Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-01
mrs. HENDERSON
UNFIT, ARTH SAYS
Report of Arnold Guardian
Declares Late DoWager
Was "Incapacitated."
Continued From First Pase)

Cney nave plenty Oh money JtlculSTlVCc
and that she might do more. I said
that was not calling on behalf OF the
Arnold family, except in so far as
the interests of Augusta Arnold were
concerned In the pending suit, and /
again referred to the averment OF the
bill of complaints. Mrs. Henderson then
| pointed to a name on a paper, which
she carried in her hand, and said, This
man may know something about It,.
Upon reading the name, I saw 1t was
that Of Mr.. George e. Edelin,, attorney
Of record TO- said defendant there
upon informed her that had talked
| with Mr. Edelin, briefly about the case
and would see him again, but in the
meantime wished to talk with Rr
regarding 1T. She stated that Shma
was her lawyer: that he was responsible
for her being alive today and that he
had saved her from the evil designs OF
an employee in her household.
When Mrs. Henderson stated that
Shima was her lawyer, turned to him
and asked. Are you Mrs. Hendersons
laWyer?' to which he replied, No, MT.
Edelin, is; l am her secretary.
"Shima further stated he was not a
lawyer; that Mr.. Edelin, had been his
professor in a law school, and that he
Shima, had employed him to look after
several matters for Mrs. Henderson dur
ing the past five or six months. and
that he, Shima. had among others oc-
cupied the position OF gardener and
chief butler in Mrs. Hendersons house
hold; that he had been away for
while and came back as her secretary
about five or six months before the In
terview. I then endeavored to learn
from Mrs Henderson the facts regard
ing her present and past real estate
holdings and transfers In the District
of Columbia and elsewhere, since the
death Of her son, John 3. Henderson
tr., but she failed and apparently was
unable to impart any information what.
ever in reference thereto. When asked
as to the disposition OF the proceeds Of
sale Of the Spanish house she said she
did not know, whereupon Shime stated
that the Spanish house had been sold
long years ago.
When asked concerning the house
she had offered as a GIFT to the United
States for a home for Vice Presidents.
Mrs. Henderson turned to Shima and
asked him If that was not the Spanish
house, and he nodded assent. She APP
peared to have no conception whatever
regarding the contents Of the bill Of
complaint, and when questioned In re-
spect of them she apparently was un.
able to. make any coherent statement.
looked at Shima who undertook to nm
ish them for her She referred to Mrs.
wholean as 'Trix' and said that 1t was
reprehensible of her to have filed the
suit, TO which remark Shima nodded,
saying Yes
Shima Tells Trust Details.
When asked as to the approximate
income derived from the property in
which the infant defendant herein has
an interest. Mrs. Henderson said she
did not know. Shima, thereupon, volun-
teered the statement: We are now
receiving about $3,50e per month from
the trust at the Metropolitan Bank,
and Mrs. Henderson herself is collect
ing rents amounting to about 1880.
making approximately $4,000 per
month"; all Of which, he said, they were
using for the payment Of household ex-
penSes and that the said sum hardly
covered them: that the bank account
was being kept in bank on Four
tenth street.
AT the time OF the interview, Mrs.
Henderson was a small, frail woman,
but seemingly in fair physical condition,
considering her age. which I understood
to be about 30 years. but in my opinion,
she was wholly incapacitated mentally
for the transaction of business and had
no understanding Of the avernent OF
the bill Of complaints nor memory OF her
real estate and financial transactions
in recent years.
"A few days after my visit with Mrs
Henderson I informed Mr.. Edelin, and
Attorney H. Prescott Galley of the fact
Of such visit and also Of my conclu-
sion that she was wholly incapable men
tally of transacting business. asked
Mr.. Edelin, for information regarding
the real estate owned by John B. Hen
derson, ST., at the date Of his death,
which Of said real estate had been sold
and the disposition of the proceeds Of
such sale and similar information with
respect to the real property of John b.
Henderson, ir., from the date of his
death; also information concerning the
real estate acquired by Mrs. Henderson
from the date Of the death of John b.
Henderson, ST.; which of said properties
had been sold since and the disposition
of the proceeds Of such sale: also con-
corning Mrs. Henderson's gifts of money
and real estate, If any, since the death
of John B. Henderson, jr. Mr.. Edelin,
said that he would endeavor to obtain
such information from Shima and one
Harry Seay, who, he said, knew more
about Mrs. Henderson's business than
anybody else. Thereafter, from time to
time, he delivered to me three type
written memoranda, which are attached.
These memoranda do not fully disclose
the information desired.
II have received information to the
effect that in January, 1881, Mrs. Hen
derson decided to Harry Seay or to
Seay's wife, as a gift, two lots on Six
tenth street; that subsequently these
lots were sold by the grantee for $780,
and turned over to Mrs. Henderson and
N
the purchase Of a house back Of her
home on Fifteenth street.
japanese Given Property.
IT am also informed that in Deem
Der, 1880, deed was recorded In the
ONCE of the recorder Of deeds for the
| District Of Columbia, whereby Mrs.
Henderson conveyed to Shima, as a
! gift, the fee title to certain valuable
property approximates $500 per month.
| 1t is pos sible that this property and that
alleged to have been conveyed to Seay
or Seay's wife were part Of the real
estate in which Mrs. Henderson ap-
parently had but q life interest and the
infant herein q contingent interest"
Arth, In his report, then refers to
the death of Mrs. Henderson at Bar
Harbor, July 10. and the filing of the
six wills and two codicils, and points out
that up to this time no effort had been
made to probate any Of them. He
points out that in the meantime the
| rentals Of valuable real estate and other
income due the estate as we'll as rentals
accruing to the estate of John B. Hen
derson, jr., remain uncollected and I'M
accounted.
He points out that his infant de-
pendent has q contingent interest under
the will of John B. Henderson, jr.. in
valuable property and to that extent Is
interested in It's conservation. In all
probability, he says. the estate Of Mary
F. Henderson, deceased, must make an