New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-21
Millionaire's HouSekeper
Asserts Law Clerk Or
dered Them Burned.
LETTERS FROM KIN
THOUGHT DESTROYED
Contestants Believe Missing
Notes Would Refutc Charge lie
Disliked His Relatives.

-Four wicker baskets, orc small
hamper and the others clothes baskets,
were introduced yesterday in the Amos
+. Eno will contest in the Surrogate s
Court. These baskets are considered
o. great importance by the contestants
because Of certain mission they per-
formed day or two after the death
Of the millionaire, at 80 Fifth Avenue,
in October, 1915.
According 10 the allegations, support
Cd yesterday by Mrs. Helen Desper-
ri1s, for several years housekeeper foA
Mr.. Emo. the baskets were filled with
papers belonging 20 the tcstator by
John +. Mcrz law clerk employed in
the Office OF Lord, Day Lord, OF
which hrn Lucius H. Beers. one Of the
executors. is a member. and ordered
destroyed in the furnace. The com
mrnd wa carried out by Svante John
son, the Scandinavian houseman.
She Tried 20 Save Papers.
One oIsSotiul, which had not been
consigned TO the flames. was found In
the cellar by Amos r. L. Pinchot, a
nephew of M Emo. Among the papers
de. .royed, the contestants say, were
many Of importance 20 their claims, and
possibly another viii.
Mrs. DcSpcrrins Identified the bas-
kets. she was IN the cellar az the
time and objected TO burning the pa
pcrs.
The morning after the teststor died,
Mrs Dcsperrins said, Mr.. Beers came
20 thc house and sent for Merz. The
latter stayed in the house twelve or
fourteen days. lie took papers from
Mr. Eno's desk and from his library.
81 want those papers removed, de-
stroyed. he said, and gave orders to
Johnson said Mrs. Desperrins.
John 3. Stanchfeld. chief counsel for
the contestants. asked the housekeeper
whether Mr. Emo had received letters
from any Of the contestants. She said
there were letters from Lady Antoi-
nette Johnston, a niece; Mrs. Antoi-
nette Wood. q sister: Mrs. Leon G.
Graves. niece. and Amos K. K. and Gift
ford Pinchot, nephews.
Helped Him Keep Diary.
"Did YOU read those letters?"
eyes"
"Thcn YOU made packages of them7"
"Ycs: there were fifteen or twenty
package OF family letters"
Mrs. Desperrins said that Merz's or
ders were. Burn those letters and
don't throw them out"
81 don't want you TO burn those pa
pers." the housekeoper told the law
clerk. but all that was saved. except the
hAnperful that were overlooked. were
two diaries kept By Mr.. Emo and some
business letters.
Through the family letters the con-
tostants hope 10 refute the suggestion
that Mr. Emo had no affection for his
Kin ard heirs at law and therefore
made Columbia University the residu-
airy legatec Of his S12.0O0,00O estate.
Another point brought out in the tes-
timony Of Mrs. Dosperrlns was that she
had made some Of the entries in Mr.
Fno's diaries az his request. The eX-
ccutors have used these little books TO
show that Mr. Emo kept his diary cor
rcCtly UP 70 within day or two before
his death. The housckeepcr explained
that she would make these entries al
ter telling Mr. Emo what had happened
that day or two days before.
The witness also said Mr.. Emo was
opposed to a college education;
Several witnesses testified that Mr.:
Eno's grandmother and an uncle had
suffered from scnile dementia, whlch'
the contestants say, was his concltloh
when he made his viii.