The sun., 1919-09-08
SAYS SONS DREW UP
WILL OF FAIRBANKS
Daughter of Former Vice.
President Makes Charge of
Fraud in Contest.
FATHER FEEBLE IN MIND
Alleges Bequest Made TO Her
Was Changed After She
Had Accepted.

INDIANAPOLIS. Sept. Mrs. Adelaide
Charles Warren Fairbanks, who was
Vice-President of the United States, is
sued public statement to-day, ex-
planning her reasons for contesting the
will of her father. She charges the will
was not made by her father, but that
the instrument was drawn by her broth
ers. Frederick and Warren, and that
1t was written after her father had be-
come so Ill that he was incompetent and
could not comprehend the effect of his
acts"
Il have brought this action to con-
test and set aside the will which has
been probated as the will OF my father
because 1t Is not his WILL" said the
statement. The probated will was
drafted by my brothers Frederick and
Warren. after father was so weakened
and enfeebled by disease that he was
unable to know and comprehend the
effects of his acts.
My father as shown from his death
certificate died from cerebral hemor-
rhage caused by chronic interstitial
nephritis. The disease In 1918, at the
time of the death of my mother, Corne-
liza Cole Fairbanks, was well advanced
Shortly after her death he discussed
and planned a memorial for her in the
nature of 100000 bequest to the city
OF Indianapolis. Such gift would in
measure have been commensurate with
the high esteem in which he held her.
He at that time elaborated the plan
for maintaining intact this contemplated
bequest, which appears in the probated
Will in connection with the meagre 500
600 bequest and which has caused father
to appear ridiculous and the target for
sarcastic editorials and comments
throughout the country.
I'm March, 1918, my brother Warren
came from California on account of the
gravity of my fathers condition. At
that time father was totally blind in his
right eye, while his left eye was SO
badly affected that he was under orders
from his oculist not to use II at all, his
blood pressure was very high, he was
suffering from aphasia and loss of menu
DRY. and he was so emaciated and other
wise affected that his death was not I'M
expected 1t was at this time that my
father told my two brothers, Warren
and Frederick, to draw up will to suit
themselves The probated will is the re-
suit.
AT the time II was drafted they SUBJ
mitted to me a provision under which
was to receive $4,000 for a home and
a $4,000 annuity. This was acceptable
to me on the assumption that the memo
rial to my mother and other gifts to
charity which father had indicated at
various times he desired to make would
be made.
II did not know that the bequest to
me had been changed until the will was
read in open court, nor that the me-
mortal to my mother had been reduced
to $4,000. My brother Richard, who
had just returned from France, was in
court at the time and was 1stonlshed
at the change. and promised orally to
share his legacy with me, which he has
since failed to do.
by the terms of the probated will
Warren, Frederick and Richard are made
joint executors, and all the requests to
charity, with the exception OF the $780,
600 bequest to the city OF Indianapolis,
are to be paid only II the executors see
fit to pay them"