“‘Old Mr. Lawrence died, and when the will was read it was found that his nephew was left all of the property.
“‘Simeon Rich, another nephew of the deceased, proceeded to contest the will, and he claimed that Mr. Alfred Lawrence had forged the document.
“‘Previous to the death of old Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Alfred Lawrence and his wife became estranged.
“‘They used to quarrel frequently.
“‘Mrs. Lawrence was a cold, willful, and heartless woman.
“‘One day I discovered that she was meeting Simeon Rich clandestinely. This was before the death of her husband’s uncle.
“‘I saw that I had her in my power, and I made a demand upon her for hush money, which she gave to me.
“‘I threatened her with exposure, and I received from her several hundred dollars.
“‘One night shortly after the death of old Mr. Lawrence, Simeon Rich came to me and told me that he was going to contest the will. He said he would pay me ten thousand dollars if I would swear that I had seen Mr. Alfred Lawrence forge the will.
“‘Mrs. Lawrence, he told me, would be on his side.