Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-05-06
MRS. WELLS LAST WILL
READ TO THE JURY
Attorney Clarence P. COwles,
Who Drew Up the Document,
Found Testator of Sound
Mind and Memory in All Con.
ferences With Her


pleted his testimony, and remained on the
stand throughout the rest Of the day
He told the story of the making Of the
last will and testament of Effe T.. r.
Wells and which is now being contested
by Mrs. Wells stepdaughtcr. Anna Wells
Sykes and Mrs. Wells half-sister, Mrs.
Charles Wells
Mr.. Cowes said that the first that he
knew that Mrs. Wells wished him to draw
up VIII for her was from n conversation
with Judge u. G. Mower. who had been
Mira. Wells attorney Shortly after that
he received n letter from Mrs. Wells ask
ing him to come ant. SEQ her about maxi
ing her will.
The first appointment which Mr. Cowles
had with Mrs Wells was on June 20. 1917
ut Fer home. She said then that she wish
cd him TO assist her In preparing her
will. She showed him sheet of paper on
i which she had written list of requests
which she wished TO make.
Mrs. Wells further told Mr. Cowles that
she had remembered all of her relatives
, except Mrs Sykes. Speaking of her es-
arrangement with Anna, Mrs. Wells told
something oc the trouble between Mr.. and
Mrs. Sykes and Mr.. Ward. growing out Of
MIR. Wards management of the trust I'M
der the estate OF Edward Wells Mrs.
Wells said that she had expressed TO Mr..
and Mrs. Sykes her disapprova' of their
actions toward Mr. Ward. In regard to
all the time pressing him for more money
! han they were receiving. in regard to the
! trouble over the lost bond. and IN regard
: to their threat to take the matter before
the courts In order to make him resign
from the trustceshp of the trust fund
! Mrs. Wells told Mr.. Cowles that she
thought that in the disposition of her
{ C1,n lNit1 i,,ct hat
Wells, her husband, would want her to
do.
In further commenting upon the es-
arrangement between herself and Anna
Mrs. Wells said that she thought Mr.
Sykes had influenced Mrs. Sykes in this
matter, and that Mr.. Sykes had been the
! chief cause of the trouble Mrs. Wells
mentioned the matter of the money, which
her granddaughter Martha returned to
her. and told Mr.. Cowles that this SEEM
ed to have been done under the direction
of Mrs. Sykes. Mr. and Mrs. Sykes had
spent a great deal of money and always
wanted more than was given them Mrs.
Wells told the witness.
In regard to Mr.. Ward. Mrs. Wells said
that he had always been an intimate friend
of her husband, that he had been in the
Burlington Trust company from the time
it was organized and that Mr.. Wells had
had great confidence in him.
The second conference which Mr..
Cowles had with Mrs. Wells was on June
%. 1917. He asked her at that time II 1t
would be perfectly agreeable to her for
him to confer with Judge Mower regard
ing certain matters relative to drawing
up the will. She said that it would be
agreeable. that Judge Mower had drawn
two previous wills for her and that he
understood the circumstances under which
she was making this will.
On July 4. 1917. Mr. Cowles had his third
conference with Mrs. Wells in regard
to drawing the will. At that time he ques-
toned her regarding herself and her rel
atives and found out that her maiden
name was Effe Elizabeth Parmelee and
that she was born in Waitsfeld. Her faith.
err had been married three times and she
had several half brothers and sisters. but
only one own sister, Florence w. Parma
/, lee, who died in 1891 One of her half sis
ters. Hannah A. Parmalee. married
Charles Wells, and thus became. also hel
! sister in-law. Her half sister, Martha
was the first wife OF Edward Wells.
Mrs. Wells told Mr.. Cowles that sht
had no person legally dependant upon hel
and no person to whom she was morally
, bound to give support Of any kind. Sh'
, mentioned as among her closest friend!
/, in the city Mrs. Fred Kimball and Mrs
, Frank Parker. She told Mr.. Cowles tina
Mrs. Fred Kimball was to come to he
home and take charge in case anything
happened to her.
Mrs. Wells spoke also of Other rela
tives mentioning General 8. P. Jocelyl
as her own cousin. She said that she hat
other cousins. also but among all he
relatives there were none with whom sh
felt that she could talk over her will. Sh
: said that she had done much for her rel
; atives, and that she did not feel unde
any obligations to any of them.
Concerning her property. Mrs. Well
:. told Mr.. Cowles that she owned the HON
at 81 Summit street. and no other rea
estate. She wanted this home sold an
: converted into cash. She owned stock Il
f the Wells & Richardson company and 9th
. Ter stocks, bonds and investments. Sh
n said that she personally held full contro
J, of these In regard to advice about In
e yestments, she said that Mr.. Ward ha
advised her when she had asked for ad
: vice, but had had no control Of her at
= fairs. She had no life insurance.
t on July 10. at another conference. Mrs
Wells told Mr.. Cowles that there ha
= been no visits or correspondence be
l.: tween her and the Sykes family sine
G Christmas. 1915, when she was In Ne'
| 1OTk. MOI lOHS aIteT tHdl ,oH "''"i''
: representing the Sykes family had com
= to Burlington from New York for IN
: purpose of getting Mr.. Ward out OF tn
[. trusteeship of the trust fund. Mrs. Wei
said that these actions on the part or IN
[. Sykes family hurt her, because she KNEE
/. that these would be contrary to the wishe
D of Edward Wells. She said that sh
n loved her grandchildren. just as she a
a WAYS had and that the estrangemer
q from the children was causing her gref
anxiety and sorrow.
: Mr. Cowles said that he had discusse
4. with Mrs Wells the matter OF advisin
% with friends about making her will, an
she had told him that she had no col
; Hdential adviser to whom she felt Thu
!. she could go, that y was not HI
wny to talk such matter over with other
- General Jocelyn and Fred Kinball wei
N mentioned as people to whom she migl
n go, but she did not feel that she cou
a do so, for various reasons.
4 Mr., Cowles said that no provision ha
been made in the memoranda given
4 Mrs. Wells up to that time for the gram
a children Martha and Elizabeth. Mr.
y Wells said that she knew that Mr.. Wa
would do what was right by them. Late
however. there was a provision put In
the will for the Sykes children.
Mrs. Wells told Mr.. Cowles at OF
=. time that she didn't know as Anna wou
want any OF her estate, or would wa
her children to have any of It, MI
De Wells continued that she would welcor
of reconciliation with Anna and the ch
~ dyen hut that the first ster should cor