Chapter 870. To amend an Act entitled “An Act conferring on the supreme court of the District of Columbia jurisdiction to take proof of the execution of wills affecting real estate, and for other purposes,” approved June eighth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight
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CHAP. 870.— An Act To amend an Act entitled “An Act conferring on the supreme court of the District of Columbia jurisdiction to take proof of the execution of wills affecting real estate, and for other purposes,” approved June eighth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight. March 3, 1901. *Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled.*, District of Columbia.Proof of execution of wills affecting real estate.Vol. 30, p. 434, amended.
That the Act entitled “An Act conferring on the supreme court of the District of Columbia jurisdiction to take proof of the execution of wills affecting real estate, and for other purposes,” approved June eighth, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, be, and it is hereby, amended by adding thereto three sections, to be designated as sections thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, which will read as follows: " “Sec. 13. Publication of notice to “unknown next of kin” binding. In all cases where it is made to appear to the satisfaction of the court that all or any Of the next of kin or heirs at law of the deceased are unknown, such unknown next of kin or heirs at law may be proceeded against and described in the publication of notice herein before provided for as ‘the unknown next of kin,’ or ‘the unknown heirs at law,’ as the case may be, of the deceased, and by such publication of such notice under such designation such unknown next of kin and heirs at law shall be as effectually bound and concluded as if known and their names were specifically set forth in said order of publication.
“Sec. 14. Publication against unknown heirs in wills heretofore probated authorized. In case any will shall have been heretofore admitted to probate upon publication against unknown heirs or next of kin, any person interested may file a petition for further probate of such will, alleging that the heirs at law or next of kin of the deceased, or some of them, as the case may be, are unknown, and upon satisfactory showing being made to the court publication of notice may be made against the unknown next of kin or heirs at law of the deceased, and Previous probate confirmed, etc.upon such publication being made, as required by the court, a decree may be made confirming such previous probate, and such decree so made shall be as effectual as if the said heirs at law or next of kin were named in the order of publication.
“Sec. 15. Distributee and not executor answerable for property under will afterwards invalidated. If any will be hereafter held invalid in any action begun after distribution made of the property by the executor or executrix in good faith, with the approval of the court, without knowledge on his or her part of such invalidity and without notice that such action was intended, the distributees of the property, and not such executor or executrix, shall be answerable for the property or its value to the person or persons entitled thereto.
” " Approved, March 3, 1901.