The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-03-06
SENSATIONAL
WILL CONTEST
Legal Heirs Not Satisfied With
Way Henry J. Biclnell Dis
posed of Estate
CLAIM RESIDUARY
LEGACY is $50, 900
1t Is Alleged in Complaint That
George S. Rankin, Residuary
Legatee, Acted With Fraudu-
lent Intent

Sensational in the extreme are some
of the allegations in complaint MEG
Saturday, March 2, in the office OF the
county clerk in an action IN superior
court contesting the further execution
of the purported last will of the late
Henry ]. Bicknell, the petitioning that
it be set aside on the ground that the
signature thereto was obtained fraud
ulently, and through coercion ana
cajolery.
The title of the case is Henry M.
Rickner. Cora r.. Bicknell Andrew
RAYMOND Bicknell, Clarence Belford
Ricknell, and Cora E. Bicknell as
guardian of Andrew Raymond Bick-
nell. minors; versus George $. Rankin,
the Yakima trust company, q corpor-
alton, the First Christian Church Of
North Yakima a corporation, and T..
j. Flint. A. p. Howick and X. u
Bacon. it's trustees; North Yakima Be-
neyolent and Protective Order of Elks,
No. 31S, corporation and Frank
Bond L. O. Janeck and Dan Reilly
trustees thereof; ldella Heskett ana
BESSIE Bicknell.
So far as could be learned Saturday
this is the first time in the history or
Yakima county that an effort has
been made through the courts to con-
test a will. One action of the kind
went so far as to have the fees paid
for the filing of the complaint, but it
got no further.
The subject of litigation in this
case is the purported last will of
Henry j. Bicknell, who died in North
Yakima January IA, 1911. That docu-
ment signed June 2, 1895, with the
Yakima Trust company named as exc
cutor was filed for probate March
3. 1911, and on March 10 following
letters testamentary as executor of
said will were granted.
Bulk of Estate to Strangers
According to the paper filed as the
will the following requests were made:
stephen Kidder Bicknell, $50 per
month during his lifetime: Cora A.
Bicknell, $1,000; Henry NJ Bicknell,
$4,000 upon reaching 80 years of age
providing he had not died, or had
deserted or abandoned his wife and
child or children, and in such case he
was to forfeit all, and it was to go to
his present (then) wife; Mrs. Chas
Scott. $500; Tdela Heskett, $500; Be
nevolent and Protective Order of Elks
of North Yakima, No. 31S, $4,000;
First Christian Church of North Yaki-
ma, $4,000. George S. Rankin was
named as residuary legatee.
The executor was instructed to sell
all the different kinds of property of
the estate and reduce them to cash as
quickly as possible without sacrifice of
values but at least within three years
after the death of the testator.
Sensational Allegations
Following is the gist of some of the
sensational allegations contained in
the complaint: That when the pur-
ported will was signed by Henry =
Ricknell he was not of sound mind
and memory, not of a disposing mem
CRY, not competent mentally. and was
ircapacitated; that in making said
purported will the testator was under
restraint and undue influence of divers
persons, and particularly of George S
Rankin, the chief beneficiary, who
coerced. coaxed and caioled him to
make said will. particularly on be-
half of the said George S. Rankin. the
First Christian church and the Be-
nevolent and Protective order of Blks.
1t is alleged that George s. Rankin
planned for many years prior to the
making of said purported will to OBJ
tain the property Of said Henry ]
BickneH acquiring great influence
over said Bicknell, and had said in
fiuence at the time said Bicknell exc
cuted said will, acted as his conf
dental adviser in business affairs. and
was a partner in many of his business
dealings; that he represented to said
Bicknell that the property of the
testator was worth but little, that he
must practice rigid economy, that the
estate was of little value, with the
fraudulent intent Of causing testator,
by concealing the real value of the
residuary legacy to cut down the
legacies of his relatives. and that from
these statements the testator did be-
lieVe that the estate was of but little
value, and that the residuary legacy
would amount to but a few hundred
dollars.
Alleged Facts
IT is alleged in the complaint that
the value of the estate is approximate
~ $4,000, of which amount George
S. Rankin as residuary legatee under
the will would receive about $4,000
stephen Kidder Bicknell was a
brother of the testator, and died Jan
uary 81, 1903, consequently received
no legacy.
The four plaintiffs first named II
the title of the case are children OF
Stephen Kidder Bicknell, and, conse-
quently, are nephews and niece of the
testator and are aged %, %, 20 ano
16 years, respectively.
That the legacy to the First Christ
ian church has lapsed, for the reason
that said corporation has finished the
construction of the building for which
the So, 900 was to have been used. and
Is not now and does not contemplate
the building of another edifice.
That the legacy TO the Elks has
lapsed for the same reason as has the
legacy to the First Christian church
What tI.a Plaintiffs Mani