The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1827-12-20
LAW CASE,
CHERAw, Nov. 10.

LAW CASE.
CHERAw, Nov. 10.
The Court of Common Pleas held its
session at Marlboro last week, His Honor
Judge Waiter, presiding.
The trial Of B. Virgins, ct. al. vs.. the
executors of Mason Lee, which commenc-
ed on Tuesday, and closed at two O'Clock,
p. M. on Saturday, was was more than Or
dinarily interesting, as we'll from the nature
of the case, as from the great legal ability
called forth in the management of it; and
tedious as protracted trial of this descrip-
ton usually is, there was a peculiarly of
aspect in this case, which made it deeply
interesting throughout. The testimony add
duced on both sides was unusually lengthy
and multifarious presented very extraor-
binary features, and disclosed a scene of
human eccentricity very rarely equalled.
1t was. an appeal from the Court of Or
binary of Marlborough District, to reverse
the decision of that court establishing the
will of the deceased. The appellants, were
heirs at law of Mason Lee, who died six
years since, leaving an estate of about Co.,
600 dollars to the States N. Carolina and
Tennessee.
The ground taken by the appellants for
avoiding the solem technichality of the law
the heirs contended that he was of non dis
posing mind, memory and understan, .lg !;
and though they failed to convince very
intelligent jury of the fact, they exhibited
as complete history of mental .singulari-
ties, and bodily privation on the part of
Lee, as ever fell short of actual hallucina-
ton. A full report ofthe evidence in this
case would afford first rate materials for a
modern romance, and if Cooper could have
got hold of it early enough, he would have
thrown by his Misunderstanding and his
Trapper, as characters too common place
for fiction.
Lee was originally from North Carolina
settled afterwards in Georgia, from which
state he was forced to fee, in consequence
of having killed one of his female slaves.
and seated himself finally upon Planta-
ton on the Pee Dee. 1t was to this por-
ton Of his life, that the testimony was
principally confined, and never was d more
miserly one exhibited, from Elves down to
himself, including every possible variety of
human oddity and human within. He lived
in habitation abundantly worse than any
ofthose occupied by his negroes, eat his
scanty meals of hoe-cake and bacon on a
box, which served the double purpose of
holding the poi<to cook in, and table
from whichsto eat his table furniture was
in and about the same style of magnifcence
consisting of one spoon, one fork Ia crotch
ed sticky, and one knife, which utensil also
did duty in his pocket, as tobacco cutter.
&c. the spoon was well enough in its way.
but had its handle cut in two in the middle
and riyited with iron, in order as Lee sa-
gaciously observed, to keep off ,oitches. His
room and every thing about him was flthy
in the extreme, nor would he suffer it to
bc otherwise a line was drawn across a
portion of it beyond which no human be-
ing was suffered to pass. His wardrobe
was in exact keeping for sublunary comforts:
consisting of the very coarsest of materials
cut and made by himself in fashion that|
set all resemblance to any thing on earth.
at absolute defiance. His hat crown was
perforated with holes on every side, in Or
der as he expressed it, that If the devil
should enter his head on The one side he
might have passage out at the other.
His head was kept close shaved SO as to
make his wits glib he said. His bed was in
hollow gum log; and into this very prinl-
tive lodging would he crawl, and doze al
way bis time BY day, and spend the night
in lighting devils and hobgoblins, adverse
ries that were constantly about him Is
.fncet which upon fair terms, neighborinVI