The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-09-03

licitous part of Mary land known ~ IL
Eastern shore. Thithcr the two l,,r-
ycrs repaired. Part of the way v,s
made by rail, but, for the balance ,Lo
attorneys had 10 trust To their feet for
conveyance.
Arriving at the house, they found ,
venerable female, answering Ia tbe
euphonious appelation Of Betsy John
son. Although eighty years old, She
is still vigorous, bodily, being engaged
in chopping wood i'm front of the h"n.e
when the lawyers came up. She
proved 10 be the sister Of Lovey I'm.
kert, was present at the time the latter
was married to Captain Ford, and after
her brother-in-law returned from Emo
land she lived with him and her sister
for a period of nine years, until She
herself yielded TO the amorous solicita.
tions Of young Marylander, and Ne.
came his blushing bride.
When the old lady found out that her
testimony was of importance, She felt
that her opportunity had come, and she
should make ten-strikc for a reward
She consulted a pompOus ignorant old
Squire, the oracle Of the neighborhood.
and he too became inflated with the
magnitude of the occasion, and advised
her to demand considerable sum Of
money rs II reward for her testimony.
and he attended hex at her nc,t
interview with the attorneys, TO see that
they did not ovcrreach her.
This complicated matters. Though
the woman's evidence was all import
ant TO the settlement of the ease. Vet /,
would never do To pay the sum She
asked. The attorney saw that the way
to their object was through the Squire
He was adroitly approached, nattered
as To his intimate and extensive know
edge Of the law, and his ability general
~. Then his opinion was deflercntally
requested on several points of the case.
and il was not long until the old gentle
man was completely won over, and ad-
vised his client to comply with the law
yer's requests and make her affidavit.
Her recollection of the events ~ her
early life was excellent, and her testi-
mony in regard To the paternity ana
birth Of Emeline Ford, was fun ana
complete, covering all the disputed
points in the case. She was present p.
her sisters marriage with Captain Ford
and recollccied the latter's return from
England, and remembered that Emers
Ford was born in Baltimore the year
following-in 1915. She coruhora.pi
her testimony by the production Of
old Bible, which contained the fami5
register, and gave the dates a- stated
This was cminently satisfactory as flr
as il went, but another little di.ercpan-
cy insinuated itself and threatened inl-
bic. Emelinc Ford was born IN 1878,
then she would not have attained the
legal age of twcnty-one--aS yequirelhy
the old laws-at the time when She mad,
the conveyance Of the property IN 1855
This, too, n last turned out happily,
for an examination II the statute. li
Maryland showed that the law iixiugth.
majority # women al eighteen yer
was passed about three month. prioru
the time when Emeline Ford had con
veyed the land.
Thus, at the end of four year, of y
borious aud AZ times exciting pursuit
the very slender clcws with which thc
had started out, Afessrs Doylc 4 N
Donnell found themselves in possession
Of every fact which was important p
their case. They returned home VI
umphant, and Immediately began q sos
to quiet title and perpeiuate tcstin nl
Their opponents responded 10 the ,ai'
but when they saw the array Of te-tim
ny opposed to their claims they yielda
without struggle.