Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-10-02
SISTER ASKED TO
HAVE WILL READ
HowrIcor Document Opened NJ BurIinE.
ton savings Bank nj Mrs. Ha,cn's
Request


ton savings Bank nt Mrs. Hs,cn's
Request
North Hero, Sept. 3o-Charles r. Smith.
president OF the Burlington Savings bank, |
testifying before the suit brought by
John Howricon 20 break the will of his
suicide sister, Maud Iiowricon, which
conveyed all money and real estate to
the Mary Fletcher hospita at Burlington.
in the Grand Isle county court this after
noon declared that the will Of Maud
Howricon was opened and read at his
bank at the request of Mrs. cora Hazen,
n sister Of Maud and John in the presence
Of Mrs tIazon and the officers Of the in
stitution. This was done to relieve the
feeling of possible loss Of the document
by Mrs. Hazen. who was to take il from
the bank to the Grand Isle county pro-
bate court.
MIR Smith was the principal witness
Of the session. He told Of corrcspo ndence
between the bank and Maud relative TO
her money and tho will Tho CORE
spondencc was produced and read in
court. The first was dated December ~.
1906 and was addressed 10 the witness
at the bank. II read;
Please examine my will deposited in
your bank for safe keeping carefully
noting especially. whether all legal heirs
arc given the $500 which mus he left to
them in order 10 make the will valid he
lieve.
! Respectfully yours. Maud Uowricon."
The next letter was dated December 81
1906. and was TO President smith it read
as follows:
Enclosed find handbook 10 be made up
TO January !. When you send back the
book please send my will which is in a
safe deposit vault in your bank fear
there is an error I made and was IN
have it corrected If there is
! Respectfully yours. Maud Howricon"
On January 3. 1907. President Smith
wrote to Maud Howricon as follows
Dear Madam:-Wc are herewith re-
turning to you vour bankhook and a COW
Of your will which you left here-tho will
seems to he properly drawn. II is not
necessary to leave small sums to rela E
tives in order 10 make the will Legal. Some
people get an impression .hat II is but
! il is not. II is legally and regularly drawn
lust AS i; is. hut YOU can change it IL
you desire.
/ "c. r. Smith"
| Directly quoted testimony of Mr..
! smith relative to the opening of the
! VIII IS given ny MIN follows.
! Il read Of the death of Maud and
| called up Judge Tudhope of the
Grand Isle county court He said that
Mrs, Hazen would call for it and she
did She expressed little concern
about getting il home safely. She
hoped that she would not lose it. She
had A satchel with her in which she
had some documents she wanted we
should take care of that she had
found which belonged to Maud
| said Mrs. Hazen II YOU have any
uneasiness about this or about los
ing IL or carrying il over it will be
exactly proper to have the will opened
here in the presence Of the officers
of the bank and read so that If any
| thing happens to YOU or to the will
before you get it to the probate court
you would be shown harmless and It
would relieve you of any responsible
ity. She said that IL it would be
proper it would be a very great re-
lief to her and | called in the vice
president of the bank. my son and the
treasurer. Mr.. Isham. and my son took
the will at my request and opened II
and read it in her presence
Henry W. Stone Of Grand Isle and
Mrs. Emma samson Of the same town
testified as to the boarding OF Maud al
their homes when she taught school
at Grand Isle. They thought she was
sane. Their testimony ended the
days session
Recalled to the stand at the opening
session yesterday morning. Mrs. Effie
Hazen, styled the expert witness
was cross examined by Attorney Bull
lard Relative to the actions of rich
insane patients with the idea that s
person might be insane and SAM
person might not notice it. Mrs. Haze'
admitted that Maud was eccentric ant
a typical old maid.
Howard Wadsworth. aged So, o
South Hero. at whose home Mau'
: Howricon boarded when she laugh
school in 1896 in the village testified
that she was bright and Intelligent
She lived here when her father dice
: at the Mary Fletcher hospital and h
, had heard her express kind feelni
towards the hospital for the treat
ment given her father, Cross ex
amined he said that he had not oh
served her as to her sanity.
, Mrs. Ellen Jocelyn, daughter OF wit
ness Wadsworth Of South Hero, testifie
> along the same lines as her father, say
? ing that Maud was a superior person
!, but a different girl and very reticen'
l according to her opinion. Cross-exami
1 ton was directed as to whether he
S observance of Maud was the basis o
e her Judgment Of her sanity.
Mrs Marion Tresser of South Hero,
Q pupil of Maud Howricons in 1896, de
clared that Maud was good teache
I and that the children advanced we
I under her guidance She said that Mau
was sane,
: The cross-examination Of Mrs Luc
n Gordon. clerk of Grand Isle county. an
l. a former school teacher with Maud a
s the South Hero schoolhouse, brought ou
| the statement from the witness that sh
was Of the opinion that there was Away
q little something queer about Mauo
= On one occasion the witness was on
= train going to Boston and discovere
t Maud sitting with her feet up on the win
dow. Later il was brought out by Judg
l. Darling for the hospital that il was a
II night when the train episode happene
q and Maud was "camped down for tn
Il night" Mrs. Gordon said on direct e>
+ animation that Maud was a good teache
md a apable person.
Thomas Gordon. aged s. Of South Here
former pupil, said that Maud was
II GOOD teacher and they learned some fror
q her She was no' insane, he testified.
II Albert Gordon Of Grand Isle went NV
i terms 10 Maud Howrcon at that VII