Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-05-20
RESUMED
IN WELLS WILL CASE
Mrs. Anna Sykes Tells of Money
Received from Her Father
After Her Marriage-No
More Witnesses and Argu.
ments Likely to Begin To-day

Testimony in the Wells will case was
resumed yesterday after an intcrmission
of nearly a week. due to the illness of
Attorney r. T.. Brown of the contestants.
Mr. Brown was not able teAbe In court.
as he is still quite Ill. The case will prob
ably be finished without his services
Mrs. Anna Wells Sykes. the step-daugh-
ter Of Mrs. Effle l.. +. Wells. was on the
stand all day yesterday in cross-exami-
nation and redirect examination.
Mrs Sykes vas questioned by At
torney Sargent of the proponents con-
! corning her relations with her step-moth-
or, and more especially concerning mon
ey received from her father from the time
Of her marriage to Mr.. Sykes up to the
, time Of her fathers death.
Mrs, Sykes was asked the same aues-
| ton yesterday that she was asked last
week, as to how much money she had re-
ceived from her father after her marriage
and before his death. She answered the
question In the same way, that she could
not tell. Upon inquiry of Judge Fish as
TO what the proponents claimed about It,
Mr.. Sargent said that he understood 1t to
be In the vicinity of s65, 900. Mrs. Sykes
testified later, upon redirect examna-
ton, that her father had agreed to give
her an allowance of 5000 per month. and
more II she needed II. He often gave her
presents, besides this allowance, she said
Mr.. Sargent brought into the case copies
of number of letters written to Mrs.
Skyes and to Mr.. Sykes by Edward Wells.
most of them being in regard to financial
matters 1t was claimed by the propo-
nents that these letters tended to show
why the house at 81 Summit street was
placed In the name of Mrs. Wells. why
the property which MIR. Wells left to his
daughter was left in trust. and that the
letters contradicted tho testimony of Mrs.
Sykes that she had never asked her faith
err for money. following her marriage.
The contestants objected to the admis-
sion Of these letters on several grounds,
but they were admitted and read to the
jury. In them there was mention of send
ing money to Mr.. and Mrs. Sykes on sew
eral different occasions. On one occasion
Mr. Wells wrote to Mr.. Sykes in answer
to letter concerning sending Mrs. Sykes
abroad to improve her health. Mr.. Wells
SAID that he was not millionaire, and
although he was rs much concerned for
, his daughters health as anyone. he had
been having heavy expenses at home re-
Gently and did not feel that he could take
on this added expense. He suggested tina,
Mrs Sykes might come to Burlington for
the summer and thought that the change
might do as much for her health as the
trip abroad.
There were also letters concerning Ger.
tain investments in which the Sykes fam
lily and Mr.. Wells were interested. Mr.
Wells evidently buying certain stocks ir
company of which Mr.. Sykes became
secretary, the stocks then being giver
} to Mr.. and Mrs. Sykes
| In all OF these matters, Attorney Sar
gent sought to lay stress upon the poin
. that Edward Wells was worried abou
: the financial situation Of Mr.. and Mrs
Sykes. because he thought they were tor
: eXtravagant. According to the proponents
l this was what Mrs. Wells meant at tn,
E time she wrote to Mrs. Sykes that you
father worried about your case too mucl
s for his own good" Mrs. Sykes, whel
' Questioned about this. said that she ha,
no idea what that meant
, In the redirect examination by Attorne,
D Billiard, Mrs. Sykes testified that he
= father had known before her marriag
. that she and Mr. Sykes were to live il
New York and that It was understood tina
r her allowance should be sufficient to TAX
:. care of her needs there. She said that he
t father advised them to take the apart
. ments which they did take and that h
. tHeH. ne also gave npr SDeCia
t help at several different times when sh
was Ill. notably the times when the chill
e dren were born. and at tine time she ha
: an operation at the hospital here in Bur
h lington in 1905.
: Mrs Sykes said that there had neye
. been any trouble between her father an
: herself or between her father and her hus
: band over money matters. or any othe
8 matters. The witness said that her fathe
t had told her many times that he was gla
d to help her. She declared that everythn
her father had done for her was Of hi
= own free will, and that he had never &C
cused either her or Mr.. Sykes of bein
X a spendthrift, so far as she knew
= Mrs. Sykes was questioned concernn
@ number of "thrr matters Including
s ter which she wrote to Mrs. Hosmc
d and Mrs. Houston. two friends of Mr..
:. Wells. and friends Of her cwn girhoot
y The proponents claimed that. In this lei
IS ter, Mrs. Sykes made statements whic
would tend to show that there was othe
" trouble between herself and her steI
II mother, besides the matter of the 10.
IS bond, which Mrs, Syks had formerly sa!
n was the beginning of tbs trouble
o Attorney Sargent asked Mrs. Sykes
n whom she referred when she wrote I
y. Mrs. Wells OF one time asking IL Mr.
a Wells would not consent to an intervie
sc In which she could hear what I'm unb,a.
cd outsider thought about the Bond ma
'e ter. Mrs. Sykes said that the 'unbiase
y. outsider" referred 70 was. she though
d Mr.. Gushing, her attorney
l. A number OF letters and papers wei
" introduced yesterday which the attorney
for the contestants desired to inspect ov,
20 night. and Mrs. Sykes will probably tax
~ tho stand this morning for a few MOI
lie questions concerning them. This is e,
III pected to complete tnc testimony 80 III,
'e The arguments are kelly to begin som
he :mt to-day.
10
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