Norwich bulletin., 1920-11-11
CHIEF BENEFICIARY TEsTIFIEs
 IN LAY WILL CASE

Cushman A. Sears, 21, of Hartford, beneficiary to the amount of about S2o,- 600 under the will of his great-aunt. Aurelia C. Lay, late of Old Lyme, was on the witness stand in the superior court Wednesday afternoon when court ad- journed in the trral of the attempt of Ger trude S. SeIden of Hadlyme and others to break the Lay will.
 Mr Sears was called to the stand by Attorneys Hull and Hull who are defend ing the will after the attorneys had had half a dozea witnesses on the stand slV- ing testimony intended to establish the mental capacity of Miss Lay. These wit nesses included Maude Ashley, Eliza beth Ely, Jennie R. Davison. Frederick H. Kenyon, Philip 1. Larsen, Clara Garneau. Genevieve V Kenyon and Joshua Sands. The last named testified that one of Miss Lays diversions was playing checkers, and that she played a game that almost always beat him.
 Mr. Sears testified that he had made his home with his ereat-aunt from April, 1917, till her death in the summer of 1919, going to her home at her repeated requests. At one time she offered to give him s5,000 and an automobile, but this offer was not accepted. After he had been there a year there was some com plaint about him spending too much [ money and Miss Lay made an agreement l to allow him $50 per month. He re- | ceived this up to the time of her dea,h l and month thereafter, Asked about the making of will in June. 1918, the ] witness said his aunt told him she was 1 going to make it and he heard her tell 1 Eugene D.. Caulkins what bequests she | wanted to make. These included $S,500 each to several neces and nephews, & be- quest to Mrs. Celina Garneau. the house. md tn AT Ina witness said he thought he was to get l 5000 and what was left after the be- quests to the nieees and nephews. Two l weeks after this conversation his aunt l told him she had signed her will
 Coming down to the will which is coE- | tested the witness testified that about 1 March 15, 1919, he came. home one day l and found his aunt crying. She said she wanted to make some changes in her will l and could not get MT. Caulkins to come i and see her about it. She asked him to
 20 and tell MT. Caukins to come, which l he did, but MT. Caulkins passed it off
 the witness said. and did not come Some time later when the witness came home
 one night hlS au,lt told him they were l to have company to supper, as MT. Caul- | kins was coming to the house.
 Court adjourned at this point in the
 case.
 | At the opening of court in the morning Attorneys Geary and KAefe, who art
 counsel for Mrs. Selden md the others
 who are trying to break the will, called
 to the stand Mrs Nellie Hughes, who
 said she lived near Mrs. Lay for 40 years
 and had visited her often. She said tha
 Mrs. Lay had & severe illness in Febru
 ary, 1919, and she died the following July
 Witness had talked to Mrs Lay, wh,
 seemed to have trouble to understand
 She spoke about her grand-nephew, MT
 Sears, and seemed to like him.
 Nellie Loper Selden told what she knev
 of the life of Mrs. Lay and she was fol
 lowed by Celina Garneau, the housekeep
 CT, to whom Mrs. Lay willed s1 ,00O. Sh
 testified to her knowledge of the menta
 condition of Mrs. Lay the last year of he
 life
 Eugene D. Caufkins was recalled b, MT. Keefe and then the plaintiff sid rested.
 Testimony during the trial has show
 that it was very hard to understand Mis- Lay when she talked, as she had no pal ' ate. She was a large, heavy woman an, had had a shock so that she did not leav the house and moved around in the hops
 only with great difficulty.