Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-17

(eA14 tNe4ytpIf OF new f7otik ana rom
fret, Seeks to Break Win Leaving
Bulk Of Estate to seabury Doane
Brewer. Of Lake George N. ~
Fifty-one Love Letters as Evidences.
Sitting in the superior court room
here, Tuesday, Judge Charles o.
thompson Of the probate court of
Pomfrets with Judge Sabin S. Russell
/ Of the probate court of Killingly as
associate, opened the hearing of the
case IN which the attorneys for Miss
Mary g. Naylor, now abroad, are en-
deavoring to have set aside the viii
Of her mother, Mrs. Sarah Duncan
Mayor, formerly of New York and
Pomfret Center. Mrs NayIOr who
died in Springfield Feb. is, 1916. left
her estate Of SOL, 600 to Seabury Doane
Brewer of Lake George, N. Y, and
made him her sole executor without
bonds. this to show her trust in him,
the viii sets forth. At Brewers DEATH
should Miss Nay1or be living, the es-
tate is to revert to the daughter.
The attorneys for Miss Naylor, who
Is contesttng the win, are Evarts,
Choate and Sherman OF New York
and Searls and Russell of this city.
Attorney J. f. Carpenter is counsel
i for Mr.. Brewer.
The attorneys for Miss NayIor are
seeking to show that airs. Naylor was
1 subjected to undue influence in max
I Il
/ Sherbrookes Caanda, in favor Of Mr..
Brewer and that at the time she was
of unsound mind and incapable Of
properly directing the disposition of
her property.
Three Other Wills as Evidence.
In addition to the viii giving the
property to Brewer, three other wills
OF Mrs. MAYORS were laid in Tuesday
/ morning as exhibits, one of these dated
/
1908. and still another dated at Di-
nant, France. August 20, 1913. In each
1 of these three wills the testatrix gives
absolutely and in fee simple, with the
exception of a few 3egacies all Of her
estate to her daughter, Miss Mary G.
Naylor, whom she was described by
j several witnesses as loving more dear
~ than anyone else in the world and
whom she (Mrs. Naylor) to members
| of her family, counsel and friends al
ways talked of as a brilliant and &C
Icomphshed young woman and for
4 whom she ever expressed in strongest
terms her devotion and love.
Was at DR.. Givens'.
In their endeavor to establish that
j Mrs. Naylor at the time of making
her will of last fall in which she left
her property to Brewer was of IN
sound mind, counsel for Miss Naylor
introduced as a witness DR.. Esther
/ ~,
who is first assistant at DIR. Givens'
San1tar1um for the treatment of ner-
i vous and mental diseases, at Stamford
Conn. DR.. Stevenson testified that
when Mrs. Naylor came ef1ere for
treatment, December s. 1914, she was
addicted to the morphine in doses ag-
greSating II grains daily and that she
was in the habit of drinking an ounce
and a half of whiskey before each
meal and at bedtime. DR.. Stevenson
IA rat HI
gradually reduced during Mrs Nay
lor's course of treatment, but the pa
t1ent made it known that she did not
want her regular supply of whiskey
l4cut down..
/ "The Man From Lake George
DR.. Stevenson said that while Mrs.
Naylor was a patient at the sanitar-
tlnum she talked much about herself
and her personal affairs, of her liter
airy attainments and her theatrical
capabilities. She also talked of "af-
falrs that several men had tried to
establish with her during the years
4 following the death of her husband.
George Prentice Nay1or, in july. 1907
Among other men who figured in these
affa1rS was one Mrs. Nay1or refer
red to as the man from Lake George.
he had not seen her since the days
when they were both young and DR..
Stevenson told of Mrs Navlor men
tioning that she had received a letter
from him in which she found herself
described as being remembered as a
golden haired. young girl. This evil
IDENTIFY referred to a sister of Mrs Nav
lors who had golden hair, but, DR..
Stevenson said, Mrs. sNaylor overlooked
the fact, got some peroxide and used
It to change the shade of her dark
tresses to a blondish hue
Fifty-cne Love Letters From Reno.
At the opening of the afternoon ses-
/ n fhn ~ til.
given over to the reading of letters
from Mrs. Naylor to her daughter in
France, and 81 feryent letters writ
ten to Mrs. Naylor from Reno, where
MI. Brewer went to get divorce. At
torney John P. Wells of the firm of
Cate, Wells and White of Sherbrooke.
P. O., was recalled to the stand and
asked as to Mrs. MAYORS mental con-
dlt1on at the time, September l. 1915.
when she made the will giving foIIr.
ffths of the income of her property
to Brewer. Mr.. Wells said he consid-
cred Mrs. Naylor mentally capable at
that time of making a will; that he
had no doubt whatever on this point.
Attorney Charles Dickinson White,
Mr.. Wells partner, made a. like asser-
ton as to Mrs. MAYORS condition
Il when she came to the Office Sept 4 of
last year to have some changes made
in the phraseology of the will He
said he considered her mind clear and
that she discussed various topics with
!. him in a manner to show that She
!. was Of a very high degree of inteIli-
gence and that he had no doubt that
she was mentally capable Mr. White
said that Mr.. Brewer was at his ONCE
with Mrs. Naylor on the occasion of
the September visit
:, Affectionate Letters TO Daughter.
Fourteen letters. written by Mrs
Naylor to her daughter in France were
read at the afternoon session. In these
letters, written mostly during the
spring and summer of 1915, Mrs. Nav
! Tor repeatedly declared her love and
I deep affection for her daughter, told
her as a secret that Mr. Brewer had
J come into her life and that she cared
for him as she had never cared for
any other man and that she was about