Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1902 — GODDARD WILL UPSET. [ARTICLE]

GODDARD WILL UPSET.

The case of Joshua Goddard and several other heirs of Reason F. Goddard, deceased, against William G. Stone, to break the will of said Goddard, come up in the circuit court last Friday and on agreemeut of parties the second item of the will, bequeathing the lots and buildings thereon on j South Front street to young Stone was declared void. The property consists of 50 feet frontage and about 100 feet deep, occupied by the poultry house now conducted by N. S. Bates, and the brick ice house just south thereof, j and is probably worth $2,000 or more. It seems that Goddard made the original will May 9, 1890, and the instrument was witnessed by I. N. Hemphill, John H. Jessen, George Morgan and Jacob McDonald. At that time the name of William G. Stone did not appear in the will, but after • hta .death, in 1898, there were fotind interlineations bequeathing the property in question to young ! Stone, then a lad about 10 years of age. Willis J. Imes, as guard- : ian for the Stone boy, through his attorneys, investigated the matter after the suit to overthrow this part of the will was brought, ami found that the witnesses to the original will were positive that the interlineations had been added after they had witnessed the instrument, and that they had never been called to re-witness the change, and it was not known who made the iuterlineatious. On this showing a compromise was reached by which plaintiffs agreed to pay young Stone $250 ami give him the rents up to May, 10, 1902, which was accepted by the court. This case affects no part of the will expect that concerning the Stone boy, and the instrument as originally made will stand. This is quite a victory, although a bloodless one, for Wrn.H. Parkison, the attorney for the plaintiffs, who gets a fat fee for his services in the shape of one-half of the property recovered, which is worth two thousand dollars or more, no doubt.