Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-28
GHOST BOBs
Up IN FORT
WILL SUIT
Miss Lizzie Carroll Is Subjected
to Rigid Cross-examina-
ton by Lawyers.

CHATTANOOGA, Jan. e7.-The
ghost of Colonel Tomlinson Fort
chided her for not carrying out the
wishes that he in life had expressed
to her, according to statement
which attorneys for the Fort heirs to-
day sought TO have Miss Lizzie H.
Carroll admit having made, follow
ing her action in relinquishing to the
heirs part Of the property left by
Colonel Fort.\ This effort came in
cross examinatoh of Miss Carrolrs
deposition in tho suit over the $780,
900 estate of the eccentric Chattanoo-
ga lawyer. native of Georgia and
brother in-law of the late julius
Brown, of Atlanta.
Miss Carroll would not admit out
right that she made this statement,
but declared that she might have
dreamed something like that"
Sought Atlanta Stenographer.
Miss Carroll testified on cross-ex-
animation of having made several
trips to Atlanta to find the stenogra-
pher who wrote the deed OF gift by
which Colonel Fort is alleged to have
given her. his confidential secretary
and stenographer for twenty years,
in the absence of any paper to show
that II was intended for her, she hat
turned over to an administrator fo'
the benefit of the heirs at-law. She
denied having importuned Colonel
Fort to prepare papers showing that
the property was intended for her, but
said she had told him that he ought
to set down what he Intended to do.
After his death. she said she thought
the property belonged to her, but
in the absence of paper giving her
all of II, she decided to turn part of
it over to his heirs. Then the deed OF
gift. alleged to have been prepared
in Atlanta, together with an anony-
nous letter explaining it. turned up
and she proceeded to set aside her
previous action in relinquishing a
part Oh tHe property'
4 Witnesses Tell of Habits.
Many witnesses for Miss Carroll.
who knew Colonel Tomlinson init
mately for many years and had oc-
casion 20 observe his personal and
professional habits. were heard in
dispositions by Chancellor Mcconnell
to-day. The testimony all went to
show that the eccentric Georgian in
writing the alleged deed OF gift in
Atlanta was fulfilling purposes he
had often expressed to friends here
that since Miss Carroll had been his
faithful servant for many years he
intended to provide well for her.
II feel that / won't be here long"
the testimony showed he had said to
a friend here shortly before making
his last trip to Atlanta, and IL
should die without making provision
for Miss Carroll, she would find il
hard, at her age, to make a living"
The hearing closed for the day no
nearer solution of the mystery in
which the whole transaction has been
clothed-tne mystery Of who seereted
the last will, If it is genuine, and for
what purpose it was withheld until
after Miss Carroll, by an agreed de-
cree. had given up the bulk of the
fortune 10 an administrator for the
use of Colonel Forts heirs.
Suit Reopens Unexpectedly.
The suit for possession of the Fort
estate was reopened Unexpectedly this
week by an order from the Chan
cellor and probably will require all
of this week and next to finish
Immediately after Colonel Forts
death in December, 1910, the woman
who had been closest to him for
many years produced an alleged au-
tograph document giving her much of
Colonel Forts property outright, as
well as other property which she
formerly told the court was to be kljt
in trust for the heirs of Colonel Forts