The New York herald., 1877-08-26
THIRTY MILLIONS IN LAW.


WIDOWS CLAIM FOR TWO HUNDRED SQUARE
MILES IN WEST VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY
SITE OF The CITY OF LEXINGTON INVOLVED
VALUABLE COAL AND IRON PRoPEKTY-THE
PLAINTIFFS RELATIVES OF MARTHA WASH
INGToN.
HkRALD reporter called yesterday at No. 237 Brod
way, the oiice Of Mr.. Thomas Cary, OK Assomblyman
from Hudson county, N j., who occupies Tweed's old
rooms and was informed that he had undertaken tho
conduct Of an important suit for the recovery Of
119 0OO of land situated In West Virginia and
kentucky, 81 900 Of which In Fayete county, and
part Of which the city of Lexington now stands
There are eight claimants, but the ono who has the
immediate conduct OF the Mrs Miller, present
lessee OF the Willow Haven Hotel, Pamrapo, tho
New Jersey Central Railroad. sho recently figured
extensively In contested Will suit against tho bank
rupt firm of Messrs Co,rol Babcock printing press
manufacturers.
Al Mr.. Caroy's suggestion tho reporter visited Pam.
rapo. and found Mrs. Miller who gave, in bref, tho
following history Of her claim. She produced pom.
dcrous. richly bound family Bible printed IN 1863
Cambridge, which, adjoining the title page contained
list Of subscribers among which was goodly array
of the nobility aud gentry Of England. In tho family
register oil the Old Dominion memento recorded
tho that John Young, who born In the city OF
Philadelphia, had cmigratcd to Alexandra, Va, in
17S7 where no married and established himself as q
cracker and pilot bread manufacturer largo stone
house, which ! still standing. His vile. whose
maiden name was Marstella, was connec-
ti0n Of the Custis family, and consequently
related TO Martha Washington. His business flour.
ished and alter accommodating considerable wealth he
invested in 1l4 S9l in the patent lands the
Nor,sp nf iroiu citu asad aa foll0
$1,000 In Fayotte county, 1900 in
Harrison and the remainder in Monongalis,
Ohio, Washington, Kanawha, Lincoln and Mont
gomery counties These government lands were
purchased conveyed to him by. others between
tho years 1884 and 1Soo tho decds OF which reg
iscrod in tho court houses OF the different counties
and were signed by Governors Patrick Henry, B. Ran
dolph, Edmund Randolph, James Monroe, b. Harrison
and Henry Lee, all historical names. Tho amount
paid varied from three TO i've cents aero and 10 q
probably invested from s. 900 to s. 0G0 which, how
ever Vt compound interest would roach to-day tho snug
sum OF about ssoo,ooo.
Ono contains 56 QUO acres, which part OF Lexing.
ton now stands. "Patrick Henry. Esquire, Governor
OF the Commonwealth OF Virginia to whom all these
presents shall greeting Know ye that by
of 23 Iand Office Treasury warrants Issued on 10Th
September, 1888, thcrc is granted by tho said Com
monwcaltn unto John Young certain tract parcel
Of land containing 56 600 acres by survey" probably
surveyed by George Washington, who was ged Tor
date February 20. 1884, in the county Of Fayc.te,
bounded loliows:-Besinning at an ash number 0,
Sc TO have ana hold The SAID trac;
or parcel OF land, with It's appurtenances,
to the sid John Young aud hts heirs forever In wit
whereof the SAID Patrick Honry, Esq, Governor
Of the Commonwealth OF Virginia, hath hercunto set
his hand and caused the lessor scal Of the said Com
monwcsIth TO be affixed at Richmond the 4th Jan,
1855, and Of tho Commonwealth the 10Th"
THE HEIRS.
John Young during the war Of 1912 manufactured
frnp hn hruo ods of w 0aup
quantities OF crackers and po. bread tho Of
tho American army and navy, but the British laying
sells laden by him, SO prcyed upon the old mans
mind that no lost his reason and died
hraag s S w raov
destroyed armius OF bis papers, and Eence the con-
fusion III his AFFAIRS Previous 10 Tho cnbargo he WAS
regarded Us the weahest among tho business class IN
that portion of the country. Yet the loss crippled
his estate that only sufficient lett TO support and
educate his eight children. OF those Johu born
1904; JOSIAH Ia 170s and George in 1907 grew up TO
manhood went out West aud were mover aitcrward
heard from. Ono daughter Eliso, died unmarried
Philadelphia. contractor, who died six years
ago leaving his children In very comfort
Henry, born in lsOO went to Baton Rouge La
and established tho Baton Rouge Gazette c lett
son, William Nash Young, who IS now extensively en-
gagged IN the cracker business in Richmond. Ferdi
nand Narscila Young, born Ia 1904, went after his
brother - Baton Rouge, whore he became IN exteu-
planter, having between himself And his brother
ut one time over nve hundred slaves. This old gen.
tleman now in bis seventy-fourth year. Is the only
known survivor Of the children Of John Young He
has neld various responsible State and municipal po
sitiOns, and Is well known in Baton Rouge. He has
ouiy one daughter, Mis-. Miller, tho conducting claim
ant. Henry Nichols Young born In ls0s the youngest
son died ton years ago III Baltimore, leaving no chill
dren. Hc was also IN the cracker BUSINESS which
seems ~ have been hereditary IN tho family ana was
senior member OF the firm OF Young. Beatty X UO0n.
neii, No. O'Donneli's Wharf
PROSECUTION DELAYED
the delay In prosecuting The claim vas caused by
tho following facts lhc children were LETT orphans
alta tender age with only enough money TO support and
educate thefn and all the documents having been
DESTROYED by their stepmothor not IN position
TO enforce claims to land OF the existence Of which
they ouly knew by hearsay In 1Sa5 however, the
late Joseph Jackson, woliknown lawyer OF Rich-
mond, who was conversaut with the particulars re-
oical In tho Land Oncc found these tracts awaiting
an owner He Instituted inquiries aud found that
Ferdinand NJ Young, Mrs. Mer's father, was resi-.
dent OF Baton Rouge He opened communication, and
enclosed blank powers OF attorney for Mr.. Young 10
sign, stpuiatng that he to have half the
proceeds, and stating that considerable money
could DC obtained An angry correspondencc cnsucd,
ana nnally Mr foung wrote 10 tho Virginia Treasury
Department and found no record of taxes being paid
on portions OF this and. He then wrote 10 the sew
era court houses and optained copies OF the patents
which nre now IN Mr.. Carcy's hands On account OF
certain family disaRreemenls which arc oi no mo-
mcnt TO the public Mr. Young took no nction In tho
matter anu during war buried tho box containing
the deeds on his plantation near Baton Rouge. Last
year MIS- Miller visited her father whom she had not
elected, and on her departure no placed tho docu-
mcnts IN her hands. Four years ago she leased tho
willow Haven Hotel at Pamrapo from Co,trcll u Bah
COCK and invested O0O0 placing her son IN cnargc
On the failure OF Cottrch n Bnbcock sue In
voved In considerable vcxatious litigation, the facis
OF which have been published IN tho daily press Her
lawyer, Mr. Carey, has full nstructions " prosecute
the SUIT. which will be commenced at the next sitting
Of the United States Supreme Court Mr. Charles
O'Conor, who was consulted casuslly on tho claim
says Inc property involved IL worth July xJu, ,00OUV