The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-03-09
WAS
GENEROUS TO
HIS MOTHER
During 40 Years He Bought Her
Three Handkerchief and a
Nickel's Worth of Candy,
Beating Fathers Record
Wants a ConservatOr For WO-
man Who Has Not Been Off
Farm in 20 Years-Nurse a
Dominating Character

William Thorpe, aged 40 years,
single and a life long employee upon
the Thorpe farm-wages $40 a month
| for the past ten years-sole heir to
| 100000 was the principal witness in
| the probate court yesterday afternoon
| at the second hearing upon the ap-
| plication to have Mrs. Mary Summers
| Thorpe adjudged an incompetent per-
son.
! 1t was the first time in 40 years
| that "BilF' Thorpe had openly re-
| belled against his father, a neatly
| dressed old man of seventy, with a
| G. A. r. button in the lapel of his
coat, who sat through the hearing.
| glaring at his son at times and smil-
ing, at others, when his counsel, At
| torney John G. Chamberlain, would
| make "Bill'' think real hard before
answering questions.
In the questioning "Bill' made it
plain that he had brought the suit
| because he had fears that his father
| and because there was another woman
| in the house who, he felt, was re-
ceiving more kindness at the hands of
| his father than his own mother ever
received.
"He brought the wash bench and
| would never do it for mother he de-
clared.
"Bill' also told the court that he
| wanted his mother taken care Of in
| better shape and Attorney ,Chambe
| lain wanted to know why he had not
| provided for her.
81 never had the right" was the
reply:
''All of these years you have never
been stopped from doing for your
,>fI tod ~
| asked Mr.. Chamberlain.
mo, SIR replied Bill.
'fWhy didn't you take some of your
own money and buy something for
your mother"
Il have" replied Bill, whereupon
Mr.. Chamberlain asked him what he
had purchased.
"Bill" thought real hard and when
he had finished naming the articles
Attorney Chamberlain asked "And so
three pocket handkerchief's and
nickel's worth of candy is all that you
have bought for your mother in the
40 years that you have lived home 2"
Eyes, SIR" replied Bill, land that
is more than father ever bought her.
Asked if Sarah Wilson, the nurse
at the house, whom he objects to hay
ing around, did not help his mother,
he replied: "She says to mother
Mary do this and Mary do that-and
keeps mother busy
clothes?'' asked the attorney.
Eyes, but the hired woman ought
to do it, s. i - q
The son, who wants a conservator
placed over his mother, said that he
had fears that his father might get
his mother to affix her name to
deed to the property. He had heard
his father tell E. j. Orion, the real
estate man, that he would take $780,
600 for the farm. He had also seen
A 1inh RI estate
looking over the farm at least seven
or eight times.
wouldn't it be good thing if you
got 100000 for the farm?'' asked Mr..
Chamberlain. You could get an au-
tomobile then"
"Bilr' told the court that he did
not know who would get the mone".
Attorney Chamberlain asked tho
witness If he had ever known any of
the Thorpe family to throw money
away. The witness replied, mo"
Witness said that he did not be-
lieve that his mothers mental cOndi-
ton had ever been right and he felt
sure that if she was capable of pass
ing judgment on the matter that sh
would not want to sell the farm, but
would want to stay there the rest OF
her days.
Mr. Chamberlain asked witness if
it was not true that his mother had
performed farm work while he sat by
the fire.
This made "Bill' quite indignant
and he said that for the many years
his father was in the milk business
that everyone in the house was up at
three o'clock in the morning and that
he and his mother MIXED the cows
and got the peddling wagon ready
while father cooked his own breakfast
and started on the route.
In explaining his mothers charac-
teristics he said that she never had
company except some of the neigh
bors children came in awhile, for she
liked to talk with little girls better
than anyone else. About the only
thing on the farm that she took an
interest in was the chickens, part1cu-
larly the little ones, just Matched. She
had not been off the farm in 20 years
and wore calico wrappers and mems
shoes, both winter and summer.
B. F. Cooney, city hall reporter for
the bridgeport Standard and form |
erly assistant clerk Of the Probate
court testified that he had called at
the Thorpe farm several months ago
in the interest of parties who wanted
to buy the place. He said that he
had talked to the elder Thorpe, but
that he was apparently dominated by |
woman who insisted on doing most |
of the talking.
Judge e. P. Nobbs asked witness
if the woman was in the room and
Mr.. Cooney pointed on Mrs Sarah |
Wilson, he nurse and said she looked |
like the woman. During the converse
ton at the Thorpe house, he said, the |
woman, Sarah Wilson, hushed them |
and went to the door and listened. She |
explained her action by stating that
Mrs Thorpe was peculiar
The woman told him that Mr.. !
Thorpe would sell for $4,000 if $4,000
was paid in cash.
Mr.. Cooney asked Mr.. Thorpe if he !
could not see him alone and talk the !
matter over as the intersections of /
the woman got on his nerves. The |
woman said that it would do him no |
good to see the aged Mr.. Thorpe |
alone. Witness testified that the |
woman impressed him as being desir- |
GUS of seeing Mr.. Thorpe get large |
amount of cash at one time.
Sheriff James f. Beck testified that !
he had resided near the Thorpe place |
for 10 years and had never seen Mrs. |
Thorpe.
Perhaps she has more domesticity |
than most women said Attorney |
Chamberlain, There are probably |
many women at Polls theatre this |
afternoon who would be better off |
on their own premises
The hearing was continued until to-