The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1914-02-19
TO CONTEST The WILL
or LATE scott HARRIS
ALLEGES HE WAS OF UNSOUND
MIND AND WAS UNDULY
INFLUENCED.

Years Il resident of Mulldr of Mullan,
who died about year ago. is being
contested by his brother, l.. l., Harris,
of Albany, Ore. Mr.. Harris was en-
ga ged in the mercantile business In
Mullan and at the time of his death
still owned extensive property there
and in other towns of the district. as
well as considerable promising mining
property The basis of the contest
was published in the Occur dAlene
Press a few days ago. from which the
following is taken:
Claims He Was of unsound Mind
THAT the late Hugh $, Harris Of
this city. who died February &, 1913,
in a hotel at Spokane from pneumonia.
was Of unsound mind at the time he
executed his last will and testament,
and that he was uuduy influenced In
leaving the whole of his estate to Au-
gusta Morea Harris, minor child.
his wife, are allegations made In petit
ion filed in the probate court by Maud
Holt a niece and an alleged heir-at-
law of the deceased, and his brother,
lc. l.. Harris of Albany, Ore, asking
hat the will he set aside and can
celcd.
"pctitiouerS alleged that at the time
of making the pretended will, and on
hn 11t pI r,r lana t,,-if,
thereto, the tcstator was of unsound
mind and not in possession of his full
mental faculties and did not under
stand or appreciate the amount or the
Talue of his property, or did not I'M
dcrstand or know the names of said
heirs or relatives In support of the
allegation of unsound mentality. petit
tloners state that he had brother and
sister who were insane, and that this
weighed upon the testator's mind, and
possessed him with fear of the same
moadY' and that he was naturally af"
tlicted with the same ailmcnt' That
from the said and other causes. nc
was of unsound mind on April 10
/ 1al2'-thc date the will was executed
Alleges Undue Influence.
| at Is further alleged That a few
years prior to April IL, 1912, Harris
married n woman Of the Christian
Science faith, with which. prior t.
that time. he was not familiar, ant
that she pressed her religion upon hin,
That on the death of his said wife
one +. w. Reed. who Is a member o
the Christian Science church. and VIII
acts in an official capacity therein. an
who is an attorney at law, became TIL
confidential adviser Of Harris; that w.
means and opportunities afforded b.
virtue Of said position and confidential
roa tionishjp, said Reed did introduce
and set about a scheme to ovcrcom
and overpcrsuadc the will and reasol
of Harris, and to cause Harris to dis
pose of his property in a way to con
form to the advices and financial bet
terment and religious preferment
the said Reed; that Harris placed grea
and implicit confidence in said Reed
That others. of said church and or
ganization and belief, whose names ar
not known to petitioners. assisted Rec
in overcoming the mind and will of tn
said Harris and that the said Rec
aud others did ovcrreach and overper
suade and coercc and unduly influcnc
the said Harris
THAT the said Harris. at the tim
of signing the said instrument. did no
know or understand the contents of tn
instrument, but signed solely bocau5
of the direction, Influence and coercion
Of Reed and others. and not in the ex
crrise of his own free will and acts
that the pretended will and provision
thereof were conceived and directed y
The said Reed and others. and not b
Harris, but by Reed in the exercise q
his power and Influence over and up>
the mind Of the said Harris That a
the time Of signing the will, Harrl
was led to believe that a certain in
FAINT and minor mentioned in said pre-