Norwich bulletin., 1922-09-16

was . spectacular blaze, and could be
 seen for many miles around. The fis
 cornpknlAs worked well, and soon had
 the situation in hand, though gallons
 of water had to be poured Into the hay
 before it was completely exk2nguiHhed.i
 barn following the discovery of the fire, made attempts to reach the four ani-l malls kept there. The dense smoke pro vented this as the horses, which had
 broken loose, could not be found.
 Thurpday afternoon Attorney Charles L. Torrey was In Eastford to represent | Frank Baker, son Of Henry Baker. who | was before Judge c. p. Trowbridge. charged with the rape of Anna Filo, the
 12-year-old daughter of Paul Filo, If | Eastford The Baker boy is fifteen. |
 Probable cause was found, and sthe boy l was bound over to the superior court. i Bonds of s1o6o were furnished for ap-
 pearance there.
 Beglnnins Sunday, Officer EuEene Gibney, of the Putnam police depart ment will take the night beat, and |Dff-
 cer John Ryan will go from night to \ day duty. Foilovtng the short calender session of the Windham county superior court Iheld in Putnam Friday morning. Judge }George E. Hinman heard the case of
 Mary A. Carpenter and Flora H. Dur fees appeal from probate of the estate i of Thomas L. Moffitt, late of Putnam
 Mofitt. who died last December, left an Iestate amounting to over $7,ooo. In his l will, he bequeathed. to his daughter, Flora H. Durfee of Charlestown, Mass, the sum of $2oo; to his sister, Mrs Emma. Youngs of Pornfret Center, \ 3100; and to the Abingdon Cemetery as- sociation, $loo for the upkeep of his rTTI.s l1n4 &nH that the residue be invested by the ex
 ecltor in 8 monument to be placed over his grave Attorney Arthur S. Macdon-
 aid appeared for the appellants. and At torney Charles L. Torrey for the estate. David F1agg, judge of probate in Putnam, in whose court the win and codicn were probated, gave formal tes- tirnony concerning this. L.. E. smith and Clarence E. Pierce of Putnam were called by Attorney Torrey to identify their signatures as witnesses of the will. The will was drawn May 25, 1901. Each of these witnesses testified that Mof1ltt appeared competent to make a will, and 7 dispose of his property. In reply to a
 question by Attorney Macdonald. each : declared he did not know whether or not Mofitt could read or write.
 | Elsie A. Gallant of Putnam, steno s grapher for the firm of Torrey & Gefs- 7 sler, Putnam, Identified her signature as
 witness to the codicil to-, the will, . which was drawn in October, 1921 At { torney Torrey himself was then sworn
 and testified that he drew the codiol to
 the will, which codicil made a change !, in the executor. but did not change the bequests in any way. While he knew :, Moffitt could neither read nor write, he . considered him competent to make a = will. Miss Gallant also testified that ]. Moffitt to her seemed perfectly normal
 man.
 Attorney Macdonald then called George a H. Hicks of Arlington, a selectman soi 't the town of Pomfret. who testified that ,'tt he had known Moffitt for 20 years. Moi z fit,- he said. had worked for him, and 7 had lived with him. Moffitt was a day
 laborer, and witness said he did moi l. think he was of normal intelligence. H. ;: was not a man who could plan work v but. could do what he was told. Wit r, ness testified also that Mofatt was giveE Lr to sullens moods and that at times h, C. would refuse to speak for a day or twt le at a time. He also stated that he dit |, not think Mofntt was, man who wa t. capable of realizing the. value of prop l.. erty running into hundreds of dollars .. nor intelligent enough to realize the sig = nifcance of drawing will. He wa :. certain Moffitt would not realize t.. , = value of a suitable monument for a cens ,e etery.
 ;. George s. Platt Of Abingdon testife : that he had known Muffltta fore25 years = and that Mofftt had worked for him ni
 numerous occasions. Mojfltt could no = read or write, and he should not con
 sider him a man of crdinarH intelli gence enough to realize the Eignihcan. ' of drawing a will. Neither did witnes
 think, Mofitt was mentally capable c realizing the value of his o~n property a He testified that he knew Moffitt hs -a two oaughters and tlat for a time,
 wds friendly with oas of them Flora
 Bu: when Flora went to live with tn J. csher sister; the .ather had nothing t Id do with her Witness had to write Mot r. htt's letters. am figure for him. 4 CT tirnes his actions H4te ve-v childish. an ge he would become angry over trifes. CT Similar testimony was given by u el- seph H. Robbins of P ,rnfret, with who,
 Moffltt lived for six months.
 91 Miss Clara L. Averili, of Ponfret Ger or ter, told the court that Moffltt had wori at ed for her father, and that from whs
 she had seen of him, ene did not thin cn he would realize the significance of ay will, the value of property. not even u ilc extent of his own possessions. Often I all was childish and unreasonable, frequen
 ly having spells of sulleuness. She ha A- written letters for him to his daughte ne and they were of a friendly nature as Mrs. Flora Durfee, Charlestow cir Mass. daughter of Mofitt, testified tn; To- she had lived with her mother after u
 latter had divorced Mof1tt. The fath, ie- occasionally visited her, later, al r- brought gifts. On the last visit he hs nd seemed pleased to see her, and kisst he her. As child she remembered his ug
 and sullen moods, and she did not b no lieve that he was a normal man. Sl IT, was surprised to learn that her fakh Ied had so much money when he died. az. Attorney Macdonald then recalll ice Judge FlagH. The latter testided ] 'on knew Mohitt, and said he did not thir
 he had testamentary capacity. The Ia a1 witness was Luther Nj. Keith, selectm1 of of Putnam, and superintendent Of t led Putnam cemetery. He also is in the mo ". ument business He testified that sar knew the Mofntt lot. in the Abingtt
 cemetery, and 1t measured by 20 we, ut- He considered that q monument eos es- ing nearly $7.eoo would be out of pla < there, and that suitable stone eou lcn be had for $1,ooo today. and for half nly that at the time the will was drawn I to also knew Mcff1tt, and did not think tn n.r Moffitt would have been the type of m; her to take pride in an expensive monaene ray such as the will required. dly When both sides rested, the cou
 took the papers, and decision will cut dled later.
 the At the aAjeurneA needing of Putns ho- city council Thursday night. it was V,