Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-03-07
A Soldiers Heirs in Court.
HOW A CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATION W.
DETAINED. AND HON. DIVIDED

HOW CONGRESSIONAL APPROPRIATION WAS
OBTAINED, AND HOW DIVIDED.
Yesterday, in the Probate Court, Judge
Wylie made decision in the case of the estate
of VIM NOrthedge, in which a petition was
filed in May last by George VIM Northedge,
claiming TO be the son of the deceased. for the
revocation of letters of admins ton iSSuef.
to Jane Dearborn, Diminishing the petite, n.
The facts In this case are about rs follow r.
Col. VIM. NOrthedge during the war com
manded the seth New York regiment q. yolun-
teers, which it is claimed he equipp ed at his
1865 leaving a personal estate OF about 500.
and Mrs. Dearborn, representing herself as
the widow of the deceased. ob.alned letters OF
administration, Several years afterwards sbt,
thaVing appealed to Congress to pass a bill for
the relief of the heirs of Col Northedga and
obtained the passage OF an appropriation bID
drew from the Treasury $500 the amount
appropriated to reimburse the estate for what
Col. Northedge had expended.
DISPUTED MARRIAGE.
The petition sets forth that Nor hedge was
married at New Haven. Conn, to Maria Eliza
beth Atwater, in 1895. and they had three chill
dren. born in 1885, 1887 and 1871 respectively.
an a tsES petfo Is@ the matriage is stated
are 10 this effect. NOrthedge asks a decree
bastardizing the chldrea of defendant. Mrs
Dearborn, who was cited under this petition,
denies the marriage set up by the petitioner.
and stated that in April, 1858, under the name
OF Jane Cane, she was married to NOrthedge
in New York. and by him had three children
born III 1879, 90 and 81 respectively.
MRS. DEARBORN'S ACCOUNTS.
The defendant having been cited to settle
her accounts, she submitted them. In them
she charges herself with $40 and asks credit
for Sl.ap paid James ii. BirdSall as counsel
$50 paid j. Casey for collecting vouchers for
the claim, 500 paid Smith, clerk of war claims
committee: 500 paid n. b. Walker paymas-
ter, registers bureau.
The case was argued before ,Judge DIN on
plea and demurrer, in which it is stated that
plaintiff was at the time of issuing the letters
to her a convict in the Massachusetts peni-
tentiary sentenced for life, for the crime of
rape. and has never been restored to citizen-
ship, but is at large on a conditional pardon.
and this is plead in bar. The charge Of fraud
Is also denied, and she states that at the time
of her marriage with NOrthedge he was a wild
over. hav ing been previously married to one
Ann Dunbar.
THE DECISION.
Judge DIN decided. after argument bv Mr.
r. Il. Briggs for the petitioner and Henkie
and Duhamel for defendant, to dismiss the
petition on the ground that it was immaterial
whether the defendant was the lawful wife of
deceased or not, as it was shown that she had
through her own eXertions procured the pas
sage OF the bill through which the bulk of the
estate was derived, and the letters having
been regularly granted in 1868. il was now to5
late 10 disturb the administration.
1t will be remembered that the deceased is
claimed to be one of the heirs of an English
estate said to be valued at over two million
dollars.