Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-28
WILL IS PROVED IA E,
AND WOMAN GOES TO JAIL.
Six Months for Attempt 70 Secure
Property by Fraud.
WITNESSES MAKE CONFESSION
They Admit Having Signed Paper
After Death of TcstatOr, Not
Knowing Import of What They
Did-Suit Quickly Withdrawn.


WINCHESTER, VA, October e.
Events of an intensely dramatic char
acter developed rapidly Ia tho Corpo-
ration and Police Court to-day. when.
in the former court. the case Of Mrs.
Emma g. Anderson against the heirs
atlaw of her aunt. the late Mrs. Lucy
Barrett. was called before Judge
Thomas w Harrison and Il jury. II re-
suited In Mrs. Anderson being sent TO
Jail
The case involved validity or a will
alleged 10 have been made by Mrs. Bar
rett In favor of Mrs. Anderson. in which
the latter was left a valuable brick
hous" and contents. The Will in favor
Of Mrs. Anderson. with ,wo other
alleged Wills OF Mrs. Barrett was
offered for probate several months ago,
hut none was admitted at the lime
the will in favor of Mrs Anderson was
offered the two subscribing witnesses,
Mrs. Margaret Grant and Miss ML"SS
StroSnyder. yong women Of this city.
swo-e under oath before Judge HART
son that they were witnesses to the in
strument.
Mrs Barrett was known TO have been
n woman of marked cccentricites. ami
Judge Harrison concluded TO leave the
| matter to jury. Subsequently, Mrs.
Anderson employed Attorneys James p.
Reardon and Harry r. Kern to repre-
| sent her in a suit to have the allcg cd
| son testified, was dictated TO her by
| Mrs Barrett and signed by the latter.
4 jury had been selected and tic stage
| was set for the trial to-day Last
night, however. Mrs. Grant, fearful and
! with shaken nerves. confessed to Mr..
| Reardon that II was after the death
! OF Mrs Barrett that she had signed rs
| a witness the will which left tho prop-
| erty to Mrs. Anderson. Miss Strosay
J der to-day made a similar confession
| both declaring they were not aware Of
! the import OF what they did. Messrs
! Reardon and Kern notified Judge iar-
/ rison and Il. Gray Williams. counsel
| for the heirs-at-law. OF the confessions
made by the alleged witnesses. and
! withdrew from the case.
! There was rapid shifting OF the
scene. Mrs. Anderson. instead of be-
| ing a complainant before the court To
! have her rights established. was
| charged with subornation OF perjury
and Mr.. Reardon. crStwhilc attorncy
! for Mrs Anderson, assumed his official
! role as prosecuting attorney and scath
! ingly arraigned her in Police Court
/ She entered a plea OF guilty and Mag
/ istratc Krebs sentenced her to six
/ months in jail.
! ATTORNEY RESENTS
HAVING BEEN DUPEE
! Mrs. Anderson exhibited marked dis
! trcss when sentence was pronounced
Hnc ueC!aEcu lUtt Iet nciIln was very
! poor and that she would die II sent I,
! Jail She wept bitterly after sentence
| had been pronounced. In an impas
| stoned plea Attorney Reardoh Lcc!arcC
that he and Mr.. Kern had been dupct
and made "scapegoats' by Mrs. Amber
son. and that the young women were
also her dupes. II have no sympat tn,
for her." he declared. and demand
and insist that she be adequately pun
ished for her offenSc."
Mr.. Reardon showed grca: dctcrmi
nation in the stand he took aGaips
! Mrs. Anderson.
In the Corporation Court the Ander
| son suit was dismissed. Judge Harri
son told the jury she had deceived he
attorneys. DIR. William =. Mcclure
who was Mrs. Barrctts physician 70
several years. had already testified tina
he was satisfied her mind WAS so i'm
paired that she was unable TO make Al
intelligent disposition of her property
Mrs. Barrett lived alone many years
! She was found dead on July 10 last il
hcr home by a neighhor, who by cNanc
saw her lying on the floor. Death wa
due TO weakness OF tie heart