The sun., 1919-10-19

Found in lies of
Surrogates' Office
Ten Word Document Disposing of
$4,000 Proves Valid in Court-Pow-
der Puff Woman's Request to
Man-Many Reveal Horror
of Being Buried Alive

left one Ct the most remarkable wills
on record in which he willed his skin
to cover his wife's Bible. Thompson's
! will read like this:
"Ashbridge has come to the conclu-
sion that he doesn't want 10 STAY here
any longer, and as don't care much
for the place myself 1 have decided
to go with him. Now, 1 understand
that In leaving this place in this man
ner / am flirting with death and the
undertaken So leave this note be-
hind in case such is the case.
In the event of my being killed l
make the following request: That my
body be turned over to the University
OF Pennsylvania for dissecting pur-
poses with this stipulation-that q
piece of skin be removed and tanned
of sufficient size to cover a small copy
OF the New Testament; have same
made up and presented to my lawyer,
who viii have instructions to present
1t to my wife, who, although Manchu
by birth and a Buddhist, is interested
In the New Testament. Also my ring
and pin shall be turned over to the
same attorney to be presented to my
WIFE"
| Fear of Burial Alive.
That some people have a mortal
fear of being buried alive is evidenced
by the strange request in the will OF
the late Mrs. Maria l.. Thompson, who
died in Florence. Italy, and whose will
was filed in this city on October 81,
1917. Mrs. Thompson provided in her
will that: as 1 die a member of the
Roman Catholic Church, If the per-
mission Of the church can be obtained.
l wish my body to be crcmated. II
this cannot be done, 1 request that II
be opened in such a way as to prevent
my being buried alive and that quick
lime be thrown on It SO as to consume
it quickly, and that my ashes be placed
near the graves Of my children"
! Still another who had horror of
being buried alive was Mrs. Joanna
Mitchell Thompson, who died on April
IA, 1916, at East Orange, and who in
her will directed that friend. Stephen
Baldwin, inspect her body daily for
forty days after her supposed death.
to make sure that no sign of life
returned.
The health authorities and the man
agement of Rosedale Cemetery OBJ
jected, but the body, after unusual
precautions to make sure thai death
really had ensued, was Theoretically
sealed in a casket and buried in a
concrete grave. Each day for forty
days Baldwin sat beside the grave,
with his ear close to the ground lis
tening for u sound from within.
For this, under the terms of the
will filed for probate of August 81
1916, Baldwin was to receive 5000, II II
was decided that by so doing he had
carried out the instruction of the
testatrix. e.
,-.
willing n Powder Pun.
Leaving a powder puff TO a man is.
rather unusual, but the late Mrs. lisa
NJ. Pike who died in San Francisco
on September "a. 1915, apparently did
not think 1t was anything out OF the
ordinary, for when her will was filed
for probate on January 8, 1917, It
was discovered that she had be-
queathed to Chauncey B. Moorhead of
this city the following items, to-wit:
One powder puff. A silver hand mir
ror. A cut glass perfume bottle.
Mrs. Pixies will was no more I'M
usual than that of the late Isaac S.
Long, whose will was filed for pro-
bate in the Surrogates' Court in this
city on August Z, 1918. The will con-
tanned a proviso that no circus or show
horses shall ever be pastured on his
estate at Mill Creek, Lebanon county,
Pennsylvania. The decedent also stip-
ulated that no tobacco shall be grown
on his property.
| Apropos of tobacco, there is the will
of the late Miss Louise Spencer. filed
in Chicago in June, 1918, in which she
reflected her lifelong opposition to to-
bacco and alcoholic drinks, Her will
provided a fund for George Washing
ton University, Washington, to be
used In defraying expenses of white
persons who had never touched to-
bacco or liquor, and whose parents
had never engaged in the vending of
either. The will stipulated that the
student must sign a total abstinence
pledge.
From time immemorial people have
been remembering their pet dogs in
their wills, but the case of James
Cowan Smith of Bothamsall Hall, near
Retford, who had dog by the name
of Callum, is out of the ordinary.
Mr.. Smith died in the spring OF the
present year. and under his will the
trustees of the Scottish National Gal
leries will receive part of his estate
If they will agree to hang a picture OF
Callum in a conspicuous place in one
of the galleries under their control.
AS Mr.. Smith left fortune of SS50,OOO
the sum will be quite substantial.