The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-03-04
Ern,n fhe New York Times


The good people of Saugerties, \. Y,
and vicinity, are in a gossipy mood
just now over a novel law suit, which
will probably come OFF i'm Ulster county
Circuit, at Kington, i'm April next
The principals sre females, and the sto-
ry, as CLEANED from authentic sources,
is strange one. The complainant is
Mrs. Susan Crawford, and the defend.
ant is Mrs. Christine Russell- The
counsel representing Mrs. Crawford are
Messrs. +. & o. Whitaker, of SAUCER
ties, while Mrs. Russell's attorney is
Hon. John A. Griswold, member of
Congress from the Thirteenth District.
Mrs. Crawford, the complainant, is a
woman about forty-five or fifty years
of age, rather inclined TO obesity, a Wild
uw with four children. She is a school
teacher is Saugerties, and her actions,
style of speaking, and department gen.
orally, show her to be a strong minded
woman, shrewd, smart and calculating.
Previous to her hurhand's death the
family was i'm affiuent circumstances,
but owing to some financial trouble
during his last days the widow, though
not really wanting the necessaries of
life, Is comparatively poor.
Christine Russell, the defendant, is
now about seventy years of age, sur
rounded with all the comforts of a good
home, and has money enough to keep
her safe from poverty's intrusion. Both
of the ladies are respected In the best
circles, and are members of Rev. Mr..
Barnum's Methodist Church, i'm Sau-
yerties. Mrs. Russell's husband, Jere-
miah Russell, las been dead nearly
three years. In 1885 he was Van Bu-
ren Presidential elector from this State.
In 1872 he was sent to Congress from
the Thirteenth District by the Demo-
crats. Was renominated i'm 1916, but
defeated. He posed a good physical
frame, and to-day it is said of him that
he worked more hours out of the twen-
ty-four than any ono in his distrist. In
became a widower, and now comes a
curious story. y..rs
The next month, July, if tie legal
statement is correct, Mrs. Christine
Crawford. mentioned above as Chris
tine Russell, who was a sister to the
husband of Susan Crawford, approached
the latter, ard convsrsed with her upon
the subject of securing Hon. jeremiah
Russell as husband, he then being
about seventy years of age, and reputed
TO be worth SiO0, go, and she about
forty years of age, and worth consider
ably less. At the interview with Su-
san Crawford, if the complaint, be true,
Christine told her that If she would
bring about u marriage between her and
jeremiah Russell, and she should sur
viye him, she would give her 5000, a
piano and a gold watch, and educate
her child, Susan listened attentively
10 the offer, and finally accepted it,
when a written contract to that effect
was drawn up and signed by both par
ties, and that contract is said to be still
i'm existence. Soon after Christine met
Jeremiah at Susan's house by previ-
Gus arrangement, when an introduction
followed. Then visit after visit occur.
red, Mrs. Crawford finding light and
fuel for the pair. Thus matters pro-
gressed happily till October, 1S47, when
the two were united in marriage, and
lived together happily and much re-
spected until 1857, when Hon. Jere-
rniah Russell died without making a
will. A short time previous to his
death he seemed desiroiIs of drawing uI
and finishing such a document, and
often consulted Counselor Winans, oi
Saugerties, i'm relation to il, but the will
was never completed. After waiting
proper length Of time, the widow ktis
sell claimed the portion of her deceaset
husbands property allowed her by law
claiming also that there was an ante
nuptial agreement between them II
relation to the disposition of ii. Seeing
that there were prospects of considera'
ble litigation growing out of the com
plication of the affair, the executor
finally compromised with the widow
by paying over to her the sum of $50,
0O, when she "signed off, any further
claim on the property.
As soon as the settlement trailspired
Mrs. Susan Crawford demanded tn,
$1,000, piano, gold watch, aud the edu
cation of her child, as the contract pric,
agreed upon I'm writing, for service.
rendered the widow i'm obtaining Hon
Jeremiah Russell for her as husband
She asserted that the contract had beer
fulfilled on her part to the letter, an,
as Mrs. Christine Russell had survive,
Hon. jeremiah Russell, as especial,
referred to i'm the contract, there wa
nothing for the widow Russell to do bu
to pay over the price. The defendant
through counsel, puts in general de
nial, and also, pleads the Statute Q
Limitation. 1t is most curious case.
The Natural History Society, of Pitts
field, have a button found at Perry
Peak, which is supposed to have beel
dropped by Ham, the son of Noah
while leaning over the taffrail Of TIN
ark in a fit of sea-sickness,