The Washington times., 1919-11-24

Victim Of an ssxtr4ordinary series Of
tragedies. Mrs. Constance Setback
Oracle, daughter of the late Count
Setback and widow of Col. Archibald
Oracle, Is today the central figure in a
court action. the early trial of which
Is being anticipated by society folk in
this city, New York. and fashionable
places OF the East.
Ars. Gracic. through her attorneys,
Hannis Taylor and Hannis Taylor.
jr, has nled suit in the Probate Di-
vision of the District Supreme Court
against her son-in-law, Dunbar
Burchell Adams, son of the nationally
known chewing gum manufacturer.
The plaintiff seeks to recover from
Adams the estate left by her daugh-
ter, Mrs. Edith Temple Oracle Adams.
Mrs. Oracle alleges that her daughter
left will which is now missing.
Because Of the unfortunate chain of
circ umstances with which the life of
the plaintiff in the suit has been be-
set. interest in the outcome of her
court action Is keen. While on an Eu-
ropean trip Mrs. Oracle received the
news that her youngest daughter was
crushed to death in an elevator a
few feet from where the mother was
standing. Her husband, Colonel
Oracle, died from the results of ex-
posure after the Titanic disaster.
Following Colonel Gracie's death, the
widow saw the greater part of the
estate which her, husband had left
was lost in the failure of a Washing.
ton brokerage firm, which was nego-
tiating for the sale of securities
which Mrs. Oracle had intrusted to It.
in which the widow lost her only
daughter. Mrs. Edith Oracle Adams.
Daughter Referred to VIII.
In her cross bill fled against Mr..
Adams individually and an adminis-
traitor for his wife's estate, Mrs. Ora
Gle seeks to establish, by secondary
evidence, the fact that her daughter
made a will. or falling that, she at
her daughters estate as the next of
her daughters estate as the net of
kin. 1t is stated in Mrs Gracie's
referred to the fact that she had made
a will in her mothers favor upon the
alleged existence of which the whole
action Is based.
1t is also claimed by Mrs. Oracle
that John y. Adams and Susan B.
Adams. father and mother of Dunbar
B. Adams, made an unlawful and
clandestine raid" on their daughter
in-law's apartment in q New YorI;
hotel while she was Ill at a hospita
shortly before her death in 1918. In
that unlawful and clandestine raid
Mrs. Oracle asserts, they ransack ed
the private desk of her daughter and
carried away it's contents.
Associate Justice Bailey has cited
Dunbar b. Adams to show cause early
next month why the petition of Mrs.
Oracle should not be granted and
here, for the moment, the case rests.
Turned Over To Daughter.
Declaring herself to be practically
penniless. she has brought suit over
her daughters estate, valued at
500. 600, and which She. as guardian,
had turned over to her daughter when
Edith Temple Oracle attained her
majority In 1915.
The bulk Of this property consists
principally Of income bearing stock.
and. according to Mrs. Oracle, was
deposited in a safe deposit box In a
washington bank by her daughter In
her maiden name and is still there
under that name. Mrs. Oracle also
seeks two New York bank account OF
her daughter, said to total 500. 900. of
which she claims $4,000 is her own
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