
falls % The 10, Of few. TWO Scotch lassies
enjoyed this distinction when they were
Weighed. In accordance with the wishes
EXPRESSED ~ their fathers viii, and re-
ceived in Fanknotes the various sums OF
$4,000 and f5T00o.
Possibly the widow OF 4 prominent
American was - much to be envied, for
:he executors of her husbands viii were
directed TO pay TO her every year her own
weight n gold. True 10 her feminine
vanity. the widow ne-er attempted TO in
crease Ter weight. but exercised thrift IN
another manner. She added 10 the sum o1
her heritage by charging an admission fee
10 those Of the public who desired 10 wit
ness the ceremony Of weighing Human
inQuisitiveness is such that numbers were
always ready TO pay for this privilege
A very different sort Of husband II was
VINO thus devised: ! give unto my wife,
Nary Dsrley for picking my pockets OF
sixty guineas. the sum Of one shilling
What punishment for woman whose hus-
land vas actually able TO testify 10 the
amount Of his missing change.
a good many persons endeaYor' oy pro-
visions made IA Wills. 10 coerce their heirs
into leading what the testator considers
model existence because he has probably
never tried it On Long Island dWelt
nan q abundant wealth, who either kne"
his heirs too well or did not know them
well enough, when he willed that none or
them should inherit unless they coulo
show that they led life Of angelic Nirlne.
lie specialized things that they We're an"
we're not 70 do. Smoking. drinking, enter
ing barroons and marrying before they
were twenty-five years Of age were all
strictly prohibited They were 10 break