Evening star., 1951-11-27
Putnam Will Succeed Johnston'Tria| Of Suits Seeking
AsEconomic StobiizerSo rSoturdoyTo Break S75O,0OO
Lyon Will Resumed

Trial of two suits in which q
prominent Washington heart spe-
cialist and his daughter seek tc
break a $750,000 will of Mrs. Irene
Elizabeth Moore Lyon of Rock
willie. Md, resumed today in
Prince Georges County Circuit
Court.
Mrs. Lyon, who was 68, died
September %, 1850, at Glenview,
her 120-acre estate near the
Montgomery County seat. A ma
tive of Greensburg. Pa. and a
member of a wealthy family, she
came to Washington as a young
woman and was active in society
until she suffered two paralytic
strokes three years before her
death.
One Suit Filed by Husband.
One of the suits was filed by
her 70-year -old husband. DR..
James Alexander Lyon, who was
awarded long list of medical,
military and literary medals and
honors during World War I.
The other was brought by Mrs.
Elizabeth Moore Lyon Kelley. 25-
year-old brunette daughter of Mr..
and Mrs. Lyon. She made her
debut here in December, 1914.
Five witnesses in the involved
cases. which may take several
days to complete. testified yester-
day before Judge Charles c.
Marbury and a jury of six men
and six women. At least 35 more
witnesses are expected to take
the stand.
Plaintiffs Charge Influence.
Both plaintiffs, in actions orig
inally docketed in Montgomery
County, claim that Mrs. Lyon was
of unsound mind when she signed
"a very complicated" trust agree
ment in January, 1949. with tbs
Washington Loan & Trust Co.
They further allege that she
signed will dated June 8. 1949
under undue influence" exer-
cised by officers of the banking
institution.
The will excluded DR.. Lyon, but
directed that Mrs. Kelley during
her lifetime receive the income
from the 100000 portion of the
estate represented by cash and
securities. 1t provided that the
entire estate be given to Mrs.
Kelley's children, after her death.
A change of venue was granted
at the request of Mrs. Kelley, who
said she felt she could not obtain
a fair trial in Montgomery County
Daughter Tells of Disagreements
Mrs. Kelley said her mother Suf-
fered two cerebral hemorrhages in
the summer of l947 which left her
entire left side paralyzed and her
mind impaired.
She recited disagreements be-
tween her father and mother and
between herself and both parents,
but said she remained with her
mother during most of her illness
and that her father, who had lived
apart, rejoined them in their IA
room apartment at 2029 Connecti-
cut avenue and at Glenview. when
he learned of Mrs. Lyons con-
dition.
Wed to Former Boxer.
Once a dancing teacher in a
District studio. Mrs. Kelley mar
ried her present husband, Harry
III. Kelley. 81, former Washing
ton amateur boxer, in June, 1947,
six weeks after her first husband,
Theodore Deutsch, the father of
her child. shot himself to death
in a Chicago hotel room.
Mr.. DeutSch, a 30-year-old
World War II veteran, left a
long. rambling note addressed to
his wife which said Il can't go
on without you" and ended with
a request that his eyes be given
to a New York bank.
Mrs. Kelley recalled that in De-
cember, 1948, she had her father
on an assault and battery
charge which she withdrew after
DR.. Lyon was locked up over night.
Mr.. Kelley, who said he be-
came a taxicab driver after he
gave up boxing. told of what he
called Mrs. Lyons odd behavior
after she suffered the strokes.
Once in the summer of 1949,
when the outside temperature was
96 degrees, he testified. Mrs. Lyon
insisted on starting a fire in the
house at Glenview. He said he
complied with her request.