Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-06-11
FREEMEN WILL
CASE HEARING
Contested Will Case of Me-
tuChen Doctor Heard in
County Court Again
WITNESSES ARE CALLED
Great Array of Legal TaIen'
on Hand as Fight for Money
is Continued
WITNESSES ARE CALLED

NEW BRUNSWICK, June IL
The hearing on the contested will of
DR.. Charles Manning Freeman, of
Metuchen, which cut his wife off
with a dollar and left 5000 70 each
sister, was continued in court here
today, Russell e. Wat on, attorney
for Freeman and the Manning Free
man & Soa coal company for about
five years, being the first witness
called. The will, which is being op-
posed by the widow and one sister,
leaves the bulk of the estate to
Harry Mohring, Freeman's chauf-
feur. Former Senator Thomas B wn
and Russell Z. Watson represent the
wife and sister of the deceased while
Mornings interests are being looked
out for by Theodore Strong and w.
H. D. Davy.
DIR. Freeman died on March Z last
and Watson told on the witness
stand of having met with the doctor
about once a week during the time
he was attorney for Freeman and
his company up until February 3
last. In July of last year, Watson
said, he took up with Freeman the
matter of collecting from William
Dinwiddie, a close friend of the doc
tors, a bill for $4,000 which was
owed Freeman. Failure upon the
part of the doctor TO take any inter-
est in the collection of this bill,
Watson said, caused him to hesitate
about taking steps to collect it be-
cause of the friendship between the
two men. When DR.. Freeman came
to his Office to discuss this matter
the witness said. the doctors speech
was incoherent and he was scarcely
able to walk being under the in1u-
ence of liquor or drugs,
In the fall of last year, the wit
ness testified. the Lehigh Valley
railroad notified the Freeman COM
pany that their lease on the coal
trestle was 10 expire shortly ana 1t
would be necessary for the company
to buy the trestle and the railroad
company would not renew the lease.
Mr.. Watson said he took this matter
up with DR.. Freeman and he was OF
the opinion that the company could
build a new trestle at a cost less
than that requested by the railroad
company for the old one. The price
mentioned was about $4,000, the
witness said. He said DR.. Freeman
after telling him to get estimates
never thought anything more about
the matter.
Mr.. Watson testified that although
DR.. Freeman was admitted TO the
state hospital as a lunatic it was his
personal opinion that the doctor was
not of unsound mind but that he
was suffering from habitual drinking
and drug taking and unable TO prop
erly conduct his business affairs.
After Mr.. Watson had left the
stand Attorney Brown representing
Mrs. Freeman announced that he
had intended 10 produce four wit
nesses but their testimony would
be along lines similar to that al
ready produced by Mr.. Watson 5
witnesses for Miss Sally Freeman,
the sister who opposes the viii.
Brown announced that Mrs. Free
man, the widow, was one of has
witnesses. but as she had not seen
the doctor from the time he last let
the hospital until his death, she
would not be able TO give any addi-
tional facts in the case.
This announcement by Attorn ~
Brown meant that the caveators
side OF the case hadw been complet-
ed. Announcement was then male
that this afternoon those endeavor-
ing to sustain the will would be
given an opportunity to present the4r
witnesses. There was a possibility
that this testimony would be COM
pleted today although it seemed
likely it would continue until to-
morrow.
At the close of caveators' case
a date will be set for the receipt
of medical testimony Of alienists as
to the possibilities of DR.. Free0an
having been sane when he made the
will