Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-04-22
SHANGHAI STATUS
r.; OF WELLS FAMILY
Contested will Case in County
Court Takes a New Turn
With an Unexpected and as
Yet Unanswered Question by
Attorney Sargent

INC Wells Will case was we 49,
Noes Of the day in court Thursday at
decidedly interesting point for the spccta-
Tors, as evidenced by the buzz of COM
h1ent which was heard as the large num-
ber OF visitors left tho court room.
IT was only two or three minutes before
NV. o'clock Thursday afternoon hen
Frederick H. Wells was called TO IN"
etand by the proponents. In answer TO
HE questions Of Attorney Sargent, MY:
Wells rave the information that he had
been IN business in Burlington. with his
brotlcra ard their descendants, for ABOUT
Hsyca-s, and that he had at times dis
c,,ssed business matters with Mrs. Erie
T.. =. Wells; also that no thought that
Rhc knew the financial condition of the
members CT the Wells family in the
city.
lIr Sargent then asked what the ag-
p,agate sum of the worth of the Wells
Families amounted to. This question was
objected to by tho contestants on the
grounds that it was immatera!. Mr.. Sar-
gent then asked:
How much are you worth. Mr. Wells?
There wa. another objection from the
contes:ants on tho grounds of I'M
Materially. as the witness WIS not con-
cerred in the case. Mr.. Sargent explained
that lie was seeking to bring out this
I'M OT1ndtlOn ICT lne Te1SOI iildI tiic Sch-
testants had inferred in cross examination
that it was tho duty Of Mrs. Efie Wells
to provide COR the family of Charles
Wells. ard the proponents wished to show
tie facts about this. Before the
judge ruled on the question, however.
Mr.. Sargent said that he desired to con-
fer With his colleagues in regard to the
matter before pressing the question
furthe". r,rG this he was allowed to do.
Judge Fish suspended court until Fri
day, with The above question still pend
Ing
Besides Frederick H. Wells. the wit
hesses Thursday in this case were George
Nj Besett C. +. Smith, Mrs. Anna Wells
Sykes, H. J. Norris. Frank L. Roberts
and Sheriff j. H. Allen. The latter part
Of the morning was taken to read ex-
tracts from the line-a-day books of Mrs.
Efte Wells. the reading being done by
Attorney Guy NJ. Page.
George NJ. Besett president of the Bur-
lington Trust company since last January,
and before that manager of the Wells &
Richardson company. was the first wit
ness to take the stand Thursday morn
Ing. Mr.. Besett was asked about the
transaction in January 1872 when the
stockholders of the Wells e. Richardson
company made an agreement upon which
pany.
Mr.. Besett said that he considered this
agreement a deal of considerable magni-
tude. He remembered that Mrs. Effie
Wells was present when the papers were
Bisned and that the matter was thorough
~ explained to her in order that she
might understand 1t perfectly. The wit
ness thought that she did understand it
before she signed. and that she passed
Judgment upon the matter and did ii
reasonably.
Questioned as to whether the holders
of the stock in the Wells e. Richardson
company were anxious to sell, Mr.. Besett
said that he thought they were, if they
could get their price Asked if they were
anxious enough so that they were willing
10 pay good price for effecting the sale,
the witness said that was hard ques-
ton to answer, but he did not think that
they were that anxious. Upon further
Inquiry. Mr.. Besett said that he himself
effected the sale. but received nothing
for bringing II about.
The reading from the line a day books
of Mrs. Wells included what was written
under the dates from October l. 1915. up to
some time In May. 1916 Among the en-
tries made during that time were those
referring TO Mrs. Wells visit to New York
about week with the Sykes family. Mrs
Wells was also in New York in November
1915. but stopped at a hotel at that time
and while she was there. her grandchil.
dren visited her one afternoon. and Anna
called her up couple of times and called
on her once. Mrs. Wells was at Annals
home once during that stay, also on the
18th of November.
1t was on December 90, 1915, that Mrs
We11a mt TO
mas with the Sykes family. Among, the en-
tries in her diary at this time was tn,
following:
December %, children trimmed tree
More like an old-time Christmas"
The diary contains. also. a number b
references to the children during thi
period Mrs. Wells tells how she went t,
The exercises AT the church with Ann;
and the children, how she Mayed witt
them and where they went while she wa
there. Mrs. Wells left New York for HON
on January A. 1916
y On January II. 1915, there Is the entry
Martha sent me a birthday present .
ina II speaks also, of present from Eliza
beth. and birthday cake and a it'll
party prepared for her by her friends.
touch of pathos appears under tn
entry Of February N: Mine years ag
since Ned left me, Oh, If he could onl
C. p. Smith. president of the Burline
tor Savings Bank, took the stand at IN
opening of the afternoon session. HI
testimony conferred on long acquaintanc
which he had had with the Wells famil,
dating back to tho time when Edwar
Wells was living with his first wife NJ
Smiths acquaintance with Mrs. Eff
Wells had noe been an intimate one. a
though ne had come in contact with HI
frequently, in connection with the boar
Of the Home for Aged Women, Of whic
they were both members. and. in lat
years. In the bank. From such recole
iions of her. there was no doubt in NJ
Smiths mind but that she was OF sour
mind and judgment. he said.
Mr.. Smith was cross-examined to SON
he made that he had often seen Mrs. Z
fie Wells team waiting in front of Il
Wells &, Richardson company's office
take home Charles Wells and Luci'
Wells. Attorney Billiard asked II NJ
Smith had seen that team there with
the last five years. to Which the wtne
replied that he should say that 1t HI
'keen there as late as 1917. and possib
In 1918.
Anna Wells Sykes was on the stal
for very few minutes and a
swered questions concerning certa
letters supposed to have be-
among her mothers papers at {
time she died. but which the proponen
evidently have not located. Mrs Syk
said that she did not take away any
a,l a