Evening star., 1949-01-29

counsel had been open to compro
mise ever since I've been on the
case" 1t was recalled that he sale
last November 80 that he had ap.
preached "the other side" on Sep.
tember "for the purpose of seeing
if We couldn't compromise the mat
ter"
Mrs. Patterson, known widely as
Americas most colorful woman
newspaper publisher, died at DOVE,
House, her country estate near Marl-
boro, Md, last July "a.
She left will dated June 81, 1916
and two codicils dated November 7
1916, and May 20. 1947.
In that will, she disposed of an
estate estimated variously at $16,-
100000 and s17,690, 900. of which the
two largest chunks were the Times
Herald and her one-fourtfi interest
in the trust controlling the Chicago
Tribune and the New York News.
To Mrs. Gizycka. her only daugh-
ter. she bequeathed an annual in
come of $25,000, her estate at Port
Washington, N. Y, some property
in North Dakota and most of her
personal property.
One day before the deadline fol
opposing probate of the will. Mrs
Gizycka sued to break her mothers
will. She charged that her mother
was of unsound mind and that the
will was obtained through fraud
deceit and undue influence.
That launched a long series OF
legal maneuvers. Attorneys were
constantly in and out of court.
AS the legal maneuvering went
on, many thousands of dollars were
spent in preparation of the case
how much no one is willing to say
At least 20 attorneys and legal firms
got involved.
Dispositions Taken.
Pre-trial dispositions covering q
900 pages were taken. Most of these
were sealed. 1t was indicated today
that these depositions will be sealed
forever.
During the five-month period
four persons mentioned in connec-
ton with the case died.
One Of them was c. B. Porter,
former treasurer of the Times
Herald, who died in a plunge from
a Clarksburg, w. Va, hotel window
last September IA. Mr.. Porter had
been named by Mrs. Patterson as
one of eight to get the Times
Herald but he resigned from the
newspaper before her death, thereby
eliminating his chance to inherit.
On the same day as Mr.. Porter
died, Miss Betty Hynes, the Times
Herald society editor, was found
dead at her home here. Before the
coroner issued a certificate of death
from natural causes, Columnist
Drew Pearson, Mrs. Gizyckas for
mer husband. asked for an investi-
cation.
Seven Old Wills Turn Up.
Two of Mrs. Patterson's secret
beneficiaries, mentioned only as
certain friends of mine" in her
will, also died. One of them was
Robert w. Patterson, a cousin, who
died in San Diego last December 4
The other was Harry A. Nelson
longtime employe of the Times
Herald, who died January 3.
In Mrs. Patterson's will she asked
that payments be continued to
certain friends of mine" whose
names would be found among her
books and papers. Included among
them were old employees of the
Times-Herald, friends from her
days as a bride in Poland, retired
employees on her various estates and
others she had met and befriended.
Many other names came into the
case when seven old wills and two
codicils suddenly turned up late last
October. Among those mentioned
in the earlier documents but not
listed to benefit from the later one
were former Senator Hendrix Ship
stead and his wife, the League OF
Republican Women, Mrs. Ellen
Pearson Arnold, Mrs. Patterson s
only granddaughter, and various
other relatives and former employees
of the Times-Herald.
Changing Fortunes Traced.
The old wills traced Mrs. Gizycha'.
own changing fortunes. In 1922
Mrs. Gizycha was described as my
beloved daughter" and, was hel
mothers sole heir. except for the be.
quest of a family heirloom to s
niece.
She continued to be the principa
heir, although other bequests were
mentioned, until 1943, when the
SIS, 900 annual income came int<
the picture. Under that will, sht
could have tapped some of the prin.
cipal from which the income wa.
drawn if the trustees thought shs
needed it. But 1914 will contained
the same bequests as the presen
one as far as Mrs. Gizycha was con.
cerned.
In her suit to break the curren
will, Mrs. GiXycka sought a decision
that her mother died intestat,
without a valid wilD. If she hae
won, she would have been sole heir
Although she was the focal poin
OF the contest, Mrs. Gizycka re-
manned in the background during
the five months of litigation. Shs
never appeared in court, but die
spend three days giving a pretria
deposition.
After this hearing, she gave a
statement to reporters that she
would take an active part in direct
ing the Times-Herald if she sue
ceeded in breaking the will.
Delays In bringing the case tc
trial appeared to be near an enc
this month when Judge Holtzof
warned he would not look favorably
on any more efforts to postpone
court action.