Norwich bulletin., 1919-11-07

| Claim for non-Suit on three points was made by the defendants attorneys, Brown & Perkins. in the superior court here Thursday afternoon. but was de- nied by Judge Donald T. Warner in the case of John A. Moran, administrator of the estate of John Tuckie. against George H. Bradford. administrator of the estate of George H. Pratt. The 'Tuckie administrator is suing to have restored to that estate the Newmarket hotel property and some adjacent building lots that he claims were se-e cured from Tuckie by Pratt under duress and fraud.
 The arguments for non-suit were made upon the claim that no duress, as alleged. had tbeen shown by the evil, dence, that. under the statute. the have been the ones to bring this suit, and that the heirs of Pratt instead of the administrator of his estate should have been made the defendants.
 When court came in Thursday morn- ing the cross examination of MT. Moran, the administrator of the Tuckie estaae, was concluded He was followed on the stand by Michael Sol ornon of New London, who was put on the stand by Attorneys c. " James and2.C. Hadlai Hull. counsel for the plaintiffs.
 MT. Solomon said he knew Mir. Tuckie as a keeper of a fruit store many years ago. Mi. Solomon has been a merchant tailor. In the early summer of 1914 MT. Tuckie went to see MT. Solomon in New London and said he was very sick and wanted Solomon to come to Norwich and care for him. promising to leave Solomon allsl1 pos sessed. In June, 1914 Solomon con- sented to come to Norwich and care for Tuckie, and he stored his stock of goods in a barn. At this time Tuekie was alone in the hotel and Solomon had him hire, a bartender and, get a woman to come daily to do the house. work.
 The witness told of Mir. Pratt coming to the hotel and hearing talk of turn ing the. property to MT. Pratt, who said he would restore it to Tuckie when the trouble blew over that. Tuckie had with tAe criminal court over Iiquor selling, as Tuckie had promised Prose cutor Whittlesey to go out of business in seven months. Mir TuclSie,. though suffering great pain. did not want to part with his place, according to the witness. Solomon said MT Pratt made number of calls and often talked pri- vately with Tucllie. Mr. Solomon said he did not find out when the hotel was transferred to MT. Pratt. Mir Tuckie l-d drank much whiskey to allay pain. The witness said Tuclzie was buying goods from MT. Pratt all the time
 Solomon testified that after every ] private interview with MT. Pratt MT. Tuckie was very nervous and he would not tell Solomon what was said. Solo man stated he washed MT. Tuckie's foot daily and the sore foot got into such bad shape that Tuclxie was .ad vised to go to the Hospital. Before he went MT. Pratt tolk Tuclzie that if he did not sign over his property to Pratt he would lose all. It was after the death of Tucllie that Solomon learned of the transftl
 Before Tuckie went to the hospita he asked Solomon one mornine tc bring up two drawers from his private
 desk, and he did so. When Tuckit 1 looked in the drawers he said: "M1 | diamonds are gone" The next tin1t | AIT. Pratt came to the hotel he tolc Tuckie that he had the diamonds 1T his safe and that was where they were going to stay.
 Solomon testified to seeing Judg, 7, John H. Barnes and Seneca H. Thresh. CT come to the Tuckie place and tC Judge Barnes and Mr. Pratt coming tS 1 the i3ackus hospital to get Tuckie tt sign some papers. ...a
 lA- W hen the cross examinati ton of thi
 witness had been concluded. the plain
 tlfts rested their case and the defend ants made their motion for a non-sl1it
 After the jury had been excused tn, | lawyers argued the non-suit matte,
 and when Judge Warner had. denied
 the motion the defense began it's |cas, l by putting Administrator Bradford o, | the stand. ,.-
 l MT. Bradford testified at length a.
 to his connection with the Pratt estat, ] as administration and said the date O
 the paper served on him in this cas, ] was Dec. 9th. The date is in dispute
 He said D.. H. -Hough has worked or I the Pratt books. 1 Edmund A. Prentice. a Norwich req estate and insurance agent, testified that, he would place the market valu
 of the Newmarket hotel property a
 $4.000, and the other Is lots at S1 OOO
 He had visited the property ol Wednesday. The lots are rough, sand, and gravelly and some are on ledge
 where it would take lot of blastin. I to put in cellars. He allowed S25
 lot for these rough ones. He con
 sidered the value today for all tn,
 property practically the same toda,
 as it was in 1914.
 @On cross examination by Attorne,
 James, MT. Prentice said he had n,
 knowledge of the amount of bushes
 done by Mir. Tuckie in running a sa
 loon in this place in 1914, but he con sidered the occupancy of any prop
 erty by saloon depreciated it's value | Francis D. Donohue, also a Nor
 wich real estate and insurance agent
 placed the market value-of the whol
 property at $5,000. of which $4 900 ap
 piled to the Newmarket hotel proper