Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-04-23
ATTORNEY ACCUSED
OF CONCEALTNG WILL
Woman Says Man Calling Him
self J ohm G.. Johnson'S
Nephew Has Held Up $1,000
Bequest.

\ deathbed scene in which woman
willed TO a faithful nurse $1,000 as a re-
ward for her services was rehearsed to-
day in the court room of Magistrate
Rooney.
At the conclusion of tho hearing, John
c. johnson, Jr.. an attorney, was held
under 800 bail for court, upon charges
made by Mary J. Carroll, of 1921 German
town avenue. a nurse for generation in
the home of Emma Bickings, member OF
an old Germantown family.
The frail, little woman accused the
lawyer of failure to answer n citation is
sued by the Register of Wills in Novem-
Der, 1914, requiring him to produce a will
in which $1,000 was loft to her by Miss
Bickings. She tearfully explained that
her pay had always been scanty and once
when her mistress was IN financial diff
Guilty she Withdrew her own savings from
the bank that the patients last days
might be comfortable, For three years
prior to the woman's death, she received
no wages.
Miss Carroll declares that the defend
ant is a nephew of John G.. johnson, the
denies that he has ever seen the accused
man.
Johnson. Jr.. was brought to the MaGs-
trates office on SAMSON street above
18th. in the custody of Detectives Ayres
and Walters. on the way to the court,
according to the detectives, he admitted
that he had once held the WILL but that
he lost the document. In his pockets.
when he was arrested, his Captors found
M ha toll ~
police. he intended to use to "tIe up
books"
Miss Carroll, So nervous that she
could scarcely testify, said that she was
in the sick room of her old mistress
when the will was drafted. She heard
the testament read and knew that $1,000
had been devised to her for her faithful
services. She said that the defendant
disappeared with the will. and when she
pleaded that he surrender II on various
occasions he only gave me promises"
Subsequently DR.. John McCloskey
whom she named as one of the witnesses
of the will consulted C, Stuart Patter-
son, Jr, an attorney. The latter urged
her to have Johnson arrested, but she was
unwilling to take such actions because
she believed that some day johnson
would keep his word and enable her to
collect the $1,000.
The other witness to the will, accord
Ing to the plaintiff, was the Rev, Father
Charles McAVOy. The dying woman. she
said, would not sign the will until she
saw her nurse In the room. When the
instrument had been witnessed, johnson
signed IL as the attorney. He went to
the dining room" she said put 1t in his
pocket and then disappeared"
The decedent owned house in Chest
nut Hill worth $500 She had other prop
erty, but the exact value of the estate
has not been determined. NJ. b, Elwert,
counsel for the plaintiff, showed that pro-
ceedings involving the probate of the will
had been instituted ten years ago He
also showed that about a year ago the
accused member OF the bar had been
produce the testament
Robert II. Irwin, messenger in the Of
fce of the Register of Wills was one of
several witnesses. He testified to the de-
livery of the citation papers There was
dispute in the court concern
ing the time OF Miss Bicking's death,
The court room was crowded several
hours before the hearing was begun
Counsel for the defense asked that il be
but later withdrew his petit
ton.