The sun., 1919-07-19
SEVEN WORD WILL
GIVES NEGRESS ALL
Alexander w. Waters, Feeling
Death Near, Wrote 1t in
@ Hurry.
WOMAN HIS HOUsEKEEPER
GAIL 1 Have Got Belongs to
Zulma" Reads Paper
Relatives to Contest.

The will OF Alexander william Waters.
so, fled for probate in the surrogates
Court, Brooklyn, yesterday, consists or
| only seven words and leaves an estate
declared to be more than $4,000" to-
zulma Powell, negress, IS, who
was housekeeper in the decedents
| home for a number of years.
"All I have belongs to zulma," reads
the will.
Alexander William Waters died sud
denly in his office, 81 Broadway. Man
haitian, July last. 1t was o'clock In
the morning He was sitting at his desk
and had spoken Of feeling Ill. A pre-
| monition of impending death seized him
He took a large sheet of paper, on the
| back of which was printed a daily mar
ket letter." and wrote the seven words
| of his will on it in a large, sprawltng
hand.
He Signs VIII Twice.
Then he signed 1t "A. w. Waters
twice, and. according to Edward j.
! Reilly, the Powell woman's lawyer, called
| two men in the office to witness 1t. They
were 1. w. Heggblade and Harry L.
Torrance. In few minute Waters was
dead, the paper on the desk before him.
A policeman took possession Of it.
Waters lived at 22S Lincoln place.
Brooklyn, near Eighth avenue, in one OF
| the best sections of Brooklyn.
When Zulma Powell returned last
night to the Lincoln place house she
made perfectly clear her intention to
see that the provisions Of the seven
| words Of the will were carried out.
without mincing words she said she was
going to get what she worked damn
hard for"
"Mr. Waters was sick for several
years. the woman said. II stayed up
night and day and nursed him. and he
| told me that when he died 1 could
have all his things, and intend to keep
them.
He made will some time ago, but
| they tore 1t up. He told me a couple of
days before he died that he wanted mo
to have all his belongings and that
everything in the house was mine.
don't want any of his fathers estate 1
know 1 won't get 1t, because Mr..
] Waters told me that his father left his
| estate to his wife and the children, and
| II any of them died that share was to
| be divided among the others. SO don't
| expect anything from that estate. But
do expect to keep what I worked
| damned hard for I'll fight 'em IL they
l
| mine"
As she talked the woman held two
Pomeranians in her arms. Standing be-
side her was dark skinned girl to
whom the housekeeper referred as isis
ter" The darkness of the girls skin
was in striking contrast 10 that of the
| woman who was named in the will, who
| is decidedly light in color. She appar-
entity is well educated and dresses well.
worked for Him for Years.
! According to Mr.. Reilly, Zulma Powell
| has acted as Waters's housekeeper and
nurse-his health was not always the
best---since she was 10 years of age.
When Waters moved to 22S Lincoln place
from the home he had in Prospect place.
she went with him.
| Waters owned the house. according TO
! his mother. Mrs. Fiona de Angels
Waters, 2s5 Empire Boulevard, Brook
| Ign. He kept one room for himself. The
| rest of the house was devoted to use as
a high class boarding house. 1t is still
being used for that purpose and, accord
| ing to the woman who came to the door
yesterday Zulma Powell is in charge.
The situation has been complicated
| by the fact that letters of administra
ton were issued for .the estate by Sur
rogate Wingate to the mother July g.
Mrs. Waters declared that no will had
been found and added. that beside her
self the following and no other were
interested in the proceeding: David
| G. Waters brother of the decedent
Malcolm C. Waters. brother both OF
2s5 Empire Boulevard; Charles T.
Waters. brother, Lynbrook, L. l.. and
Lena A. Thurston, sister, of Orange.
N. ].
The mother said last night that the
matter was in the hands of her lawyer,
William C. Daily. To her 1t seemed. she
said, as II her son was under the in
fiuence of his housekeeper and could not
shake lit of. 1t is her contention and
the contention of her lawyer that the
will Is invalid.
Signed Too Late. Is Charge.
The statement Is made that the two
men, whose names are attached to Il,
first saw the frail document after
Waters had died and simply signed
their names to IT, one adding that the
paper had been found on Waters's desk.
Mr.. DAILY said that, so far as he knew.
Mrs. Waters had not been served with
notice OF the probate OF the will.
| Waters was bachelor. He was tho
general agent here of several large
fruit growing associations on the Pa
cihc coast and was born in Montreal
He was high in Masonic circles, was an
Elk and a member OF the American
Bulldog Association. His mother said
last night that she did not know lust
what the extent of her sons estate was.
| In the petition for letters Of adminietra-
ton 1t was referred to as personal prop
erty not exceeding $500. real estate of a
| value unknown.
Waters was buried from the Aurora
Grata Cathedral Bedford avenue and
Madison street, Brooklyn. July 6. In
terment was in Maple Grove Cemetery.