The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1921-11-18
SHAKING UP THE BONES O.
"UNCLE BART" BRADFORD
Not Much Evidence But Lively Effort to Break
Will That Gave Bulk of Quarter Million
Estate to a Stranger

of the late D. B. Bradford, who
died in this city on Nov. "a, 1918,
leaving the bulk of a quarter
million dollar estate to his sec
ond wife, will reach a jury in the
Superior Court here to-day and
the verdict of the jury may be
known tonight.
An imposing array of lawyers are
putting up a lively scrap over dead
mans chattels/ as this newspaper goes
to press.
On Dec 18, 1916, the first wife of
D. B. Bradford died, leaving him with
out children and 81 years old. He had
no children, but he had raft of kin
including DR.. John B. Griggs, John B.
Fearing, Mrs. Mary Whitehurst, D. B.
Fearing, Woodson Fearing, John Cul-
pepper, Dan Fearing, Mrs. Camille En-
ringhauss Foster, Mrs. w. P. Duff, Mrs.
J. p. Greenleaf, J. G. B, Ehringhaus and
four of the Ehringhaus line who live in
Texas
1t was generally understood at that
time that Mr.. Bradford would leave
one-third of his estate to the each of
the three families of heirs
But on Dec. Is, 1917, less than a
year after the death of his first wife,
Uncle Bart as Mr.. Bradford was af-
fecticnately known, UP and married
Miss Minerva L. Senft, "a years old, of
Spring Grove, Pa. Miss Senft had been
superintendent or head nurse in the
Elizabeth City Hospital in 1915 and
1916 and had twice nursed the first Mrs.
Bradford thru hospital operations.
The marriage of FUncle Bart" age
50, to Miss Minerva, age "a, threw a
jangle into the Christmas bells of many
of the Bradford heirs. On Nov. "a,
1918, less than year after his second
marriage, Mr.. Bradford laid down and
died, leaving a will bequeathing all of
his personal property worth $150,OO0 or
more, his home on East Main ST. and
third of all his real estate to his
second wife. Hence the suit in Court
here this week in which d. B. Fearing
caveator, has sought to show that the
Bradford will was the result of ''1ndue
and improper influence and that Tn
Gle Bart would have. given his first
wife's relatives a better deal but for
the cleverness of the second Mrs.
Bradford.
The evidence offered by the caveator,
however, has not been of the most con-
vincing character. A colored woman
who cooked for the Bradfords heard
Mr.. Bradford tell the new wife that
he didn't like to be hurried, which is
not more than an S2-year- husband
might be expected to say to a 24-year-
old bride. Mr.. John Fearing says he =
met the second Mrs. Bradford on the
street after the first Mrs. Bradford
died and that Mrs. Bradford said she
was going to quit work and have "a
damn good time" To this he said he
replied 81 don't blame you a damn bit,
Sis
Other witnesses testified to the love
of Mr.. Bradford for his kinspeop1e
There was also a lot of evidence to
show that the second Mrs. Bradford
had been very nice to Mr.. Bradford
before and after their marriage and
that she had kept him washed up,
dressed up, fed up and having a. good
time generally during their married life.
A Letter In Evidence
The defense made better showing
in the matter of evidence. To begin
: with it introduced a writing purport-
ing to be an anonymous letter sent to
Mrs. Bradford shortly after her mar
riage. The letter in part read:
''What the public generally is
asking is how many times does 80
go into %.
"Those that visit you do that out
of curiosity. You have no friends
and those who sing your praises
at the hospital will soon be con-
Verted to our side. JeweIry and
fine clothes are not all in life. A
damned mercenary hypocrite of
Jewess like you does not. deserve
less than what she get after our
Uncle Bart dies.
ave respect our Uncle and we
do not wish TO make his last days
miserable and full of shame. You
will find out after his death what
bargain you have made with your
life. There will be hell for you
after he has gone"
Mrs Bradford on the witness stand
testified that this letter had made Mr.
Bradford furious. She told in a sim
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