Norwich bulletin., 1921-10-22
BENTLEY ESTATE OPERATED
FLAMING MILL

mill. operated by the Bentley estate, made profit Of between SIP, ,000 and s13.00o a year from 1895 to 1900 al- lowing s5,0oo year for rental accord ing to the testimony of Edward NJ. Sweeney, former manager of the mil. at the hearing on the Bentley appeal from ihe account of Attorney John c. Geary as agent and attorney for Mrs. Julia C. Bentley, administratrix of the estate of the late A. J. Bentley. before Judge Milton A. Shumway in the su- perior court in New London Friday morning
 Mir. Sweeney was testifyjng for the appellants. When court came in Fri day morning Attorney John C. Geary was recalled to the stand for a brief cross examination concerning some or ders and bank account transfers to which he had previously testified at the conclusion of which the appellee's case was rested
 Negotiated With Geary. | Ambrose Cassara of New London was the first witness for the appe 'lants and he testified about some land he bought in Winthrop street from the Bentley estate. He said he bought the land in 1903 and that he conducted the negotiations with MT. Geary and that he never saw Mrs. Bentley Tn the trans action. The witness said that the agree
 ment was that he was to buy the land i for s1. 400 with first cash nayment of
 s2o0 and monthly payments of s90. Mir. Cassara did not remember the exact
 date of the first payment but he re-
 called that he made it to MT Geary in cash. He thought that he drew the
 money from the bank for the payment.
 He was shown his book on the Savings
 Bank of New London showing a with
 drawal of s200 on April A. 1903, and
 he said that he presumed that this was the money for the first payment The
 witness did not reconect whether he
 made the first payment on the same day he withdrew the money. MT. Cassara said that he made all subsequent pay
 ments. both for principal and interest. to MT. Geary. Although the agreement
 was to pay s2o a month. MT Cassara said that sometimes he paid more and
 that the entire amount was paid in a
 little over a year from the date of the
 mortgage. The witness in cross-exami-
 nation by Judge Charles B. Waller. who
 Is conduc ing MT. Geary's case, said
 that the payments were all in cash.
 but admitted that he did not know
 what MT. Geary cd with the money
 and what the total amount of interest
 was that he paid.
 John Rollo was called next and tes-
 tifed that he bought land in Winthrop
 street from the Bentley estate and that
 he made all his payments of both prin. , cipal and interest to Mir. Geary. He , did not recall whether the initial pay. ment was for $500 or s4oo.
 Borrowed From Bentley Estate. Charles F. Potter was then called ant testified to having borrowed money iron the Bentley estate on a mortgage an,
 to having made the payments of interes
 either to Mr. Geary or his associates. [ At this point. Judge Waller said tha
 he did not think his testimony neces f sary as MT. Geary- had admitted in hi : examination to having received tn, v money. This was questioned by Attor r ney McGuire who was examining Mir t Potter. and Judge Waller declared tha t could be verified by referring to tn Q records. Anyhow. we admit 1t now
 said Judge Waller, and Mir. Potter wa t recalled from the stand.
 n Testimony of Mir. Sweeney. > MT. Sweeney was called as the mex
 witness. He said that he was associate Il with Mir. Bentley in his lumber bust e ness from 1889. He said that he ha l. served in various capacities includin e clerk. tallyman. surveyor and inspectc S s in 1895, he continued as manager l. the business. He remained in that e l. pacity until October 22. 1900.
 n NIT. Sweeney said that when he CT K tered the employ or the company, th e plant was located in East New Londo e and that the plant was being moved { ! Fort Neck when Mir. Bentley died. l Was only a few weeks after Mir Bent 'f ley's death that the mill at Fort Nee IS was in full operation.
 The witness was asked If he kne- st William Oliver and replied that. Nil q Oliver was the bookkeeper for the con 0 pany. Mir. Oliver was there when th > witness entered the employ of the con t pany and he was there a year after h l. (Mr. Sweeney left.
 Mir. Sweeney identified four paper
 which he said were in Mr. Oliver
 handwriting and said that they wer E statements made from the books fc the purpose of showing the volume ( n business the company did from 1895 ; 1900.
 Profits Approximately s1s.ooo. One of the papers showed that tt - s149.o00 to s1S9.00o a year in rour k figures. and dec ared that the averas ;a profit of the company was s1s.0o0 = year or approximately s12.000 to SIS
 900 year allowing s5.OOO a year rer V tai on a basis of ten per cent on a y inventory value of s50.o00. As a ma il ter of fact that company owned the mi VI and paid no rent.
 4 It was also brought out that ss.2t ,t paid Mrs. Caroline B. Gerard, daugI
 ter of Mir. Bentley by a former ma ,t rage. in settlement of the share as 2 " heir. was paid from the profits of u y business.
 1t C,