The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1913-10-30
SOME QUEER LEGACIES.
Strange Bequests Made to Expectant
Relatives by Various Americans.

When they opened the will of
Miss Mathilda Tommet in Milwaukee
the other day they found that one
of her bequests was a pair of Old
shoestrings given to a woman rela-
tive with whom she had been on
friendly terms for many years. There
did not appear to be any sarcasm or
i'll feeling connected with the legacy,
says the New York Sun, and judged
bv the common sense way in which
the remainder of her property was
bestowed, there did not seem to be
ground for the suspicion that the
decedent was not in her right mind.
The cases are numberless in which
odd things have been bequeathed,
and countless have been the con-
tests to break wills that contain pro-
visions along lines similar to that OF
Miss Tommet's will. In New Orleans
there died not long ago wealthy
old man noted for his shrewdness in
business deals. One of the bequests
of his very long will was hair
brush he had used for many years.
This brush he gave to nephew,
Samuel Thompson Finnerty-Who
had been named after the old man
with the proviso, however, that the
brush should be kept in the Finnerty
family vault one month out of twelve,
and in a mahogany box containing
an electrical belt that the decedent
had worn for many years. The &C
ceptance of the brush, conditional on
carving out the old mans wishes,
meant that he nephew was to inherit
and enjoy tWo-thirds of the estate.
The rest of the will was sound and
tight in every respect, according to
the lawyers.
Margaret Ann Eppting, of San
Francisco, left $4,000 each to ten of
her nephews about six years ago, but
this was the condition.: Her tomb
stone was to be replaced every two
years with a new one, on which each
nephew in turn should cause to be
chiselled an appropriate verse setting
forth his love and affection. AS the
bequests were in the shape of annul-
ties from bulk fund, the nepheWs,
in order to draw upon the fund for
their income, had to comply with the
demands of the decedent.
One nephew sued and was beaten.
Although under the terms of the will
he was to forfeit his share for con-
testing, the will was so construed and
interpreted that he still received his
annuity, but subject to the new tomb
stone conditions.
Jabez Hollister, of Montreal, left
his two sons the use of corn razor
that he-a cutler-had specially
ground and fixed up for chiropodic
use. For the sake of their health
and the risk they ran from blood
poisoning if other corn cutters were
used" the sons were admonished to
use no other cutter, and a cash
amount was to be forfeited if they
disobeyed. One son, after he had
recovered from the shock of his faith
er's death, laughingly told his law
yers that he had never had corn in
his life. But the lawyers insisted
that his father was likely to have
known whether he had or not.
A Louisville widow found that
when her husbands will was opened
he had bequeather her his bath robe.
And there were the words that went
with the bequest: 'Inasmuch as she
has deprived me so often of the COM
| fort and convenience of the garment
that was bought for my own personal
use, by wearing the aforesaid bath
robe at times when l desired and
| needed it most, bequeath it to her,
with all my love and hope she will
ever find it the same tried and faith
full servitor, even though Providence
| should bless her with another hus-
band who may have bath robe to
spare" The decedent was called the
Mark Twain of his neighborhood in
Louisville.
There is one actual case on record
of a bequest of artificial teeth. But
as it was so long ago, the legal
chronicles think the decedent had in
mind the sale of the teeth to the den
lists of the time so that cash might
be realized. Many cases are narrated
| of women bequeathing their hair to
their heirs to be converted into mon
ey.