National Republican., 1880-05-22
GUARDIAN AND H1RD.
Peculiar Developments in the Orphans
Court.

L
Court.
The case of Rachel L. Coleman against William
Lilley, her guardian, was heard before his honor,
Judge Hagner, In the orphans court yesterday.
1t appears that William Lilley, In 1873, volunta-
rily became guardian for Rachel l. Coleman and
her sister, the minor daughters Of deceased col
orcd union soldier, giving Thomas N. NUudain and
another person ns surcties that rs guardian he
obtained for his wards from the United States
pension of Sl2 per month"; TO commence September
"a, 1877 aud to continue until they reached the
ago of sixteen years respectively. Rachels sister
reached her sixteenth year December g. 1873 and
the pension was continued TO Rachel at $40 per
month until October, 1881. Rachel was taken to
Lilleys house, where she lived for some thirteen
or fourteen months, doing the work of al under
servant until about Christmas 1878, when he
turned her away Since that time she has been
earning her own living.
guardian for some shoes and clothing. and though
he had continued to draw her pension up 10 De-
cember 4, 1879 and had received from the govern
ment on her account some S2O6, he turned her
away empty-handed, saying he had no money for
her. Rachel then consulted Captain Mayno and
asked him to aid her. Telling piteo,i. tale she
enlisted the captains sympathy, and, without tho
hope of fee reward he took hold of her case and
found-nrst that Lilley had drawn her pension up
to December 4, 1879; that there was at the time $50
due the girl from tho pension agents that Llllcy,
though about two years guardian, had rendered
no account TO the court, Rachael then, through
her attorney filed petition setting forth tho facts
and asked that Lilley be required to render his ac
count and that he be removed as guardian and
some ono appointed in his stead.
With his answer Lilley filed his account, in
which he charges Rachel $50 for board while doing
the work OF servant Mt his house. several dollars
for shoes and slippers admitted to have besn pur.
chased for his daughter and colored cook, Si6.O6
for dry goods purchased within few months
from his bondsman 4. N. Naudain; S37 for dress
making and other items IN proportion.
flo also charges Rachel with being grossly i'm.
moral-so bad in fact, that he was forced to drive
her from his house He also alleges that Mr.. Will
lam Rutherford, who was named rs his successor,
informed him that be knew nothing about the case
that d. w. Classic asked him to become guardian
for the girl and suggested that he (Rutheriord)
Rachel by her attorney filed exceptions to every
item of Lllcys account as exaggerated, saying she
never had the things charged against her. She
also denied that she Is grossly immoral, and says
even If she was immoral she is but young igno-
rant girl and she had before her tho bad moral cx-
ample of seeing Lilley and his coored cook sleep
ing in the same room, where she was compelled to
20 mornings to carry water, etc.
1t appears that when LiIley found himself about
to be calod upon for an account, he reported to
the pension office that Rachel was not the leglti-
mate daughter of the deceased soldier and per
consequence was not entitled u pension aud had
her pension stopped, and when he was pressed by
Rachels counsel he sent for her to come back to
him and proposed TO care for her, and while under
his roof wrote ont for her All affidavit, denying in
detail all the statements she had previously made
against him, aud charging that Classic aud Mayno
had induced her to make the false statements TINT
Il
asked them to proceed no further in tile case and
that they threatened to send her TO Jail II she did
not continue the prosecution. This AFFIDAVIT
LiIley had copied by n Mr. Brock who went with
Rachel aud Lley's coored cook TO notary to
have sworn, etc
At the hearing yesterday ii was shown by
RachclS own statement that the 0ildaYlt was not
true; that Classic and MHyne had done no more
than she desired them to do; that she had never
stated to them that tho statements made were not
true; that sho had voluntarily come to the office OF
these gentlemen and made her statement, and
what they had done was purely through charity,
f0r which Judge Hagncr complimoned them in up
prpprato terms
William Rutherford also filed an anidNvit deny
| ing that Colonel Classic had asked him TO become
guardian for the girl that he ever said anything
to him RuthcrlOrd) on the subject of money fec
as alleged by Lilloy. lie says he consulted Colonel
G asSie about the prOprety OF becoming guardian,
and Mr.. Classic suggested that II might be u good
opportunity 10 save q girl aud make good ser.
| want. ON hearing tho case the court directed
| Lnsy to pay the costs and render his account.
The singular feature In the case Is, why does Lley,
who says he has paid outSl0 more money on tho girl
than he received from the government, oblec. 10
being discharged as hcrguardlan2 and why doe. he
insist upon taking into his house girl as bad MS
he makes this out to be, and undertake TO care
for her as GUARDIAN He says she was so bad that
| ho drove her away from his house. and now when
he Is pressed for al account and removal, although
she las no ponSlon coming in 10 cotho her. ne
seems very anxious TO take her back and do and
caro- for her.