New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-18
THE usS on THE FRENDNENS BQIlAU.
Jmportant Trial before the Freedmen's Court,
ALEGAL CASE FULL OF ROMANCE.
A FRBEDWOMAN SUES FOR HER INHERITANCE
Prom The Nashville Press and Times.

inst bep decided before the Feedmens Court in this city,
The counsel employed were, for the plaintiff Messrs b.
f. Cook, ID. w Classic and G. NJ Everett for defend
ant Messrs John L. Carver and Col. G. P. Thurston.
Ella Stevenson sg. James B. Halums.
This suit is brought by Ella Stevenson, freed woman OF
color for the recovery Of 800 acres Of land large amount Of
personal property and damages for the violation Of trusts
The they have appeared in evidence substantially
follows
York Freeman father Of the plaintiff among the early
lie had been soldier under Gen JACK
Democat and an ardent politician dorln rne carrier
part Of his life free negroes were allowed wore IN
ortuneteler farmer trader and an INDUSTRIOUS econoc
n1D wall ~, IN ro.r. ,,,. thrifty soldier took TO wife
dave woman named Judy She was the property OF Ca
Mcneil and much younger than himself II does nor
Jady was his wife long series Of and that he was
deyotedy attached to her from the time OF ,se aarrge 70
ghy industrious and economical woman and no suspeon
s SynceT Soon after their marriage York purchased
wife and paid for her valuable consideration. o,o i;
Davidson County Book page 596 bequeathng TO his be-
loved wife Jude Judy three several tracts of land all his
suesthng to Der her freedom which that time
Seen able to lie never made any other VIII IT'D,
Emancipation according to law taking her FREQ p'P ana
sisIee ufon lie rubc Daniel Ba the of his daugh
Ger Ells his bond. 49, A., =.
The same year he purchased his wiies sister Mary for
The evidence shows that at this period and S years nT
chase daughter Ella the plaintiff but that her owner
lees Being their friend however he promised them that IN
he should sell her they should have the hrs opportunity
Bue ed his desthbed had expressed the wish that
Ria might be sold to her parents ,,.-
After Of Mr.. Buie, York and Judy were very
anxious their daughter but by this time almost insup
The repessibe conflict had evered The public Of the
whole country and the privileges OF free persons OF color nae
greatly restricted York had abundant means to BUY ms
daughter and emsncpate herr bat he could not DO this directly
openly without sending her lO hsn 81 s @ust be- sold
Nashville 10 be put on the block JUDY
done and in se extremity DEFENDANT james b. Haums
young man had been treated with almost parental kind
reposed unbounded confidence was sent for he came OBJ
the "S9 S me Having sharp to
his own interests gave his note for the woman
10 W pp fSrnssS With the means to Suy tie girl
did buy her the agent parents he took me o o.
days was Necessary for some white man TO nave the
Ella was now really free though nOminaly slave held in
tyst by her next friend trustee the defendant IN this suit
ana Tet sS with an i@periec, right TO reedo by by
VIII by parole contract or he may convey such slave 70
40 hs freedom and his labor takes effect from the time Of the
surrender the owners right and not from the period ee as
cent the State given. 18th Humphreys Lewis Vs. Simon
Rs was now brought home aud and Judy great
ie States could not be obtained but az her dear
the honor Of human nature be 1t spoken have
FROM The day Of her purchase until few days after the
jesth Of both her parents period Of about ten ears Ea
% Ssrss n She she
1--we enjoyed the fruits of her own industry aud part o. the
time kept her house in this city, The defendant yseo
her occasionally to money she had much Of her
thrift but he always paid her He nsv Sd so "a Tar hs,
wages and have been the secret pqrpote
50 end i,S the first chapter this story
Yt kept Pe SS1:e on ns S SsS the sd %
pieces aud told fortunes and be was visited oy .d P
aOaT what be told them and f0 the cakes and drinks
provided by Aunt Judy Being eocred man YORK could not
nenis were generally desired by the parties visiting him. and
o seng period was found ma NsSo eTT1l 10
political bias length made him enemies and be was VISITED
md sfoush he refused to take pay the money thrown
INTO glasses and the rsscas departed TO TESTIFY against
@ toward close of the 1874 and others were threat
med The first Indictment cost him very heavily ard he De-
OH ed and bis dear wife and child reduced to beggary
ffsug . art s sSg 1eS @ and went 60 NJ
frOthernlsw Of defendant some eight o, ten miles from
here he made deed Of gin Of al bis property in Davidson
lands hGr's cows wbb he Jaw might
eiseto defendant reervng use during his own natural
This deed was made have said at smithwicks
trotbrrinlsw Of defendants by Squire Dowen, another
Bdant came him and told him that York Freeman was at
snithwiek and going TO make him deed Of his prop
afer He also teses that when he reached Smithwicks
xs tod nm be ssn'ea ItS wa, no dsed Of bu
ee he wished to make for 'a he ola %sn oo How
me- s The .psnst eS whatever made
satisfactory and deed Of gift ives executed and witnessed by
present the four named York past three score
and ten cripple trembling with age. unable to read or
Tear and away from his wife and home and ne Pc co
After this deed made he returned to bis homo and Pur
the Of bis way buying selling and purchasing
his seven years AFTER On hs
o sh oS we're; %e h h He pointed out the spot where
he wished house built for Es and said that when be wac
gone Jimmy meaning dee1dsnD was h1he.i mere re
the fact that be lad given defendant money 10 euy III ana
these dying declarations Of York Freeman abundant and
s nG s the s Ssn Ss @
cured his daughters freedom and had made an abundant pro-
'fs ~ York Ss Ts anS sss came family
and Aunt Judy still regarded him as their best friend and
81: Ss Rs.s S sIG es
Matters went on as usual Judy %agpg sns sna s
mother heart was full OF for her daughter And i'm
mediate prospect she spoke OF her property and MADE
will e her dsa dsas sss sSa
the cattle and horses telling Of the money she
fsa ar as, rsducss 20 W
Ella unletteed woman and resided IN an unsducated
Come We now 10 the chapter the denouenen Of the dark
plot conceived Smithwcks in the Winter OF 1915 Elias
spxons and good mother was hardly colo he I mn
upon only child their heir her fortune the one OBJECT OF
Der life eoaesIn and upon al the T s ZEN na nsr sssres
himself everything York Freeman possessed and re-
oueed Ella TO Slavery Its 70 be doubted whether he snha
Of Jurisprudence furnish single record OF more dangerous
Es bore her wrongs bravey her
would not be contented with her situation and the beayer OF
and pnndere had hadhoOd in the court that
be treated her too wehat he ought have whipped her
l Dc Sa o@ them and did what b. could to
em forever and she rescued nom Mssisspp trader
the Christian gentlemen whose virtue: ID e &