The Ward County independent., 1921-02-24
REICHERT WILL CASE ATTRACTS.
ATTENTION; TO JURY TODAY

The arguments in the Reichert will
case which has been on trial before
Judge Moellring in district ccurt for
more than week began this morning
ard il is believed that the case will go
to the jury late this afternoon.
The action IS an appeal from the
county corrt wherein the case had
been decided n favor of :he hei:s 4
oselh Reichert, a wealthy young
farm' r, who died in Minot, Feb. "a,
1920, eaving an estate va ,led at APP
p"oxi nately S20,0O0.00.
The appeal to the district court
was taken by Miss Mary Keller, a
young woman who is employed in the
J. C. Penney store at Darlington, N.
D.. and who claims that she was en-
gagged to marry Jos. Reiche,t, and
that their marriage would have taken
place early last year ha | not Mr..
Reichert's death occurred.
The case attracted wide attention
and the court room has been crowded
each day of the trial by men and
women spectators. Farmers have
motored in from long distances each
day to hear the testimony.
McGee & Goss appeared fer Miss
Keller and the attorneys for the
the Reichert heirs were Fisk, Murphy
& Nash and J. J. Coyle. The case
was on trial just five days and Miss
Keller was on the stand for a good
many hours. She proved to be an
excellent witness, sticking to her tes-
timony in remarkably capable man
ner. She branded most of the tes-
timony offered by the Reichert heirs
as false and showed considerable spir-
it from time to time.
Two wills made by Jos. Reichert
were exhibited. The first one was
made the day before he died. In this
will he bequeathed $500 to the Cath
Ollie church, $500 for training worthy
Catholic young men for Priesthood; !;
500 for masses for his soul, $4,000
to Miss Keller and the remainder Of
his property including a valuable half
section Of land five miles northwest
of Minot was to be divided equally
among his brothers and sisters. Faith
er Raith was named as executor in the
first will. Atty. j.. J. Coyle who drew
up the first will testified that when
he read it to Mr.. Reichert, it showed
that $500 had been left to Mary Kel-
Ter. Mr.. Coyle stated that Mr.. Reich
ert remarked that he meant Asle
amount to be only $4,000, that she
was just a friend and Mr.. Coyle
states that thereupon he changed the
typewriter figure 5 to. read 2, using
pen and ink. The first will was wit
messed by Miss Femrite, nurse in
St. Joseph's hospital and by Mr..
Coyle.
A second will was signed by Mr..
Reichert about fifteen minutes be-
fore he died, testimony showed. This
was will prepared at the request
of Miss Keller, who stated that Jos.
Reichert wished to sign new will.
Miss Keller had arrived from Caring
ton the day that Mr.. Reichert died.
In the second will $1OO was given for
masses for his soul. The personal
property was bequeathed to the rela-
tives and all of the rest of the prop
erty was given to Miss Keller. DR..
A. Carr and DR.. F. E. Wheelon af-
fixed their signatures to the second
will. DR.. Carr stated that in his
opinion Mr.. Reichert did not know
what he was signing; that Mr.. Reich
ert was staring straight ahead; that
he made the letter ] and then hesitat-
ed much before he finished writing
his name. Miss Keller testified that
as he signed the will, he looked
towards the paper and in the direction
of where she was standing as well.
Miss Clara Ellefson, nurse testi-
fled that Joe didn't realize what he
was signing and that he remarked.
eyes, give me the check, I'll sign it."
The Mother Superior testified that
she had the first will in her possession
and that Miss Keller asked to see it.
The Mother produced the will, she
says and Miss Keller stood reading it
over her shoulder, snatching it out
Of her hands, retaining both wills.