The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-04-14
Curious Case Of Amalgamation.
1Ero., 10 l1l. Dill 1 .


case OF more than ordinary interest was commenced
in the Court of Common Pleas before Judge Thompson,
the will Of the late william Johnson negro Who
reputed TO have left white wife and two small aulato
before bis death The white wife was in Court with he
two children They quite respectable in appearance
better clad than ordinary people, and nigh. reasonably
sipguarty attending the case is that of the female
witnesses for the white wife is white great
beauty and youth who has mulatto husband aud chill
dren She attracted consid BILE attention We felt
eved when that both these females we're
foreign birth-one Scotch and the latter English
woman.
The facts Of the appear to be follows The
cedent, VIM johnson, in early life, slave in Viz.
gina from which State he fled to Pennsylvania He
became acquainted with q colored woman, named Mrs
Harvey, who interested herself in his BEHALF and pre-
vailed upon the present Mayor Glpin to purchase him
from his Virginia master for the purpose of manumis
sion This accordingly effected. johnson followed
the sea for several but being of strong mind
and business qualifications, discovered that there
better open to persons of energetic turn
mind to make living than the drudgery and toll on
shipboard
Instead of spending his earnings while on shore in RI
otous living, as in his day too much the with
seaarng he safely boarded them up, until he had
eastern part of the city His business prospered
der his careful SUPERVISION and in few years the fruits
OF his industry and attention manifested in his
emulation Of real estate.
About twenty years agoprobably in gratitude for the
sympathy Mrs. Harvey had felt for him while fugitive
from laber-he married her. She widow, with
yeral children among them daughter, since known
Mrs Douce and claiming to be his wife and to whom
and her four children by Mr. Deuce, he bequeathed the
His first wife (Mrs. Harvey) died in 1Si7 without is
sue by him In the same year, young woman named
Catharne Flynn (he alleged white wife, arrived in this
city from Scotland The decedent became With
her in three weeks afterwards and she had Of
the American preudices against color it is alleged he
married her It certain they lived together as man and
wife, in one Of his houses in Gss street He spoke of
her his wife and defended her. SUCH against his
coored friends whose sntipathie against the intrusion
OF white woman into their circle, the wife OF rich
ceIored man, we're of the ,ongest character.
From this alleged marriage spraug three children two
OF whom are now living They continued live toge
up to the cay he seized with his last sickness which
appears TO have been the 23d day OF November 1852
Finding he likely taken to his bed he
desire to TO his place of busnes in Lombard above
Front street where he could part superntend business
ev' while sick He went to that house and soon af
W es n nssar 10 as nS sf axle "ss lie
Mrs. Douce then living in the Lombard street house
with her children in the capacity of housekseper Her
husband was not living with her the time, and
On the Alb Of December 1882 the will dispute was
made and on the sth codicil attached, making
white wife. On the 14ih Of December johnson died
few prior to his DEATH he married Nancy Douce
step daughter by bis hra WIFE, She had four children
living With her, who named in the will by his wn
name, and called his children To them after the
death Of their mother who has life estate the larger
portion of his estate descends.
1t is alleged that the will procured By improper
means while the decedent was under the control of
Mrs. Douce and Perry Tghman, one of the executors
Perry hlghman it appears, dictated the will which
afterwards taken 10 the room of the sick man and
trmed by him in the presence of two witnesses of
them being the gentleman who drafted the will and who
testified that he knew decedents intentions his pro
perry beforehand The will and codcil both signed
with a cross, the decedent not being able to vre.
The will calls the white vito Catharine Fas sit and
whie it Acknowledges her three children calls them by
her He gives to each $50 per during their
minority and bestows the property in Gask street and
that at the northeast Of Christian and Fourth
streets 10 these three children, share and share alike
when they shall have attained the age of Il years
spectively
The will occupy several days. Much feeling is ex
hibed between the two races giving practical illus
taton of the mpossbility of blending the Caucasian
with the African Their jeaousies Of each other
are natural and mutual.