The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-06-22
fSex Orleans Times. ls,h.l

10 give their testimony in the matter OF
tb. s,,ccessiou OF Sarah A. Dorsey, In oruer
that II may be preserved in pe'petndm fe'
sn~uoriq,n, Hon. jefferson Davis hied o
xefitieu some time ago setting forth that
he-bad cause 10 fear that Stephen Percy
Ellis. Mortimer Dahigren, and lnez Ruth
Ellis Peckham, intended 10 attack the last
festamest Of Sarah A. Dorsey, deceased on
the following grounds:
First. That the tesiairix was not OF souho
and disposiDg mind when she mace sal9
wifi. Second. That she was at the Time OF
making said will under the undue influence
oS petjtjoper. Third. That the motive in-
<j.,cipg her to make said will was Illegal anu
contrary TO public policy.
Al IL O'Clock yesterday the dispositions OF
The witnesses began-Messrs. r. II. Farrar
and c. l.. Walker for plaintiff, and w. u.
Mills for defendants.
GENERAL JUBAL A. EARLY, SWORN,
said: clam sixty-tbree years old. knew
Mrs. Dorsey. Met her in 1877. / went 10
her house, Beauvoir. on the invitation OF
Mir. Davis, who told me Mrs. Dorsey want
ed to see me- / saw her very frequently
during nv yisit-.at every hour Of the day.
Had much conversation with her. She I'M
pressed me as being a woman OF remarka-
BILE mind aud extraordinary intellect. She
eyinced no sign Of mental alteration. |
reached her house day or two before
Cbristmas.
eel read some statements in the newspa-
pers about Mr. Davis's pecuniary condi-
dion. One day Mrs. Dorsey asked me to
walk out with her on the beach. She told
me that Mr.. Davis was very unwilling to
receive assistance from bis friesds. We sat
down on bench. She said the only chance
for Mr.. Davis to get anything was for her
10 die and leave him her estate. She said
she intended affording her hall brother,
Dablgreu, assistance, and that Mr.. Davis
should have her estate. She wanted very
much 20 give bin a fine riding horse, bu.
she didn't have the money 10 buy one.
.sTbe LEGISLATURES Of the southern States,
she thought, should have made provision
for him. told her that the Legislatures
could not do this. She then urged that the
southern people should do something for
him. A proposition bad been started III
Texas, she resumed, for this purpose, but
Mr.. Davis heard OF the movement and had
. stopped.
"pURINd NJ STAY AT DgAUy0IR
Mrs. Dorsey asked General Joseph Davis,
nephew Of Mr.. JET. Davis, whether an auto
graph (olographic) will, without witnesses,
was good He answered that he was igno-
rant Of the law. knew what she referred
TO. but nothing ia her remarks gave the
other gentlemen present clue TO what she
meant.
.General Davis al that time lived at Mis.
sissippi City. Mrs. Dorsey asked us to go
out OH the beach were the matter could be
discussed without Mr.. Davi, overbearing
the discussion; she did not want any one to
hear what We were talking about. Mrs.
Dorsey knew that was friend OF Mr.. D.
viz. aud held conversations with me on this
account. ] remained at Beauvoir four or
i've DAYS and then left for Richmond, Va.
She told me that she wanted to give up
Beauyoir to Mr.. Davis, but be would not
consent 10 II. She said no one bad psrticu.
lar claims on her, and that she could dispose
OF her property as she wished.
"She sign6ed her intention 10 assist
Young Mr.. nablgren 10 the pursuit of his
studies. Mrs. Dorsey bad iial regard
for Mr.. Davis, admired hlm, and, from in
fancy, felt towards him as to father. In
an interview with her at the ST. Charles
Hotel, last year, at her request, found her
in the sitting-room, adjoining her bedroom.
She had left Beauyoir on account OF her bad
health. She inquired about Mr.. Davis, and
manifested the same regard for him she had
always shown.
"This was some time after. the LIST OF
June; / can't remember the exact date
While the conversation was in progress
several lady callers dropped in aud l left,
telling Mrs. Dorsey would call again. She
told me she was
"GoIyG TO BERKELEY SPRINGS,
In Virgins. left New Orleans about the
18th OF June, and a short time after l read
the account OF her death in the papers,"
Cross.examined: Mr.. Davis invited me
TO Beauyoir By note some days before / saw
him in the city. Mr.. Davis came over be.
fore left. saw him, and he then Invited
tne again. The Beauvoir family consisted
OF JET. Davis, Mrs. Dol sey, and Mr.. Dahl.
grcu. Mrs. Davis was absent In, Memphis.
can't tell how long the interview with
Mrs. Dorsey lasted. 1t was prolonged one.
We talked about other matters. / would
have approved OF her intention to leave her
property to Mr.. Davis II she had asked my
opinion. Her intentions regarding the dis
position OF her property gave noe high es.
fimsie OF her character for unselfishDess.
"Our conversation was very earnest
one. She did not speak OF her death as II
she apprebended it would come shortly.
During nv stay at Beauyoir she did not
speak OF her being affected with any seri-
Gus complaint. l only heard that such was
the case long tine afterwards. When
saw her in New Orleans she told me she
Had been in New Orleans for the purpose
OF being under the treatment OF physician.
She did not tell me anything OF the nature
OF her disease. don't recolect whether
there was anything said about her having
undergone surgical operstion-some one
else told me about that.
I'll was at Beauyoir during the holidays
Mrs. Dorsey invited number OF persons
one evening to
"a DANCE.
4 don't know any OF the members OF Mrs.
Dorsey's family; / met General Dahlgren
In Canada Ia 1896; became very well ac-
4rainted with his seq, who was at that time
going TO school; did not meet Mrs. Dor
Sey's sister at Beauyoir; | did not see Mrs.
Peckham there; Mrs. Dorsey spoke very
kindly OF Mortimer Dahlgren; she did not
speak disparagingly Of anybody connected
with her; / first learned that Mrs. Dorsey
had made her will In January, 1878, by no.
'tice In the newspapers; she did not refer to
u when saw her ut the st. Charles Hotel !;
4 have always taken an Interest In Mr.. Da-
EiA. ftf
q / am q wsrm friend OF his. never
had any anxiety about whether she would
carry out her Ideas in regsrd to Mr. Davis,
because did not think he would 0utliye
Der. ] thought whc0 saw her ut the hotel
that she was inborIng under some female
GiseAee, but thought thar the air OF Virgil
1lta would cure her. believe / met DR..
Wo1lluGswcrth during my stay ut Beauyoir.
TIE reasop OF Mrs. Dorsey leaving Jen,
Davis her estate was, a. learned. that he
lad nothing, and that her regard for him
WaD such that she wanted 70 put him In