Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-05-06
MRS. WELLS ESTATE
|NVENTOR|ED s172,s21
H. L. Ward, Residuary Legatee,
Continues Testimony in Con.
tested Will Case and Is Asked
About His Own Financial AT.
fairs Three Years Ago

Inventories made In 1916 and In 1917 by
Henry l.. Ward for Mrs. Effe r. T. Wells.
and including the contents Of her safe
deposit box, but not including her real es-
tate. were brought forward Friday az
ternoon In the cross-examination Of Mr..
Ward. who is the residuary legatee under
the will Of Mrs. Wells, now being con-
tested In county court. Mr.. Ward testified,
with the inventories before him. that the
estate of Mrs. Wells at the time Of the
inventory was made In 1916. not includ.
Ing the real estate. amounted to ST., 1872. ",
while the estate in 1917 not including real
estate. amounted to &i72o21.4s.
Mr. Ward was questioned, also. as to his
own financial affairs in 1916 and 1917 He
replied that he could not say offhand
how much he was worth at that time.
Questioned as to his salary. he said that
he was then receiving $6O00 a year as
president of the Burlington Trust COM
pany
Much OF the time during the early part
of the afternoon session was spent by
Attorney V. A. Billiard, conducting the
cross-examinaton. in calling the atten-
ton OF Mr. Ward to certain statements
made In letters from Mrs. Wells to him,
! ana from Elnl 10 MTs Wellb, ana ASKING
the witness Just what these statements
referred to. Tho letters from which the
extracts were taken had already been en-
tered as evidence.
| In questioning the witness about his re-
lations with Mrs. Wells, Mr.. Billiard ask
ed
Did you ever wind the clock for Mrs.
Wells"
Mr. Ward said that he had.
| "How many tmes?"
MI Ward said that 1t had been only a
fcw times, and. In answer to further
questions. said that 1t was in Mrs. Wells
room and that the times were when the
clock was not working properly and had
to be sent away for repairs.
Another matter upon which Mr.. Bull
lard questioned the witness was in re-
gard to his photograph which Mrs. Wells
had. Mr. Ward said that Mrs. Ward had
given her photograph and his to Mrs
Wells. Mr.. Billiard asked If Mr.. Wards
photograph was kept in Mrs. Wells room
and Mr. Ward said that 1t was not, that
1t was in the tower room
| Mr.. Ward was on the stand all day Fri
day. The cross examination was fin.
ished about three O'Clock in the after.
noon and the remainder Of the time until
court recessed, shortly after four o'clock
was spent by Attorney Sargent in intro.
ducing more papers In connection with
Mr.. Wards testimony. These papers were
related to business relations between Mr.
Ward and Edward Wells previous to thu
year 1908, and extending as far back a.
1896. They were brought in following the
cross-examination Of Attorney Billiard. ir
which he asked Mr.. Ward to tell wha
business interviews or transactions hi
had with Edward Wells In the year 1907
the year 1906, and other years about tha
time. Mr.. Ward was not able to nam,
any particular transactions during tn,
cross-eXamination. The attorneys for tn,
proponents brought in the papers in or
der to give more information along thi.
line.
Attorney Billiard objected to the ad
mission Of these papers on the GROUND
that the witness had said on cross-ex
animation that he could tell nothing abou
those matters, and Mr.. Rullard though
that any papers which were now brough
in concerning those matters should be in
troduced by the contestants, II they wer,
to be introduced at all. Judge Fish re
served the right to decide that matte
later. and the papers we're turned over t,
=. Mr.. Billiard to inspect.
In the cross-examination by Attorne!
Billiard Friday morning. Mr.. War,
was closely questioned regarding hi
, knowledge of the several Wills which Mrs
, Wells was supposed to have made. In
series Of questions, variously worded, Mr.
Billiard sought to get Mr.. Ward to sa.
!, how much he had expected to receive from
the estate of Mrs. Effie Wells under he
will of March "A, 1916 Mr. Ward reptile,
to these questions that he would not b
certain about any amount.
4
he thought it was right for Mrs. Well
to give him the large part Of her estat
and leave her daughter only 5000, a
was the case under the will OF March. 1915
Mr. Ward said that he thought it wa
right that Mrs. Wells should dispose o
her property as she wished to-
= Mr. Billiard called attention to the codi
= ell to the will of March IA. 1916 In thi
s codici. which was said to have been at
t tached to the will In June. 1917 Mrs Well
revoked the legacy Of 5000 left to Ann
Wells Skyes and also the legacies to tn
granddaughter, Martha and Elizabeth
Mr. Billiard then asked If the wtnes
, knew of anything which happened betwee
March IA. 1916 and June II. 1917 whic
would be likely to make Mrs. Wells re
e woke the legacies to her daughter an
n granddaughters. Mr.. Ward said that h
= could not say about that Mr.. Ward wa
: then asked to read the reason given in tn
= codicil which explained why Mrs. Well
z had revoked these legaces. This in ei
e feet. was that the codicil was made o
= account of matters well understood b
n Anna. matters g-owing out of the man
= agement of the trust fund.
d Intimate relations between Mrs. Well
= and Mr.. Ward. both business and per
t sonal, were emphasized In the cross OK
4 animation. Mr. Ward was asked about hi
y visits to the Wells home. their frequenc,
n whether alone or accompanied by other.
r about the time of day, the circumstance
and other matters. Especially in regar
to visits made during the summer an
early fall of 1917. just previous to tn
time when the last will was supposed t
have been executed, the cross-examinatio
ives conducted. The Loon Lake trip |
G September, 1917. in which Mrs. Wells az
companied the Wards over the weekend
j, was called attention to In particular.
Mr.. Ward was questioned. also. regard
Ing his access to the safe deposit bo
: where Mrs Wells kept her private pa
. pers, and instances were mentioned whe
u he had the key to this box to carry on