Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-06-12
SAY FREEMAN 3
MIND UNSOUND
When He Made Will Cutting
off Wife, Noted Writer
Living at MetuChen
PROPONENTS ARE HEARD
Witnesses Continue Testi-
mony-Date for Medical
Hearing Will be Fixed

NEW BRUNSWICK, June i =
/ The proponents of the will of Dr..
Charles Manning Freeman, of Metu-
chen, which cut off his wife with
one dollar and his sisters with $500
| each, leaving the bulk of his estate
to his chauffeaur, had their witnesses
on the stand before Judge Kirkpat-
rick yesterday afternoon and this
morning. These witnesses have been
/ placed on the stand in order TO SET
! up a rebuttal to the testimony pro-
duced by the caveators during the
| former hearings. tending to show
that the doctor was of unsound mind
when he made his will. 1t is posi-
| Bile the proponents of the will will
/ finish their case today. If not. j. will
/ be continued at o'clock Friday af-
ternoon. A date will then be set for
the hearing of medical testimony II
[ the case.
Under-sheriff Fred Gowan was on
the stand this morning and cross ex-
amined at length by Thomas Brown
and Russell Z. Watson, attorneys for
the widow Of DIR. Freeman and one
sister. respectively. Particular stress
was laid upon the fact that Free
man had been made a special depu-
| ty sheriff on June II of last year.
/ The counsel for the caveators made
much of the fact that a man in the
doctors condition was permitted TO
| have such an appointment. Gowan
said he had sworn in DR.. Freeman
at the instruction of the sheriff, who
| had been requested to do so by
Mayor Washington Wilson, of Me-
| tuchen. Gowan testified that a.
! though he was aware the doctor
could not see we'll he did not know
| that he was often under the influ-
ence of something. either liquor or
drugs.
Mrs. James Stillo, who resides
| near Freeman's garage, testified this
morning that he had come to her
home four or five times during the
past year and a half and that he APP
/ peared to be well.
Ralph Noe, assistant cashier OF
the Metuchen National Bank, testi-
| fed that on May 81 of last year DR..
| Freeman opened an account at his
| bank, and deposited $50, at once
| drawing out s49. On November 27-
| last. the doctor deposited S475, the
| witness said, but quickly drew it out
again. The witness said the doctor
/ appeared NuAlt llll 444dl dAAAlBA5l II AAAS
/ eyesight was poor. He said, how
/ ever, that he did not think him CON-
petent to manage his own business.
Most of the Freeman banking was
| done in Perth Amboy and New
Brunswick banks. Noe said.
w. H. D. Dayy, the Belleville law
yer who drew up the will now being
| contested, was on the stand yester-
/ day afternoon. He together with
| Theodore Strong of New Brunswick
represent Harry Mohring, the chauf-
feur who is left practically every
/ thing in the will. Davy produced
/ the habeas corpus proceedings and
/ chancery decree releasing Freeman
| from the state asylum for the in
sane. These were admitted into evil
dence despite the objection of Brown
and Watson.
Davy testified that on June is Of
/ last year he was engaged by DR..
! Freeman to oust Watson as the
Freeman trustee through chancery
action. At that time, the witness
said, Freeman told him the business
was worth 100000 exclusive Of
/ S25,00O held in Breen's name and
$4,000 or $4,000 in outstanding
bills.
Attorneys Brown and Watson
pointed out that Davy, in drawing
the Freeman will, had failed to in
sert the clause yoiding all previous
wills. The witness maintaine that
| the last will automatically voids any
former ones. The witness, under
/ strong cross-examination by Watson,
admitted drinking whiskey with DR..
! Freeman before meals, but main
J ~ II INC nit h
/ that practice. Attorney Watson de-
clared it was unprofessional and un-
! ethical for a lawyer to conduct him
self in such a manner with client.
| Adolph Haueur, Of New Bruins
| wick, manager of a grocery house,
/ told of Freeman trying to interest
4 him in taking over a one-half inter-
/ est in his business at Metuchen.
| Harry Mohring took the stand this
morning and will continue to testify
| this afternoon. He declared he hac
no knowledge at the time DR.. Free
man made his last will that he was
TO be the chief beneficiary. The
doctor had told him of his intention
to change the will, Mohring said but
| had not told him what changes he
| proposed to make. The doctors
! greatest ambition, the witness said
was to regain his health and he
fought hard to give up heavy drink
! ing in order that he might be able
| to take hold of his business and
manage it again when the trustee
ship expired in May of this year.
Mohring said he was twenty-seven
years old and had known DIR. Free
man since 1917 as the doctor often
came to his house while he Gree
mani was living with William Breen
and his family. The witness said he
was in the army from 1918 to 1919,
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p. A. Hdwe. for Gas Ranges.
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