Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-09-02
4 Statement, OF Facts.

In compliance with request iurni-l
statement 81 facts within my knowledg,
relating a. the estate oi jeremiah Rice, Esq
OF Bnonyillc. Mo-. deceased.
jeremiah Rice, formerly Of Pennington
died m Boonvillc. Mo, In December, 1856
unmarried and without children. John NJ
McCuichen, Esq, was appointed admins.
traitor of hi, estate soon after his decca~s.
| received power Of attorney from ,h,
following persons a., heir. OF the satd Jerc.
miah Rice namely
Mchitable Hanson Of Lowell, Mass. sam
uel ;. Rice and Abigail Peacock of Garii'
ncr. Maine. ElihA Billings II fayci,e. Elmi'
"a X. SlOser.. Susan W. Showers, Martha
J Showers Of New Sharon, Nathaniel Rice
Of Strong. Ruth Il. Norton Martha Race
aud Richard ;. Rice Of farmiugton-cIghi
women and three men.
This power Of attorney gave me foil pow.
err % act Tor these heirs In all matter pr.
tanning TO their rights IN aid dcccascl's cs.
tate, with the power ~ substitution. Tn.
der this power Of attorney, as well as be-
tore ,setrcu,ion. had correspondence with
eminent legal gentlemen OF B,onyillc, one
Of whom WAS Understood 90 D. the guardian
OF two other minor heirs u the slld Jcre-
miah Rice. and also with the Gdminis,ra.
tIr, Mr. McCuichen. understanding that
a portion of said tcccasei's estate consisted
Of ne ,Ir,s, ifis request Of hsi's here, ,rhd
agHifsd d,qrf hai n u could p done. that
a s'ar,, might B. sugGdpgi,d. wrote r..
Qur,iing information A. a. the laws of Mis-.
sour on that point, 10 the question pro-
posed by me. " whether il j. in the power
Oipari o. the heirs 90 cmaneiIaie slaves
without tho consent OF the other heirs"
received the following answer:
- hare 20 sag u cannot b done. n al
tr,rr adui,, and all ct them clns,ntin: they
Nigh, dispose Of their Interests in any way
suited 10 their tastes. h any o'Hi 50 far
as ili' cas-, IS ,5Eori,i. he diyo,iiioH Of n,
,'Grs, a, denrtd ~ some u ihs lars urould
Z, utterly improbable, a, iHfdEi, arr iHir,'.
ted and iaoa"alIe Of oorseHiHg 10 any oihT
deposition Of fhsm than IS Hdioa',d ~ N,
lGrs."
In hi. reply he further says:
" By the laws Ut our State, (M),,) slaves
are regarded as PERSONAL property, and are
suhiect 10 he disposed OF tor the Iaymen, OF
debts, as there are ample assets without
;hrm, bat Tor the purpose OF disuibu,iun
they will have to be sold. as thee are too
few % have partition OF them in kind. In
case. u partition Vt slaves belonging 90 "a
decgnient's estate, our Statute law pros
yides COR partition VI them IA kind, II prae.
ticahlc It not practicable they are ordered
10 be sold and the proceed, OF sale divided
among the distributes according 20 their
respective interests.
Receiving thi, rs the law Of Missouri
communicated u - the heirs here. Since
that time, neither any Of the heirs. my con.
stItuenu, TO my knowledge, nor myself
have bad anything whatever 10 10 touch
ing the disposition Of the hrc slaves belong
ins " the estate Ut the said Jeremiah Rice.
Under date Of Aug I'D, 1858. ! received a
letter from the administrator, Mr.. McCutch'
en- in which he says
mir. Stephens OF BOOnyille. had been
employed as attorney for some Of tie heirs
Ut the estate Of j. Rice. deceased that some
time last spring he cOminenced stit in OUT
Court, asking for the sale and distribution
OF the land aud negroes belonging 10 the
estate the sale Ut the slaves will DO mad,
In January next, and the real estate in
March next think (; and as such sales are
usually made on 6 or IL months credit.
suppose these will also he made of the sam,
tune. In April next (j9) will make the
/ third annual settlement at which time
/ hope to be able to pay over TO the heirs. il
they ~ desire, some five or Elk thousILt
dollars. the money for the sale Of the land
and slaves as u matter Ol course all not b.
paid until the credit upon which they are
sold e1pires-the slaves (5l are worth near
three thousand doilars, the real estate /,
worth nsvr Si,OOO,0O and frs or siT ihOp.
and "a mOHsy from oihcr SOuro,s, will give
So 10000 as the approXima:e value OF thC
estate to be divided amongst the heirs"
In June last went to Boouvillc. and
there the administrator paid over ~ ne tho
amount 10 which those Representa- Jed were
entitled under an order for distributing O
portion Of the estate made by thu judge,
Tor which | rs their attorney, gave the al
minIstrator a receipt.
/ Ol the sum thus ordered 10 be distributed
not one cent uas from ihs proceeds II he sal
Of ihe slqres, or from the real estate u wal
IRON other sources. US stated by Il Q admin
istrator. The ercdi, given by the admin
isIrator to the PURCHASERS OF the slaves haC
not expired, and the administrators hold
the securities taken for them. The sale u
the slaves was made by order of the Jud -
OF Probate, by the administrator without
any consultation, consent OF act OF mine, Of
by any OF my constituents, to my knowl'
edge no Intimatiou was made 10 me Will,
at BJonville, by the administering or by
the guardian Of the heirs. there, that il has
been the Intention Of the deceased To pro
vide for the liberation Ofhis slaves after hi
death. ROBERT GO0DRN0W.
Pennington, Aug. Is, 1859.