Yellowstone monitor. [volume] (Glendive, Mont.) 1905-1928, 1911-02-09
IN WILLS.
Two Famous Lawyers Whose
Testaments Were Defective.
TILDEN's CURIOUS BLUNDER.


validated His Charitable Trust Be-
quest-President Folks Will, Writ
ten by Himself, NuIIified.
Whether the old saying that ga law
yer who tries his own case has d fool
for client is applicable to Samuel
J. Tflden in the matter Of drawing his
will is not known. It was thought for
some time that the will was drawn, or
at least approved, by Charles O'Conor
and James G. Carter, two of the most
eminent lawyers in New York, but
later statements, says Case and Com
ment, are to the effect that they had
nothing at all to do with the will, and
consequently it is not definitely known
who was responsible for it.
1t would hardly seem possible that
Mr. Tiiden himself could have made
such mistake had he been acting for
some one else. The statement has
been made that Mr.. Tilden had some
doubts as to the validity of those
clauses which the court subsequently
condemned and had spoken to Mr..
Carter about it, but nothing more
came of it.
In summing up the provisions Of the
Tilden will the court in holding it in
valid stated that the testator in sub
stance said: IT have determined to de
vote my estate to charitable, educa
tional and scientific purposes. / have
formed no detailed plan how that pur
pose can be executed, but under the
law of New York it must be done
through and by means Of corpora
ton I request you to cause to be in
corporated an institution to be called
the 'Tilden trust with capacity 70
maintain a free library and reading
room in the city Of New York, and
such other educational and scientific
objects as you shall designate. and il
you deem it expedient-thatf is, II you
think It advisable and the fit and prop
er thing to do--convey to that fnstitu-
ton all or such part Of nay residuarg
estate as you choose. and ii you do
not think that course advisable then
apply It to such charitable, education
al and scientific purposes as in your
Judgment will most substantially ben
eft mankind"
IT will be noted that the discretion of
the trustees was indefinite both as
to the amount which they were to give
to the corporation to be formed and
also as to whether they should give
any at all to the Incorporation, and the
validity of the bequest was denied
upon the ground of this complete dis
cretionary power to convey or not to
convey to the suggested beneficiary.
The trustees procured tho incorpora-
ton of the '.Tilden trust and elect
ed to convey to it the entire property,
but the court held that the invalidity
of the charitable trust because Of its
uncertainty could not be cured by any
thing done by the trustees to execute
it.
In striking contrast with the Tilden
will is that of his contemporary in
law and politics, Roscoe Conklng,
the text Of which is as follows. II
Roscoe Conkling Of Utica, make, pub
fish and declare my last will and testa-
meGt as follows: I give. devise and
bequeath to my wife Julia and to her
heirs and assigns forever all my prop
erty and estate, whether real or mixed,
and | constitute and appoint my said
wife sole executrix Of this my last
WILL It would undoubtedly take q
better lawyer than even Mr. Conkling
to break his will
In passing upon the validity Of the
will of President James *. Polk a
Tennessee court OF chancery said:
This will was written by the testator
with his own hand in the executive
mansion at Washington at a time
when he was president of the United
States. He was a lawyer Of recog-
nfzed ability, had filled many high pub
lie offices with distinction and reflect
ed great honor upon his state His
and a senator in congress and named
as executor one Of the justices Of the
supreme court Of the United States.
It comes to us with the impression Of
having been carefully thought out be-
fore 1t was formally put down and
published as his last testament"
Among other provisions his home,
known as Polk Place, situated in the
city Of Nashville, was given to his
wife for life, and upon her death It
was bequeathed to the state Of Ten
nessee in trust to be occupied and en-
joyed by such one Of my blood rela-
tives having the name Of Polk as may
by designated by the said state and
IL there were no blood relatives OF
that name then "by such other Of my
blood relations as may be designated
by the said state to execute this trust
z'he occupant was to keep tie same
In repair and prevent It from dilapf-
dating or falling into decay, to pay
the taxes and to preserve and keep in
repair ..the tomb which may be placed
or erected over the mortal remains OF
NV beloved wife and myself and shall