The New York herald., 1879-08-07
MRS. DORSEY AND JEFF DAVIS.
THE CONTEST OF MRS. DoRsEY's WILL MAKING
JEFF DAVIS HER HEIR-AN IMPETucUS

THE CONTEST OF MRS. DoRsEYs WILL MAKING
JEFF DAVIS HER HEIR-AN IMrEruoUs
DONOR.
The interest increases in the North as well as in
the south the disposition of her vast property
in Louisiana and Mississippi. valued at quarter OF
million dollars, by the late Mrs. Dorsey. of Beau
voir. Miss AS already stated Jefferson Davis is IN
nuie possession of the property and will be able to
draw it all the necessary to resist the
claims of those who to be the rightful heirs
Yesterday a reporter of the HERALD called at the
Office of General Dahlgren the stepfather OF MIS-
Dorsey. and at the home of her brother. Colonel s.
+. Ellis in Brooklyn The latter. with his family.
enjoying the cooling breezes of the ocean but
the former busy with his briefs. He. however.
laid them aside to tell what lie knew about this Pc
culiar case.
Two years ago more. he said. his son let Ne"
York at the earnest solicitation of Mrs Dorsey 70
attend to her business in the and to live with
her. She widow and childiess, and the prop
erty she has placed in the hands of Jefferson Davis
was inherited in part from her father and WAS left
her in part by her husband, Mr. Dorsey, and was III
part the gift of her stepfather General Dahigren.
How she became acquainted with Mr. DAVIS the ueh-
eral does not know, but the Ellis family and The
Davis family had always been on intimate terms ana
though Sarah General Dahlgren called her, was
only ten years old when he married her mother she
was a bright girl for her years and became great
favorite with him. Hence he gave her the best ed'-
cation that the South could furnish, including
knowledge of the theory and practice OF law with
himself .For" said General Dahlgren. II have been
q mechanic sailor, a soldier physician,
n LAWYER banker and planter by
turns The Generals home was at Natchez,
not yicksburg as reported. The war swept away
81 100000 worth OF property from him. and as there
was no chance to make living i'll the South 1t would
,o 40 10 sit down with nine children looking to him
for bread and calmly bite his fingers and wait for
something 10 turn up. He had practised law of
for thrtyeight years and hence. at the close
of the war. he moved North and fell back his old
profession for "a living. He had practised medicine,
too off and on for thirty years. and even now his
kno,,edge of the healing art serves him OCCASION
aIly AS for instance, a day or two ago of his
boys, in play with another, received knife wound
put tor the Generals knowledge OF medicine and his
promptness attend to the wound.
HOW MUCH WOMAN
"Now," said the General, "having smattering Of
this knowledge myself had two objects in mind in
giving Mrs Dorsey the education gave her. First,
/ wanted determine how much woman's brain
could carry and second. wanted to ascertain how
much she would think of her benefactor. Well,
was satisfied in both regards. OF course was not
entitled to any thing her estate and did
pect it, but my and her own brothers and Sis
;ers were and know they are disappointed, and
the they were led by their sister to believe
tnat she would divide her property among them.
IL must be rather hard for young man having
liberal education like my to have to open cigar
store in Louis, after having given up his pros
poets business here at the solicitation of his sister,
whose interests in the South he has faithfully at
tended and to u comparative stranger installed
in the place that righttully belonged to him and
other members OF the family. know, too. that her
brother Colonel Ellis, of Brooklyn. is disappointed,
for he expected to set his son up business with
his sister constantly assured him she would
leave him. And there are other members OF the
talniiy who were led to expect something at her
death, and who need it too Her sisters daughter is
u clerk in the Philadelphia Post Office. and she was
favorite with Mrs. Dorsey"
In reply to questions OF the reporter the General
said Sarah was always inpetuous girl ana would
do and say things that afterward regretted. ana
he had no doubt that hal she lived little longer
property and would have repealed her WILL But he
said, she to have been dominated by Mr.. Da-
Wis influence and mind and the General had no
doubt that undue influence be shown the
trial OF the The laws of Louisiana and Missis-
sipp substantially agree in this aspect OF the case.
and IL this influence can be shown III New Orleans
The testimony and the result Will be accepted III the
Dther State.
,f- A RsIGHr BUT IMpuLsIvE WOMAN.
AS an indication OF Mrs. Dorseys impetuous
nature, the General cited her marriage with Mr..
Dorsey, not indeed, no added against ms VIII. but
without his appreciation. He didn't like the
rage for two reasons-the discrepancy in cars she
bong young and sprightly girl and he advanced in
years and inclined to look and let the world wag.
For the first years alter ner marriage she
responded occasionally with her stepiather but
that all intercourse ceased, and tor twenty-five
years he mad not her and had only incidentally
heard from her. He believes that his plain advice
her marriage dsafccted her toward him,
and that her mind was in a state of aberra-
ton when she made her will. owing. no doubt,
10 the influence part OF Jefferson
Davis over her, In part to natural and inherited
hightiness of intellect. IL don't mcan," said the
General THAT she insane. tor you understand
that girl who could grasp much and such
varied knowledge neither lunatic idiot.
But there III the family trait something akin
10 lmpulsive insanity. knew ive of them who in
ts OF alteration took their lives and there
two more similarly afflicted in mind And possibly
was, would have developed in her Also She a
highly cultured woman, aud was exceedingly fond
literary society. And as Mr.. Davis made pre-
literary ability and tastes she conceived
a liking Tor him"
The General repeated substantially what his son
had said concerning the paionic affection of Mrs.
Dorsey Mr. Davis but he did not believe that any
other relations existed between them. Still, it
very unwise tor her to allow married
live III her home separate from his wife and
family. But he could account for it two grounds
her mpahy with the eminent alict ted and her love
of literary people. She thoroughly Southern
IN her Instincts and feelings, and looked upon Mr.
Davis as "a much abused man, neglected by the peo.
pie whom lie tried TO serve and witha "a of
culture and literary tastes. so tnat she readily
took to him. to the extent of compromising
her own standing in society
The law irm of Mills n Fcllowes, who were en-
gu2cd in Mrs. Gaines Will are likely to he
gagged III this Correspondence has been held with
them, but General Dahigren could not tell whether
no they had yet been engaged. His son, Mortimer.
is determined TO contest the WILL ana Colonel
Ellis. and the General had no doubt they would ulti-
inaely succeed in breaking the will. But Mr.. Davis
Is in possession of tho property and he will delay
the hnal issue As long AS possible. The General
does not expect the result to be reached under two
years, and hile, he says the property may be
very greatly depreciaed.