New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-02-11

70 FArls. But 80 1t tails out. And here
viii stop, and you may say it is quito time
Not stopping after having endeavored to
give you the information you sought tor
have run of into personal reminiscenoes in
which You can feel but little interest.
have the honor to be, very respectfully,
your obedlent servant.
John Z. Winston, Lynchburg Virginia, United
A Curious Will Case.
On the calendar Of the Surrogate's Court
of this county is a motion tor an accounting
in the matter of the estate of the late John
u. Lewis, at one time prominent merchant
of this city. In the Supreme Court are also
pending two actions on the part Of the
brother of Lewis to set aside and annul his
will. The plaintiff in these actions to set
aside the will is negro living in Canada
and Runkle & Englehart.
The story Of the late Mr.. Lewis birth, an
oestry and life, is strangely romantic and
interesting. Although supposed by all who
knew him to be white man, he bore traces
Of negro or Indian blood His life was
mystery to all save himself. Even to his
intimate friends ne never made known his
history, and on occasions Of suits in court,
when he was questioned as to his former
relatives living. He was Of most secretive
disposition and was especially suspicious
OF those whom he was required to meet on
confidential terms in his business matters,
and from time to time he employed large
number of lawyers, each of whom he dis
trusted and with most of whom he sooner
or later Quarreled. Later on in life he be-
came 80 distrustful OF MS lawyers that ne
finally drew up his will without the advice
or assistance Of any legal counsel, and hence
all the trouble which followed. About a
wear and half ago he was thrown from
carriage in Central Park and killed, leaving
by this will. which he had himself drawn,
an estate valued at $3.50 900. In this most
singular will, drawn in his own handwri.
ing, after devisiDg legac;es to the amount
of about $l5. O0O he disposes Of the remain
der as follows: "AU the rest, residue saf
remainder Of my estate l direct to be in
vested by nv executors, and the interest
and income thereof to be paid by them to
Miss TAYLOR until she ia lawfully married:
and should she have children a. her death
the interest direct to be paid in pro rata
share to her children. And then. after d.
recting the purchase of a plot in Green
wood Cemetery and the erection Of suita-
BILE monument At a reasonable cost, he d.
reefs that lin the even. Of Miss Tavior dy-
ing before she is lawfully married, desire
her Inferred in my plot in Greenwood. and
then desire the rest, residue and remain
der Of my estate Oe spen: in the decoration
of the plot where we are buried
Among the legatees OF the will were
Francis Wilder, a. one time porter in Mr..
Lewis employ. who received 81. 900; Eliza
beth Ode.i, $1,000; Lewis Lake. son OF Mr..
Lake, OF the late 1rm of Lake, McCreery &
Co., who was q namesake of deceased,
$4,000; Lewis Cock, son of Arthur N. Cock.
q clerk once IN the employ of Lewis. Havi-
land & Co.. $1,000: Daniel 7. Walton, an
executor, $1,000. and Lizzie Barton Taylor,
as before stated. Among the property left
by Lewis were some forty lots in various
parts Of the city, largely in Greenwich and
Hudson streets, and in the upper part Of the
nearly all of which were either buiidln ga
for manufacturing purposes or houses occu.
pied by tenants, some OF them being large
tenement houses. The property was con-
sidered to be Of very great value.
The will was pronounced worthless by
some of the most eminent lawyers. who
gave it a. their opinion that 1t could he set
aside IN case q relative OF the deceased mer-
chant could be found to attack it in court.
One of the attorneys in the pending suit
remembering that on one occasion being
closely pressed. Lewis said that he came
from Canada, Eear Toronto, caused per
sonal" to be inserted in one of the Toronto
papers inouiring tor 1.-The next OF kin to
John D. Lewis, Of New York" This hap
pened to reach the eye Of an old man named
John Findiay, living in S.mcoe, Canada.
who family remembered that young man
| named Lewis went from Simcoe to New
York and became very rich. Mr.. Findlay
Immediately comm unicated with the atro-.
new, and the result was the discovery that
| a negro man and woman living IN Simcoe
were the brother and sister of Mr.. Lewis.
From the testimony taken on commission
and now on file IN the county clerks office,
| it appears that the mother OF Lewis was az
one time q slave near Wheeling, West
Virginia; that while living there IN slavery
eho was married to negro. and the issue OF
this marriage was Henry Lewis, the plain
tiff in the action to set aside the will. and
Mary Lewis afterward married to man
named Smith. After the birth of these two
children their father. the black husband OF
| Sarah Lewis, was captured. and under the
| fugitive slave law was taken to kentucky
by his masters. on the claim that he was a
| fugitive from their plantation. After being
| Lewis fed to Canada by the underground
railroad" and in year or two was followed
| by her children, Henry and Mary Lewis.
| In Canada she lived with white man. a
| prominent resident of Simcoe, and the issue
Of this connection was John D. Lewis, the
wealthy merchant of New York.
After attaining his fifteenth or sixteen ID
| wear, John .. Lewis came to this city. He
| was bright, active youth. very progresses
| ing IN appearance, and almost white. He
| entered the establishment Of Po!lion Broth
ers, at that time prominent merchants on
| Catharine street, and served some time as a
| subordinate clerk. From tia. place ne
went to the well known firm of E. & y"
Coch & Co., opposite the postothce, and
after serving az clerk at two or three oene!
places, he finally established hinsel,
| in business in connection with two o!
his fellow clerks. John G. Haviland
and William H. Lindsey. The firm wa;
known as Lewis, Haviland & Co.. and b.
this copa-tnership Lewis amassed larg'
fortune After the dissolution Of this tiru
and its successor, the house Of john u
Lewis & Co.. he specuia.ed largely in rea
| estate, and increased mis- already rapid J
| growing wealth. He was never married
and under the laws of this State his mother
Sarah Lewis, would De the heir to his en.:r'
| estate. As she died some years ago. he
two legitimate children, Henry Lewis AM
Mary Smith the issue Of the slave marriag
in Virginia, whom John D. Lewis was to-
proud ever to recognize or claim. will becom
| entitled to the entire estate lii the will b
set aside) to the exclusion of Miss Taylor
| who is said to be the inmate OF Cathoii
convent.-New York Tribune.
Another Campaign Document.
The Washington correspondent OF tn
Chicago Inter- Ocean says:
The JEFF Davis letter creates great dea
of CONSERVATION among the cOncliiatloI