Arnold's Estate

Citations

• 240 Pa. 261
• 87 A. 590
• 1913 Pa. LEXIS 659

Syllabus

<p>Wills — Construction—Meaning of “personal things’’ — Oral evidence.</p> <p>Testatrix left the following holographic will: • “I, Anna H. Arnold, in case of my death give my portion of the household goods to my sister, Ella R. Arnold. If she is not living, they are to be given to my sister Mary Arnold Babcock. My jewelry and other personal things, are to be divided equally among my two sisters, Ella R. Arnold and Mary Arnold Babcock.” Her estate consisted of corporate stocks and bonds and cash in bank- appraised at $158,750.15, and household furniture, jewelry and clothing appraised at $300. Her next of kin were the two sisters named in the will and three brothers; the two sisters were very close and attentive to her, whereas she had maintained no intimate relations with her brothers for several years. A trust company had -entire charge of the property. Held, (1) evidence was properly admitted to show that testatrix habitually referred to the constituents of her estate in the hands of the trust company as her “things’’; (2) all her personal property passed under, the will to her two sisters.</p>