The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1877-08-01
STRANGE HISTORY.
che SON of an EX-SfaVe virginia
Negroes COnccals His ORR
Gin and Makes u For
time in New York.
What became Of il.
New York Herald.

New York IIeraldl
A decision was given yesterday by Judge
Barrttti in the contested will case OF Hehfy
lewis against Mary Smith. John ID: "alnroh
aud others tried before HIM IN DeceinoeI
last AT Supreme Court, Special GERM ABOUT
TWO wears awo John ID. Lewis, prominent
New York merchant, was throw II from hls
carriage while driving IN Central Iarh anu
Instantly killed. His life was SURROUNDED
bv mystery Though passing for white
man in fashionable society aud among the
merchants on looking at him one would al
WAYS say t. himself that man has some
foreicn blood III his veins lie never
would disclose anything about his history
and always claimed that he had no rel"IiNes
in the world. His life. in short, was puZ-
zln His Sallow complexion. long straight
black hair, piercing, but fascinating eyes,
attracted attention. Few, however, supposed
that il indicated negro origin. Ihe general
eunnoSition was that lie was Of Cfeole OF
| SI,ri.h descent. He left an estate valued
| nj $3.50 600 and n peculiar will, in which ne
! provided after giving about Sl0 QUO 10 some
| acuuaintances, that the income OF his estate
| shnuId be given to Miss Lizzie Barton 1a4 :
| lnr only, however. as long as >he RENAME
single On her marriage it was TO cease /;
hut on her death the income was 10 so 10
her children. provided she had any Ii she
| had none on her death she was TO be buried
| i'm the same plot in Greenwood cemetery
with John ID. Lewis, and then the estate was
ia he ustd up in decorating the JOINT grave
| ThouUh he was obliged t. appear IN court
frequently during his lifetime no lawyer
was ever sharp enough to elicit rom hlni
any details of his birth. The testimony III
co1rt unified the veil under which this ee-
centric man sought in his lifetime to keel
| from the public has ancestry. Forty years
ago he was a porter in the retail store o
PofIlion & Co, in CathaTine street. Brlgh
/ and active he soon became a clerk. ScekihS
J \ HIGHER sphere of duty and one OF NOR
brilliant Dr0> pectS. he became salesman IL
Z the house OF f. d w Couch x Go. lie formed
workmanship with Two ie low clerks uhde
; the name OF Lewis, Ha.ilani n 60. 1efe H.
amaSSed a large fortune. Alter slime Uni
firm was dissolved, and the new firm o
John d. Lewis & Co. was formed Ill
business prospered. and from his accumu
ated gains he speculated largely IN fea
e estate. He was never mafrleu, ot'I hFPC =
1 extensive bachelor establishment. lie ire
e ouanted EelmOnicO's and other eNFenslV
! nlaces of resort, where lie eVlHced an alhpi
/. lion TO excel all others IN lavish cNpendl
e ture of money, striving anu St'uS2lll
0 m hi, der every one from knowing any
thing about his early ancestry, and now a.
tar Ills death that which he labored so har
TO conceal has become publicly koO"h-C1i
he was the son OF slave mother' VINO
n the underground railroad escaped 10 Can'
4 da and there cO-habitlng with a VIM
: man gave birth to this future New or
IF merchant. The plaintiff in the casc-h
IA hrothcr-is a coal black negro, i son OF u
ID same mother and a slave father IN Nlfglhl
anJ of the defendants is a black woman,
70 child of the same slave marriage. John J
OF Lewis being unmarried and without en-
lie dren these two black people are the heir
Or at-law, and under the decision OF 0uui
a Rarret these two negroes, eX-slaF"s; w
,p eventually become the owners OF all III
= vast vast property. Judge Barrett decides tn
the only portion of the will which is valid
= that Which give to Miss Taylor the income
the estate during her life. lie further q
n o;Jes that an her marriage or death. whet
es err leaving children or nor, the entire esta
IN Goes to the plaintiff and his black sls'
nd Mary Smith The case at the time eHclO
tn considerable interest, and the testlmoi
II which was peculiar, was listened 10 ="
he n,arked iaterest. and a synopsis thereof W
by published from time to time in the Hera