The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-03-02
Caroline Durkee Leaves Els
tate to Charity and for
Promotion Of Education
CLAIM TO RACINE COLLEGE
St. Luke's Hospital in Chicago to Re-
ceive Endowment of $4,000 and Re
mainder of the Estate is Left to Ra-
cine Trustees.

Judge E. B. Belden, one of the trus-
tees of Racine College fled a petition
IN the County court today asking for
the probate of the will of the late Car
oline Durkee widow of former Senator
Charles Durkee. The petition is made
by Judge Belden as a trustees of the
college on account of the fact that Ra-
cine college is named as the principal
beneficiary under the will. The petit
ton places the value of the estate at
$4,000 of which $1,000 is in Govern
ment bonds and the remainder the real
estate of the deceased on Park avenue.
The will was made in Dee, 1887 and
James Il. Doolittle, Jr, formerly a
trustee Of Racine College and n. K.
Fairbank of Chicago both Of whom are
deceased are named as executors of the
will.
The will provides that the entire
estate shall go to charity and for the
advancement of education. st. Lukes
hospital of Chicago is given a bequest
in the sum of $4,000 with the under
standing that this sum is to be used
for the endowment of a bed in the hos
pital to be known as the "Caroline
Durkee Endowment Bed The will
directs that the remainder of the estate
be converted into money as soon as
possible and turned over to the trus-
tees of Racine college to be used for
the support of an endowed chair of
chemistry and other natural sciences
in the college the fund to be known as
FThe Caroline Durkee Endowment of
a Chair of Chemistry in Racine Col
Iege"
AS the will was made more than
twenty five years ago it is thought
that all of the witnesses as well as the
executors of the will are dead and it
may be impossible to prove their sig
natures as witnesses.
The sole heir to the estate of Mrs
Durkee is sister, Mrs. Angelina Walk
er of New York and it has been stated
that she will contest the probate of the
will by which the property is to be
turned over to the institutions in Chi
cago and Racine Mrs. Walker was
here to attend the funeral of her sis
ter and it was stated that her attor-
neys would come to Kenosha later to
look into the matter. Mrs. Durkee
had been in an asylum at one time but
James Cavanagh who is attorney for
the will declares that he believes that
Mrs. Durkee was in possession of all
of her senses at the time the will was
drawn. Old residents of the city know
that it had long been her intention to
leave her property as an endowment
for Racine College and to provide a
small endowment for st. Lukes hospit-
al in which she had taken very active
interest.
The will made no mention of the
famous Durkee claim against the Unit
ed States government more than to
provide that all property "of any ma
ture" be turned over to the trustees
Of the college and this clause will of
course include any property of the
estate that can not be listed In the
ganeral inventory. Already attorneys
ara seeking to have the old claim re-
opened. One thing is certain and that
is that should the claim against the
government ever be sustained Racine
college will have the greatest en1ow
ment of any college in the country and
in the world. It is not probable how
ever, that the trustees of the college
will expend any large amount in urg-
ing the claim for the collection of the
alleged bonds.
The admission of the will to probate
and the future developments will be
watched with interest by people in Ra-
cine and Kenosha.