The evening world., 1911-12-07
DEALER
KEEPS SHOP WIFE
= W|LLED away
Surrogate Refuses Will Giving
Little French Store" to
Business Rival.
DYING, CHANGES MIND.
Mrs. Sandberg Unduly inhu-
enced by "Louis XIV. Store"
J. Clerk, Official Thinks.
DYING, CHANGES MIND.

IN refusing to admit to probate. to-
day. the will OF Mrs. Francine Fran.
coiss Sanders, who, with her husband.
conducted the antique shop known a.
the Little French Store" Surrogate
Fowler denounced a lawyer, whom he
does not name. two witnesses and a
young man in whose favor the will was
MADE. as guilty OF improperly. injus-
tice and lack Of circumspection."
The Surrogate's decision unfolds a
strange story Of the rupture In the at
fsctaon OF the ~Sandbergs. who had pre-
viously made mutual Wills, each making
the other the beneficiary. Some time
before Mrs. ~Sandberg's illness, from
which she died In St. Vincent's Hos
pital, her husband made her equal
partner In their business. for no con-
sheraton other than love and affection.
Then each drew a will in the others
favor. This was done. according to the
husband. to protect them against the
entertainments OF a rival concern
known as the Louis XIV. Store"
The store was used as a sleeping
place and contained a bed behind n
! stIliptIk ptNdlIlt teTl-
ously III in February, 1911, and was
taken to the French Hospital. Later
she was moved to st. Vincent's. Here
she became dellrious and then comatose.
The day Mrs. Sandberg died. the Sec
ond will. revoking the first in her nus
bands favor. was made. making a
young clerk 1 nthe Louis XIV. Store
her heir. This bequest achieved the
very the Surrogate points out,
that husband and wife had sought to
defeat when they drew up their mutual
wills. in that 1t enabled the rival shop
to become half owner or at least inter-
ested in the Little French Shop"
It was the scene of the execution Of
the will which provoked the ~Surrogate's
displeasure. One Of the attesting wit
nesses was a tranger to Mrs. Sand
berg until the very moment of the ex-
ecution of the will. while the other wit
moss was the lawyer who drafted the
document. Her husband was not
present.
THE lawyer . also a stranger"
says the Surrogate. and was called to
the testatrix on March %. 1911. as she
was mortaliy Ill and really dying. who
summoned the lawyer is not disclosed.
He himself could not tell who had sum-
moned him to Mrs. Sandberg's bedside.
This lawyer, It appears, picked up the
other witnesses, on the way to the hos
pital."
The young nan she made her heir,
the Surrogate says. visited Mrs. Sand
berg occasionally at the French Hos
pital. where the husband also brough.
her delicacies on visiting days. In these
visits the young nan avoided Mr..
%Sandberg. Later when Sandberg's
close attention to business caused him
to neglect his wife somewhat, and she
was removed to st. Vincent's Hospital.
the young mans visits became fire.
auent. He called with his sister and
a fellow clerk IT times.
One Of the witnesses at the inquiry
told the Surrogate the young clerk and
his sister had visited Mrs. Sandberg In
response to a request OF the clerks en-
ployer in the Louis XIV. Store" The
employer. a Mr.. Miller. asserted Sand
berr had asked him to send his help
around to cheer up Mrs. ~Sandberg. II
was during these visits, the Surrogate
holds. that Mrs. ~Sandberg's mind was
nodsoned against her husband in favor
Of the young clerk.
The mutual will made with her hus-
hand was filed for probate first. The
will In favor of the clerk was filed In
opposition. The S~urrogate's decision re-
.tored the business to the husband.