Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-08-03
A suit with q Romance.


There is DOW peniirg in the courts of Ohio
suit iavolving several millions of dollars in real
estate, and which. besides bringing some Of the
most prominent men 10 the couotry, including
Pr, sideut Hayes, Chief Justice Waite, Judge
TiIGen and others. forward as contestants, has
40 intensely romantic history Connected With it,
n which Maryland family constitute the ptiu.
jc!pal characters. The story goes that soms
time in the az 1912 Csptsiu Ford of Bati-
more, was married to one h'vey Baskirt a
widow, formerly Miss Lnvey Ward, of Som ar
sat cHu'ty, Md. Shorty after bis marriage
Capt. Ford is said to have left Baltimore 10
conulard of 6 privateer. witch was captured
by the Beitish. Oaptaio Ford was taken cap
tive aud placed 10 Dartmoor prison., where he
remained tor sometime, but 6oally escaped by
SunueIllDg his way OUT. He went to Sweden,
an3 after the close OF the war returned to Bslti.
| more, having been gone about three years. o.
hts return he fouod bis wife living 10 good style.
He slso found that there was 40 addition to bis
hOus hold 10 tho person OF lovely little girl,
when his nciphbors said was the captains
and Mrs. Ford's cblJ but whom some Of
their In ,st Intimate scquaiotsnoes, it is al
legged declared Gss an Legitimate child.
The captain sod his ~lte. however, claimed the
child as their OVID cffspIing. Capt. Ford did
nut long regain iuac i've, but soon after his
return Fl ted ou! SLAYER and made several trips
to Atrtca, auding his living cargoes in this
cauul,y st Chsrl' on, Savannah. and some.
times 10 Cubs. Reiuroing home again his wife
is said to have become ,aou5 of him. Capt.
| Ford then LETT the house again, aud went West,
| whore hs lcc.ted number of land warrants,
| among Tblci was one at the lodisn bl Jok )use,
or tort. at the auth of the Maunee river, then
| uS10 awil}ern9ss. now the site of the city of
Toledo. sis ever the ownership of this prop
erty that the suits are pending. Captain Ford,
alter au absence of three yesrs, came to Bsti.
| .core oaca 10 lre, but fading his wife determined
DOT TO have suYl hing to do with him. he left,
goiog to M,xop, where he entered the navy of
that cAuutry. aud served as lieutenant until
1922. when he died intestate. His onlV kios.
people SO lar as known. were bis wife. L1vey,
his moh,r aud sisters, living iO oue Of the New
England States, aud ha 90 called child, the little
| girl, Thcs, name was Emellne. ....- ..
Ia 1888 or 1854 PERSONS from the West came
here aod conmctc ID q search for the heirs of
Capt. Ford. To these persons it was alleged
that Mrs. Busklrt, or Ford, represented that
EmcIiae was tho legitimate and only ohild of
Capt. Ford. and selling her dowry interest in
the Tolooo laud to them she caused Emef1uo
to conVcY tho ie", rec lving tor it a small sum
of money. There was living with Mrs. Bus
kirt sister named + zabnth Ward, who, it is
claimed, begged MrS. Buskrt to undeoeive
Emine and to tell her whose Child she really
vas, 80 that fraud upon the purchasers OF tho
properly might oe prevented ''.
| MesnwhlIe, aoother party, observing the
growing IMPORTANCE of Toledo, Inquired as to
the title to Ford's property, then vacant aud
u1eIc'ased. After invesIg ltiog to some extent
/ To- -, Ia
conclusion that the captaio had left 90 legiti.
mate children and SO purchased the title of
the properly from Capt. Ford's mother aud sis
ters ln the course of time it happened that
Bao. Wade got an Interest 10 the property and
| sent some Of mis- agents here to see that the
title was clear These agents found the mar-
rage record of Capt. Ford aud Lovay BuSkirt
10 old st. PauPs parish record. After great
deal of fighting in the Onio courts between the
owners Of the TWO titles. the case was fnally
deoreed 10 favor Of the Baltimore title, dsposi-
| lions having been returned to the court alleging
that Elizabeth Ward had tUorn that Emeue
was the legitimate daush .er of Capt. Ford and
his wife L1vey. ..a
About year after wards. however, E iz,beth
Ward, who Was then married to man named
johnson, and vas living near Marion, few
miles from slid, Somerset county, Nd,
saw an acc ,uot OF the decision 10 Baltimore
paper, aod s heard to declare that great
wrong bad been committed, aud that she and
she alone could right it. To Mr.. John Fl.
! Handy, OF this city, and Mr.. Hymsn. q Western
lawyer, who called to see her, che refused to
disclose anything ss to who the real parents Of
the child we're, but persisted Ia saying that she
had never said Emeline was the >ugh.er of
her siater, whereupon Mr. lyman flied petit
ton to set sside the decree on the ground that
it was obtained by forged and fraudulent testi-
mouy.
Judge Tilden, cousin of Samuel j. Tilden.
aud tGe principal person concerned, then
brought suit TO recover possession OF the prop.
erty lost by the decree; after which Judge Irv.
ing, Of this State, by special Commission. took
.estimony to sustain the case. After great
deal of hard a skiuful wofk Mr.. Handy sue
ceeded ct last In 1871. in getting Mrs. John.
son nee Eliz .beth Ward. to make Il statement
in which she acknowledges that Emelins was
her own daughter, the child Of an Irish sea
captain who IT, q tented Captain Ford's house.
To cover her sisters disgrsced Capt. Ford's wife
had declsr ID to the world tnst Emene was her
cwn child, and rs such she lived tor many
! years. .- ....-. II. -.. -..fEs ~.
And SO ct lest the secret was disclosed. Kme-
line was msrrled to former captain of an oys.
ter puugy, who is now living in this city. Her.
mother, Elizabeth Ward, died at her house, in
Somerset county, last year, Mrs. Buskirt has
,, been dead many yeArs. &c .
a great railway depot has been built on the
Toledo property under the Baltimore title, and.
it is said nearly 800 dwellings. It comprises 81.
most all of the Fifth ward OF that city. A large
Der Of persons arc directly or indirectly con-
, cerned in the case.-Batt. Sun. ne -
LINE TOILET SOAPS-Lettuce Cash.
II mere Bouquet, Glycerine Honey. Elder
b Flower, Turtle Oil, Vaseline, Austrian Bath
and Olive Esstile, just reeiVed in every variety
of style and price. --...
..i JaNNBY & CO.,
m53l Druggists. Nos 70 & 162 King st.