The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1860-12-15
THE CURIOUS LEGITIMACY CASE.

LIE VUAxVU0 A604xx0AVx VA0Cs
dem versus Patrick and Patrick and the
Attorney General Of England.
from the London nmes Nov. "a.
The hearing Of this petition for declaration OF egt
macy resumed.
Mr.. Collier, Q. G., Mr.. Couch and Mr.. Phear appeared
for the petitioners; Mr. Rolt, @ c., Mr.. Bovll, O. c. Dr.
Deane Y. c. and Mr. Powell for the respondents and Mr.
Bourke for the Attorney General.
Some correspondence which passed between the petit
TONER and William Patrick in 1923 1924 1889 and 1s4l,
put in evidence for the purpose Of explaining and
the documents said TO have been delivered to him by
William Patrick in 1928 deposition also read,
made by old man named Robert Stevenson, who said
that he remembered the arrival in Ayrshire of the boy
William Sheldon from America and that Of the
wants spoke of him as "the young laird Of Roukhwood"
Mr. VIM Patrick, put in great number Of documents
amongst which the following, on which the respond
ents greatly rely
Ny VERY DEAR NEPHyw-My long and painful illness
must apologize for my long silence am now going %
quit this world. have married Miss Ann Wilson, which
approved by my friends here and which restores
her and two fine children have by her TO honor and
credit have settled all my affairs and appointed ex
ecuors here who will correspond with you. One of my
children is boy named William Patrick Shedden. They
charming ehildren-he in particular. l have or
bills RENTED then enumerated the whole mounting
TO f4l7. los. SD desire that such further sum
Of money may be appropriated for the purpose Of
maintaining and educating him genteelly and according
10 his talents and inclination not exceeding $500 ster
are to be totally independent in this business can
only add that remain Till death dear William your af
fectionate uncle. WILLIAM SHEDDEN.
This document was endorsed--in Mr. VIM. Patrick's
handwriting-New York, November H. l79s. Duplicate
original by ship Fanny via Greenock.r Another copy
purporting be trpicatc also containing the word
'ssigned before Mr.. Sheddens name was likewise read.
The original was not forthcoming and the authenticity Of
the document is disputed by the petitioners.
Mr. Collier rendered Lloyd's Lit for the purpose OF
showing what vessels had arrived at Greenock from New
account given by Mr.. Patrick the transmission
Of the letter Of the 18th of November l7ss and of its
clerk from Loyds proved that the list purported to
contain the of all vessels arriving at different ports
in Great Britain was made up from letters received
from agents at the ports announcing the arrivals The
agent would in every case keep book OF entries The
letters OF l79s among the documents destroyed when
the Royal Exchange was burnt down
Their lordshps rejected the evidence
This being the close o. the evidence in support Of the
Nr Rot proceeded to open the respondents case lie
the lady who had opened the petitioners
with such remarkable skill had complained OF the din
Guilty she under in conducting without professional
assistance but the petitioner had deliberately chosen 10
conduct in the way in which it had been conducted
The Judge 0rdinary-fou need not enter into that
question.
ment of facts which would admit Of no dorSt or dispute
upon the evidence in any reasonable mind After
pituating the relationship " the different members OF
the Patrick and sheidcn families who IA America
between 1890 and 1885, he admitted that the Law OF
rage New York was, stated by the petitioners wit
nesses-namey, that Official ecclesiastical ceremony
was necessary TO create marriage that the fact OF
marriage which might be proved by habit and repute
sufficient The case 10 which the petitioners pledged
themselves was this:-A gentleman Of character and
equal that Mr. Sheldon lived New York
and had daughter who in 1890 about 10 years Of
age Mr. sheden paid his addresses 70 her in the way 81
honorable courtshp and the only objection that could be
raised 10 the match that of her youth Time and
dccon removed the difficulty, the lady and her father
man being believe that in 7es all evidence N the fact Of
such marriage openly contracted IN 1880 had complete
y disappeared the lady herself her father and q course
Of their acquaintance being then aiyef This was
represented the OF Illicit amour gradually
ripcning into fixed colabitaton tut contract open
Is entered into, with attempt AZ conce,lment. The
death bed marriage quite irrecUnciabe with this
could not have been thought necessary for the
purpose Of preserving the testimony Of marriage which
had contracted only few years earlier. The
al the respondents wa, that In 1859 woman named
Wilson living IN New York, 10 a house 81 her
own; that she received The visits % William she'd.
