Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-23
Dry OF this Christian gentleman and philoso-
q bel" Examiner.
: New Hampshire Property--HOw il was
Used and Wasted.

: New n hampshire Property-HOW IL was
Used and Wasted.
A correspondent of the Boston Globe writes
from Portsmouth, New Hampshire:
The case of Charles March stephens of New
York state VS. Clement March and others of
Greenland, n. H., which has for some time past
1cen the most important case on the docket of
he supreme Judicial court of Rockingham coun-
Iy, New Hampshire, has recently been decided.
Colonel March, a few years since, was considered
the most wealthy man in Hampshire. BY the
wills Of bis uncle, for years well known as
United States consul at Madeira, and of his
brother Charles w. March, the friend and
hiOgrapher of Daniel Webster, Colonel March
received large property; and the wonder has
seemed TO every one how he could contrive TO
spend so much of it in so short a space OF time.
On the ancestral farm at Greenland, live miles
from Portsmouth, he erected houses, barns,
grapery and other buildings in magnificent
style; surrounded the farm by stone wall,
costing more than the value OF the land, pur-
chased an extensive collection of books, fur
nished the houses and stocked the farm. All
this was done with a lavish hand; and the ele-
giant entertainments given by the colonel, his
well kept grounds, his stud of horses, his car
riages, including thecoach given by the Boston
ians TO Daniel Webster, were the admiration OF
many people in Portsmouth and the region
round aOout.
Here, with large income, he could have lived
rs a gentleman farmer, in the enjoyment OF his
fortune. But taste for speculation, engendered
by a success in that direction a Jew wears pre-
yiously, attacked him, and he yielded TO the
fascination He visited Philadelphia, where he
had once made, ny fortunate hit, hundred
thousand dollars; aud the sharp stock brokers
Of that city welcomed him TO their offices. Into
The various mining and other stocks of the Phil
adephia board, the colonel plunged at once.
The brokers knew their man and his reputed
wealth. He thought he was the better judge of
stocks and future operations But the story is
Il brief Oue-the colonel Succumbed before the
experienced manipulatiOnS OF the stock cX-
change, and the places that once knew him
now know him no more. He returned TO New
Hampshire, Il poorer, If not wiser man-but
ere long lett his splendid home, probably for
ever
In the will of Charles w. March were certain
legacieS which the financial gentleman IN his
haste to double his fortune, had omitted 10 pay;
and rs creditors always want their money when
Il debtor is in a bad condition TO pay, so the
legateeS and their representatives began to cast
about TO see how the funds they were TO enjoy
we're being probaJed; and the result was the
suit before alluded to, which was suit in
chancery, followed BY the appointment Of re
ceiver, who took possession of Mr.. Marchs es-
tate, his farm in Greenland, his library, horses,
hounds, and all his effects, which were sold at
auction. The establishment was closed, and for
several years this solemn "Bleak llOase" has
stood as a warning to the pasSer by, against
fighting the tiger in the stock market.
The usual results in such cases followed:
Cross bills, ininncions, answers, reioinders,
affidavits, testimony, intel pleaders, joining of
new defendants and parties, bonds, issue
peaaings, sales, references to masters, masters
reports, attachments, workmen and labOrers
liens, proceedings at law, equity, and all the
well planned accumulation of legal strife enSued;
until recently the court deCreed that Mr.. Small,
the receiver, be confirmed in his d0ings and
sales and that SuDdrY bondsmen of Mr.. March
be discharged from liability on his bond as eX-
ecutOrS. Mr.. GOudail, an attorney at Ports
mouth, was appointed trustee under the will OF
Charles W. March, Tor Charles March Stephens,
and was ordere to give bonds in the sum of
$4,000. Mr.. Conner, clerk OF courts at Exeter,
is appointed trustee for Mrs. ST. Clair, sister of
Mr.. March, and there is due TO such trustee
| S12 600, for which he Is to have one half OF the
Temple in Portsmouth, and other property
The court adjudged that Col. March owed the
administrator OF Mrs. Stephens estate 3d.
63S IL, and S. Il G0odall, trustee, S33 ,92O.2
| as interest on a legacy Of one hundred thousand
| dollars, and the sum of one hundred thousand
dollars, principal of said legacy. The sales Of
the receiver 20 to pay these as far as they may,
| and for any unsatiSfed balance of the trustee
| takes an execution against the estate, or the
| body OF Clement March. The other details are
| interesting.
Col Clement March was and is bachelor, as
was also his brother Chas. W, and their uncle,
| the consul, from whom they inherited portion
of that wealth which has prohted them so little.
| This family does not seem TO run to marriage,
| as Josh Billings says his does. The family
| tomb, which has likewise passed under the auc-
| tioneel'S hammrr, and now stands sadly on land
owned by stranger, bears the inscription,
| "Built by Clement March, 1851, rebuilt by his
| great grandson, Clement March, 1861" The
| MeSsrs March were wings in WebSteT'S day;
| and Clement derived his title Of Colonel" from
being appointed on the staff of a New Hamp-
| shire governor which paD1CitV he mover