The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-03-22
LEFT EVERY PENNY
TO CLERGYMAN
And Now Relatives of Caroline Sherman
of Richmond Are Trying To Break Her
Will by Which Rev. Alonzo
Chase Is Legatee.

Burlington, March PA will contes
of considerable interest was started il
county court yesterday before a jury
The will is that of the late .Carolh,
Sherman of Richmond, and it is claimed
by the contestants that sum of be-
tween $4,000 and $50 900 is involved
The contest is brought by relatives ot
Mrs. Sherman and the proponent is the
Rev. Alonzo Chase, retired Universalist
minister, who was Mrs. Sherman's
agent and man Of business for number
OF years prior to. her death. Mr.. Chase
Ii represented by i. +. Wilbur Of 9eri.
eho, Elihu b. Taft Of this city and Roger
W. Hulburd OF Hyde Park. while v. A.
Rullard and NJ. g. Leary appear for the
contestants.
! The case promises some sensational
features before it is completed, and the
! testimony yesterday was marked with
constant clashes between Mr.. BullaId
and Mr.. Hulburd. Most of the time was
occupied by the proponents in giving
evidence tending to establish the will.
The witnesses were Alfred T. Williams
of Bennington, w. S. Walker of Rich
mond and Dir. John Judkins of North
field.
Mrs. Sherman originally lived in Hunt.
ington but went to Richmond to reside
some 10 or II years ago She was q
woman nearly 70years Of age and, ac-
cordng to the contestants, had amassed
tidy fortune at the time of her death.
This all went to Mr.. Chase, and several
nephews and niece were not remem-
bered in the will. The contestants seek
to break the will, charging that undue
and improper influence was brought TO
bear on Mrs. Sherman when the will was
made. They claiaa that Mrs. Sherman
was under the power of Mr.. Chase when
she made the will and that he remained
with her almost constantly for many
months prior to the time the document
was drawn up, in spite of the fact that
he had a wife and family living nearby
in the village. The principal contest
ant is nephew, +. II. Higley of Hunt
ington, and there is long list of others.
One of the principal witnesses yester
day was DR.. Judkins of Northfield who
testified that he had often talked with
Mrs sherman during his visits to Rich-
mond, where he went to consult with
Mr. Chase on business connected with an
insurance company The witness said he
always found Mr.. Chase at the Sherman
house and always went there to talk bus
mess with him, generally in the evening |
between trains.
Dr. Judkns testified that he had never
had any reason to suppose that Mrs. |
Sherman was not sane, as he had found I
her to be well informed on current topics 4
Of the day. She told him at one time, /
he said, that she owed Mr.. Chase a great /
leal and that he had been very kind to
her. The witness said he had seen Mr..
Chase. shoveling snow, carrying wood,
setting the table, going for Mrs. Sher-
mans mail, etc. and always found him
Il the Sherman home whenever he went
q Richmond. The witness said in re-
,ly to a question by Mr.. Bullard that he
lid not regard il strange thing for
woman TO give man so much money
or doing the small things that had been
The witness said he had never heard
hat Mr.. Chase often spent the night at
he Sherman home performing duties y
hat should have been performed by I
urse but that II Mr.. Chase had done Z
o and Mrs. Sherman had allowed It. it 4
aight make some difference in his opin-
IN as 10 whether the woman was sane. {
)r. Judkins said he had never heard Of {
he woman placing any OF her money n I
he company that he and Mr.. Chase rep :
esented. but that IL she had lit would ="
ave been perfectly safe The witness c
Omitted under sharp cross-examination G
Y Mr.. Bullard that IL he were to give
j. best judgment as a physician as to b
neither Mrs. sherman we're sane. he n
light wish TO Know more about her =
STORY and physical condition than he q
al known. q
II is claimed by the attorneys for the 4
sntestants that the viii which Mns. 2
herman signed was drawn up By Mr.. a
hase and copied BY Mrs Sherman. Il a
Il every penny Of the estate to Mr.. =
hase. and the document. according - "a
u. Ballard. j. draRu up in perfect legal u
.rn and uurdcd in such manner - to a
-eclude any possibility that Mrs. Sber- iE
an could have executed i herself. g