Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-01-27
GHOST B0BS
Up IN FORT
WILL SUIT
Heirs Resist Claim Of Stenogra-
pher to 100000 Estate of
Chattanooga Lawyer.

CHATTANOOGA. Jan. 27.--The
ghost of Colonel Tomlinson Fort
chided her for not carrying out the
wishes that he in life had expressed
to her, according to a statement
which attorneys for the Fort heirs to-
day sought TO have Miss Lizzie H..
Carroll admit having made. follow
ing her action in relfnquishing to the
heirs part of the property left by
Colonel Fort. This effort came In
cross examination of Miss Carrolls
deposition in the 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 Stenoerapher.
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,
the remainder of his property which
in the absence of any paper 10 show
that it was intended for her. she had
turned over to an administrator for
the benefit of the heirs t-law. She
denied having importuned Colonel
Fort to prepare papers showing that
the property was intended for her bat
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 that
in the absence of paper giving her
all of it, 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 relinquishng a
part of the property.
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 kept
in trust for the heirs OF Colonel Forts
brother, John p. Fort, of Mount Airy,
Ga.
Heirs Make Settlement.
After this document was filed in
chancery the heirs, who had been in
clined to scout Miss CAROLS claim
agreed TO compromise by which
the property not given to Miss Car
roll in her own name was placed in
the hands of George Fort Milton
nephew Of Colonel Fort, for admin
istration
Late in 1911, another sensational
and mysterious step was taken when
Colonel Robert Prtchard, Miss Car
rolls attorney, announced that he had
received through the mails an anony-
nous note accompanying what APP
peared to be deed OF gift TO Miss
Carroll Of the property which for
merly she had rellnquished to the
heirs. This deed purported to have
been executed in Atlanta and was
dated November 5. 1910.
The hearing Of this case confined
this morning in the cross examination
OF Miss Carroll who yesterday testi-
fed to her entire connection with
Colonel Fort and his affairs She de-
clared the documents to be genuine
and the language in every respect the
same as Colonel Fort had used TO her
A crowded courtroom expected that
the real character OF the attack hat
IL 10 be made upon Miss Carroll soon
would be revealed.