New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-06-17
POINTSAGA|NST DAUGHTER!
Testimony in Hart Will Case Not
So Good for Mime. GuiIIemin.
ADOPTION QUESTIONED NOW
Testator's American Talk Leads
to Assertion That He Was Not
of French Domicile.

The testimony adduced yesterday before
Justice Greenbaum in the action brought
by the United States Trust Company As
executor to have the will of Benjamin Hart
legally construed vas not 50 favorable to
Nine Isabelle Guillenlin, the adopted daugh-
ter OF the former Virginia clothing pedlec.
who seeks to establish her right to half Of
his S2,0o0,000 estate. The validity of her
claim rests on the legal place OF domicile
of Hart, who died in Paris and on the
legality under the French law of her adop-
ton by him
On Wednesday testimony was introduced
that tended 10 show that Hart was leSAl
resident of France, which would entitle
Nine ClliIIerr1in to half of his property,
providing her adoption was also upheld But
the proceeding yesterday seemed strongly
to indicate that Hart always considered
himself an American. Notwithstanding that
he spent the last few years of his life IN
Paris
The testimony was in the form of letters
written by Hart and the dispositions taken
in France of persons with whom Hart mad
talked One of the letters written 10
Michael Hart. q nephew, TO whom Hart
left $4,000 and the residue Of his estate,
showed some hostility to Nine. Gulllemln,
although other testimony made ii appear
that the old man had declared he would
leave everything to his adopted daughter,
who. however, he cut off in his will The
letter was written in 1898, about the time
Of her marriage to Jean Guillemln, now
French Minister to Peru
Hart wrote that he gave his nephew the
money that he might fight any assertion
of claim by Nine. Guillemin He explained
that he had already provided for Nine.
Guillernin, and admonished his nephew Ito
fight with the last dollar any effort on
her part to obtain more.
One of the letters submitted yesterday
to show that Hart still considered Amer
lea his home was written to Henry 6.
Cornell, of the United States Trust Com
pany The letter was dated in 1901
I'VE Americans" he wrote. are glad
that the deathkneIl of Organism has been
sounded
To Miss Ida Brown, a governess, Hart
wrote that he had been a fool. He said
about Nine. Guillenain:
LAS for Belle, I think you are right. I
regret the venture"
He referred to his daughters conduct
as .'ignominious. and said she was I'M
grateful Another time he referred to Nine.
de Bic to whom he left his Paris house
and an income of $1,000 a year as "a
worthy woman
Nine. Guillenlin is trying to prove that
Nine de Bic, who is now the wife of
Louis Forest, a French playwright, had
an extraordinary influence over Hart. 4
letter from Hart to Mrs. George Law was
also referred to
One of the dispositions was that of Albert
Geiger, q former intimate friend of Hart.
who testified that Hart was intensely
American, belonged to the American Club
in Paris, and that when the Spanish-Arer-
lean War broke out Hart was outspolen
in his patriotism that he feared he would,
as Hart expressed it, have to go home to
America. because he would find it difficult
to live in France"
In another part Of the deposition Geiger
says:
Maitre Edouard C1unet, president of the
International Institute of Law. who has
been brought from Paris by the executor
TO testify as to the French law regarding
adoptions, said yesterday on the stand that
Harts adoption of Nine Guillemin was not
in conformity with the French law. which
does not permit the adoption OF minors
He also pronounced as valid the trust pro-
vision made in Hart's will in favor Of
Nine. de Bic.
The case will probably be finished to-day