den in the arst pace " that house; that they
gradually became mi more acquainted; that she
occasionally visited At hi hoac and At Last during the
latter part 81 his hfe up her residence there alto
gether that there pctence for saying there was
any marriage previous TO the death-bed marriage, and
that the evidence Of habit and repute utterly opposed
10 the idea If such marriage. respectable merchant
in New York would prove that in 1874, when he was 20
years old Ia was intimately acquainted with society In
New York and knew William shedden and that he was
unmarried man Another witness who was in the
house when william shedden died and had known him
for several years, would prove that Ann Wilson
openly and VIGOROUSLY woman Of very light Character
that she iEsnuated herself into his house and resided
a. his wife society The whole Of the docu
mensry evidence supported this view o. the and
I'd for the purpose 81 IegItimafzng the children and
making an honest woman Of Ann wilson Tho viii which
executed The 7th OF November 1898 the day
when the death bed rriagc contracted
respects remarkable This wealthy merchant he
presented left only f4o0 ESQ coo year 70 the vrtu
ous and excellent woman 70 whom he bad boon married
years and the only one of the children the girl who
LETT under her Care, 20 remain under only a.
long the executors thought proper and az long - she
followed their advice s education. Tho letters OF
John Patrick and Of the two other members Of the fami
" In America-wam shedden, Of Virginia, and Robert
Patrick 81 New York-contained declaration upon deca
ration that there marriage previous " the death
bed marriage But the most important declaration, and
one which ln his opinion, put eud 10 the case,
that Of william Shedden himself contained IN his letter
Mr. Patrick OF the 18th Of November, the day before
his death. The original II this letter written and
signed by him and he also made copies all Of which
this country Had Il not been for the wicked
conduct Of tho male petitioner that original would have
been produced, for u was either IN the petitioners pos
sesson had been destroyed by him. But fortunately,
duplicate and triplioaie had been made and had
been produc.i. His answer ~ the suggestions
which had been offered the mprobability of this
duplicate aud trpcaie haying been transmitted IN the
manner stated by Mr. Patrick was that the original had
bee sent BY ship that the duplicate and trpli
had both been sent by another ship Afterwards
Tho learned counsel read extracts from the letters OF the
members 81 the family In America 10 the different
bcrs Of the family IN England and Scotland, from l7ss
down TO June 1879 all Of them assuming that the per
70 whom they written were ignorant that VII
liam sheddcn had ever been married. If he had been
openly married for eight years how that none Of
the family IN TINS country nad ever hcara OF W re
placed great stress upon Mrs vlnccnts letter 20 William
Patrick Of the Sd Of september, 1902 proving both
that Mrs Vincent had no idea that there had ever been
than one marriage, and that the letter Of the
18th OF November had been written and sent BY
william shedden. Both these letters have al.
ready been published IN report OF this trial
Az 10 the afdavis which she sent home from
a needlcwoman and nurse in the family, he
submitted that they evidence against prior mar
rage, because, II there had been such marriage, she
would have been able adduce much satisfactory
proof Of H. They also proved that she then DESTROYS
o. establishing prior marriage. The petitioners had
endeavored get rid q the deathbod letter and Of the
other documentary evidence. They had accused the Pa
tricks and all connected with them OF forgery and per-
Jury spoiton and fabrication and destruction o. docu
ments and the unfortunate deaths OF two distant
relations had been represented az vstatons Of mystic
rous Providence The only motive suggested for all
these crimes that Robert Patrick might obtain pos
session of the Ayrshire property What possible interest
could william Patrick Of Virginia. and the Sheddens Of
London have 10 taking part in such conspiracy The
correspondence Of 1900 between the American e.
ecutors and william Patrick proved that William
Patrick was anxious to discharge his duty 10 the
boy because he gave the executors notice that he could
not attend his nterese opposition those o. bis