The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1875-01-01
9flisCEllaMeuMS.
THE sHELMIRE WILL CASE.

From an old lawyers Diary.
L do not remember q case in which I
ever succeeded so unexpectedly, and,
might add, by the use of such very sim
pie means, as in the celebrated Shelmire
will case. The principal credit of this
success was not due to me, however, but
to a young man, almost boy, who was
at the time a clerk in my Office. He was
admitted to the bar soon after, and has
now got a fourishing practice. His
name was William Wayman.
Jacob Shelmire, whose will was in
controversy, was an old man of eighty or
upward, who had lived many years in the
city, doing small mercantile business.
He was thrifty, economical, old fellow,
and the value of his property at his death
had grown to about e25,000. The old
man had lived in an humble way, known
only by the few with whom he did bust
ness-a harmless, unimportant old body,
with nothing noticeable abouthi except
his thrift, and therefore his death was an
event, which, in such city as this, was
not calculated to attract much attention.
had known old Mr.. Shelmire, merely
as apassing acquaintance, for some years
but I first became aware of his death up
on the visit of young lady dressed III
mourning to my Office to consult me
about the estate. She was a pretty
thoughtful-looBing girl, of twenty or
there abouts, but an entire stranger tx
me. She mentioned her business; ant
as was much engaged at the momen
with other clients, 1 asked her to b,
seated for half an hour, and told Way
man to find her a chair. During m,
conversation with the men with whom
was occupied, looked occasionally int,
the next room (the door being open,
and saw that my clerk had for ono
broken through his habitual reserve, ant
was standing by the young girl, talking
in q low tone with her. But then die
not know that WIN had an acquaintanc
with her for some weeks standing, an,
that the present call was pursuant to hi
advice.
At last the Office was cleared Of all bu
us three, and / approached the tw,
young people.
''Now, Mr. Wayman," L said, ''yo
have been talking with this young lady
and have probably ascertained her busi
ness; and as time is likely to be valuabl
to us to-day, perhaps you can tell m
what she wishes a great deal quicke
than she can"
I shouldn't have ventured to say a
much before an elderly lady, who migl
have felt called upon to resent my word
as an imputation upon her gar1ulity
but could see that there was not tn
least danger of that here
The young lady smiled, giving me +
understand that she understood m
meaning; and VIII explained that sh
was the granddaughter of the late Nh
Shelmire, and his only relative, SO far a
she knew, and therefore entitled to hi
estate; and see desired TO take such le
gal steps as were necessary to secure il
This, as have said, was my first il
timation of the old mans death; and
was also my first intimation that he ha
any family A few moments talk wit
the girl, put me right about the facts
Her name was Virginia Garvin; he
mother had been Mr.. Shelmire's onl
daughter. Virginia's mother, also died
in distant town, a widow, when Vh
ginia was but eight years old. Left i
poverty, without relatives, and almos
without friends, she resolved to seek he
grandfather, whom she had never seen
but of whom she had often heard he
mother speak. She found him, and b
welcomed her warmly to his home. Vh