The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-29
AN OLD LADY'S DISCOVERY.
NOT AN HEIREss TO UNCLE TOMMY
MILLER's ESTATE.
A Wealthy Ohio Farmer Takes ar his Second
wife the Wife Of the Once Notorious Jim
Chamberinin - Reformed and Rich.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
There Is now case pending before
Judge Roberts in the Dearborn Circuit Court In
Lawrenceburg, which, because Of its rcminis-
censes called up, and the air OF romance Ivy
which 1t Is surrounded, Is exciting no little in
terest In that vicinity The case Is one in which
part OF the estate OF old Uncle Tommy Miller,
late OF Eizabethtown, o., Is In volycd Mr. Miller
was wealthy farmer, living near Elizabethtown,
and died something over year ago. He was about
eighty years Of age at the time Of his death. and
with descendants down to a third and even a
fourth generation, left small army OF heirs.
Among the heirs was his second wife, who Is
now living, who Is about 10 years Of age. Soon
after the death OF Uncle Tommy Miller. suit
was entered by the heirs before Judge Roberts
Tor the partition 0t The estate The partition
the real estate was set OF. The decision " the
Judge was satisfactory to all concerned, and not
a thought was entertained of ever again bring
Ing the matter before tribunal. Quite unex-
pectedly, however, but short time since, some
friend to the family woke NJ to the knowledge
that the heirs we're being cheated out OF a por-
ton OF Their patrlmony that the old Mrs.
her fathers, not an heir to the estate. that
she was never the lawful wife 81 Mr.. Miller
The knowledge, astounding to everyone ao-
quaintcd with the family, was quickly conimti-
nicatcd TO the heirs, and now they Ole suit TO
open up the partition proceedings and have
Mrs. Miller struck of from the list of heirs aud
Tho discovery betrays the fact that early I'm
HE Mrs. Miller became the wife Of the notorious
jim 'hamheilain, the black Douglass uf south
ern Indiana the mere mention ~ whose name
would Brighten children In their sleep and
cause them To dream OF dragons and hohgubllns.
Chamberlain was the most successful horse thief
ever known among the army Of successful horse
thieves who once infested southern Indiana.
but, like all men OF hi- precarious profession. he
mad his unlucky day, was captured, convicted.
ana sent 10 the penitehtiary. His young wife
didn't pine over her lieges absence some
wives do. lie was In for "a long term. she knew
u. and was determined to have new husband.
~ a fatHu IL.
and had proceeded far as to appear before
Judge Stevens, then a probate Judge in the
told by this Judge. however that all
steps toward legal separation un-
necessary; that the fact Of her husband being
penitentiary bird enectually separated them, and
by law gave her the right to marry again. Act
Ing upon this advice, Mrs. Miller. then Mrs.
ShAmnerlain, encouraged the addresses of Mr..
John Wright, who lived near this city. accepted
his heart aud hand. and with him migrated to
Illinois, where, after living happily several wears
and bearing to him three children, all of course
believed by the parents to be leRitim Mrs.
Wright became a widow. Her weeds were worn
only little while, when third opportunity Of
marriage, IN the person OF Joseph Evans, was
offered and accepted. Mr.. aud Mrs. Evans then
few years in the firm belief that they were really
man aud wife, and where death made Mrs
Evans a widow a second time Then the subject
OF our sketch returned Ia the scenes OF her girl
hood near EliZabethtown, and for the fourth
time In her history was wooed and won-this
time 10y Uncle Tommy Miller.
The time of her fourth marriage was way back
In lSbi. From that time until about a year since
she and her faithful Tommy supposed that they
were man and wife. Old Uncle Tommy died in
THIS belief. and she. too, would soon have died
10 as blssful Ignorance. The d6nOib ment has
been made. however. and At the age II seventy
1--WE the poor old lady, for the nrnt time, dis
covered that she has. Tor nearly half n century,
bfen bigainist. since old Jim Chamberlain Is
sull living Upward Of four score years Of
nge, and very wealthy, he lives IN
California honest man. Not very
long ago he came all the way from
MS Paclnc homo TO Elilahethtown to SEQ her
whose girlsh heart he won.nearly sixty years ago.
The two then met on friendly terms. but the
Thought that Mrs. Miller was still Mrs. Chamber
lain. never occurred to them, but IA Ignorance
of the fact, they parted. Ignorant of This fact,
Mr.. Wriehts children have grown up now to
learn that their father and mother were never
married. In full knowledge that Judge stevens
was wrong and that She WAS not legally scparnt-
ed. Mr.. Miller or. as she must now be known,
Mrs chamberlain, finds herself at seventy-Ave
disihherited, and, though innocent Of intended
crime, "a criminal In the home Of those who
have known her for generations she Is a stranger.
Too old now to seek a divorce and other allan
ce-, and too feeble to cross the continent to Join
the husband OF her youth. she remains helpless
ana alone, waiting to be rescued from npend-
ing poverty by her loving but ilegitlmate
children.