The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-12-16
BARNET MAN
FIGHTS TO KEEP
$4,000 HOUSE
Charles p. Dimick Sleeps
In Cloak Room of
Big Mansion

| BOSTON, Mass, Dec. lily
ing in cloakroom just inside the
vestibuie of 100000 house at "a
| Fenway is Charles P. Dimick, a
/ former Barnet, VT. man, chief heir
of the late Helen S.\Austin, who
came into possession of the estate
on the death of her husband,
Judge Henry Austin, former Jus
tice of the RoXbury court. With
meagre funds. Dimick is fighting
to retain the house against two
nephews and a niece of Mrs. Aus
tin who are contesting her will.
The heir to the huge mansion,
which has 10 rooms, five beths
and seven washroofls, has filled
the magnificent bedrooms with
paying guests in an effort to raise
money for the upkeep of the eS-
tablishment, contenting himself
with the by 9 courtroom as his
own quarters.
The story began with the
friendship between the late Judge
Austin and Dimick, who is a tech
meal photographer and mining eX-
pert. On the latter's death, Dimick
helped the widow straighten her
husbands tangled financial affairs
and became her advisor and com
panion. Charging undue influence
the relatives who are contesting
Mrs. Austin's will are Frank Mye
kirchbaum of Henniker, n. H., a
| i {
ton, a nephew, and Mrs. Herschel
Paul of Newport, n. H., d niece.
AS he recoUnts the succession of
events, Dimick first became ac-
quainted with Judge Austin in
1914. Between that time and the
date of his death, June "a, 1918,
Dlmlck was frequently with the
Judge whose firm friend he be
came but he only met Mrs. Austin
once IN passing on the street. The
judge, who had made Dimick a
confidant of his financial Difficult
ties, in 1916 told him in consterna-
ton of his brothers death and will
Whereas the judge had been
counting on half million dollars.
Charles Austin of Portsmouth, n.
H., left nearly all of his estate to
the 8th Lincolnshire regiment of
England, with whose officers he
had become friendly in China.
The Austins, who had been liv-
ing on Beacon street, then rented
"a Fenway which was the proertpv
OF the late Charles, and decided to
contest the latter's will. Dimick
says he consequently arranged
loans for the Judge and personally
advanced him small loans. Affairs
however, began to prey on the
Judges mind, fos. working on the
basis OF a compromise, he reared
he would not receive anywhere
near enough to extricate himself
from his financial trouble. His
health failed rapidly and he died
at 81 Fenway.
Mrs. Austin fo. the first time
at that point called on Dimick for
help IN arranging the funeral. Di
mick continued the story:
She called on me often and. as
one call followed another, the
gradual evolution of it all found US
forming a close friendship. Suisse
quently revelations from her
showed that the affairs of Judge
Austin were in tragic shape. The
staggering fact revealed was that
where his liabilities were close to
$o0,00O, has assets amounted to
only $500. She had only about
$500 IN the bank. Her only income
was about $4,000 per annum, the
interest on an annuity the Judge
had provided for her. This $4,000
a year would prevail until her
death and would then become an
sorbed by the issuing company"
The first talk | had ever had
with Helen, she had said that none
OF her relatives, and all she had
was two nephew and d niece could
live with her. That they had all
ways more or less neglected her
and Herschal Paul, whom She and
the judge had given the use of one
OF their best rooms at "a Fenwav
for several weeks, had never even
been thoughtful enough to thank
either of them for their acts OF
kindness and thdc Herschal did
not attend the judges funeral OF
even write to her until three
months after his death. She furth-
er told me that Frank Kirchbaum.
her nephew, had been denied the
privileges Of their home for sew
eral years because of family an
ferences.
Dlmlck went ii live at 81 Fen
way about a month after the death
of Judge Austin on the solicitation
OF Mrs. Austin, who said that his
company and aid was vital to her
life. At his suggestion she had fill
ed the house with paying guests to
relieve her financial stress. A.
time went on, Dimick said, she be-
came more bitter toward her rela-
tlves because OF their neglect, re-
peatedly stating that she did not
wish them to receive any Of her
property. Kirchbaum and his wife
were given $500 each and Sher-
man and Paul, 500 each.
through much compromising
and buying up about 30 claims on
the estate, Dlmick was able to 90
before the court and get the estate
discharged from insolvency after
a, year OF effort The buying up of
clans was possible because of Ger
tam sums of money received by a
compromise Of the Charles Austin
will. In June 1921, Dimick states,
Mrs. Austin went to her attorney
and executed the will in which he
was chief beneficiary. She died in
the FOLLOWING Ann11.t