The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-06-26
THE WILL OF MRS. DORSEY
JEFF. DAVIS AND JUBAL EARLY As
WITNESSES.


NEw ORLEANS ''TMEs" June ls.-Ye,
terday the Hon. Jefferson Davis, Geuera
/, JubAl A. Early and Mr.. L. U. Payne ap
, peared In the Second District Court to an
swer to summons issued to that effect
10 give their testimony In the matter o
the succession Of Sarah A. Dorsey, in orde
that 1t may be preserved In prpeiudm 70
maaodam. The Hon. Jefferson Dayil
filed q petition some time ago, settiu,
forth that he had cause 10 fear that Ste
phsn Percy Ellis, Mortimer Qahlgren anC
lneE Ruth Ellis Peckham intended to ut
tack the last testament OF Sarah A. Dor
sey, deceased, on the following grounds
Rlrst-ThAt the testAtrix was not OF sound
and dlsposinH mind when she made said
will. Secoud--That she was at the time OIL
making said will under the undue inhu
enco ol petitioner. Third-That the mo.
tive inducing her 10 make said will was
Illegal and contrary to public policy.
At II O'Clock yesterday the dispositions
OF the witnesses began: Messn. 4. II.
Farrar and q. l.. Walker for plaintiff, and
W. X. Mills for defendant.
General Jubal A. Early, sworn: ~ am
03 years old. knew MrE. Dorsey: Inc,
her In 1877. went to her house, Beau.
yOir, on the invitation OF Mr. Davis, who
told me NrB. Dorsey wanted to see me.
saw her very frequently during my visit,
At every hour OF The day; had much con.
yerSatiOn with her. She impressed me IA
being woman OF remarkable mind and
extraordinary intellect; she evinced no
signs Of mental alteration. | reached
her house day or two before Christmas.
| read some statements in the newspapers
about Mr. Davis pecuniary condition.
One day Mrs. Dorsey asked me 10 walk
out with her on the beach; she told me
that Mr.. Davis was very unwilling TO re-.
ceiye assistance from his friends. We sat
down on a bench. She Said the only
chance for MT. Davis TO get any thing was
for her TO die and leave him her estate,
Gross examined" MIR. Davis invited
ue to BeauviOr by note some days before
| saw him in the city. MIR. Davis came
over before left. | saw him and he then
invited me again. The BeauvOir family
consisted Of Jef. Davis, Mrs. Dorsey, and
Mr.. DAhlgren, MrsSDavis was absent In
Memphis. can't tell how long the in.
terylew with Mrs. Dorsey lasted. II was
prolonged one; We talked about other
matters"
The reason OF Mrs. Dorsey leaving JED.
Davis her estate was, as learned, that he
had nothing, and that her regard for him
was such that she wanted to put him In
easy circumstances. She spoke Of him as
patriot statesman, and President OF the
Soathern Slater. The tendency OF her
mind was not toward general hero.wor.
ship. | thoughtshe examined yerycritical.
ly the claims oi persons to such distinc-
tons. .... .......-
By Mr.. Farar-G speak Of Governor
Henry W. Allen; he spoke Of MIS-. Dor.
sey In the highest terms. was told she
had written an account os his lie.
jefferson Davis called and sworn:
By Mr.. G. L. Walker-"I am Mrs. Dor.
sey's legatee. ] reside In Harrison
county, Miss, at BeauvoIr. | met Mrs.
Dorsey when she was little girl, about
1915, in Natchez. With intervals our in
tercourse has been continuous since that
time. knew her father and her ma
ternal grandfather very we'll. knew her
husband. Mr.. Dogey's plantation and
mine were on opposite sides OF the river.
! had been interested in this Ipart OF the
country from 1885. Mrs. Dorsey's auces.
tors by the maternal side were the plo.
neers OF the country on St, George Lake,,
BY Mr.. Farrar-"I went to live at Beau
yoir, think, in 1875. My wife and un-
married daughter were abroad, and l
thought that my own health would be
better on the sea shore. Mrs. Dorsey
heard OF my Intentions, and she invited
me 10 come to Beauvoir. told her that
! would not stay at her house without
compensating her. | rented q cottage
from her At $50 per month. Mrs. Dorsey
acted Us my amanuensis, on hearing that
writing was painful TO me; this continued
until the return OF my vile from Europe.
| became the owner OF Beauvoir In Janu.
ary, 1873. Mrs. Dorsey had desire 10 20
10 Europe. She proposed to me to take
all Of her property, and furnish her with
enough money TO pay her expenses
abroad. On her leaving for New Orleans,
she sold Beauvoir TO me, and | gave my
notes to her In payment. A sup.
Elemental deed was attached 10
tue original transfer, as there had
been no mention made OF a vineyard on
the ground. Mn. Dorsey only lived
short time at Beauyoir after bought Il. !
held power Of attorney from her; she
was very much embarrassed In business
affairs, and, think, was victimIIed In
business tranBAptions In TenSas Parish.
She asked me to aOt us her attorney, and
put the request on the ground OF friend.
ship. which could not resist. acted un.
der that mandate when Mrs. Dorsey was
unable to attend TO her business. Was
never In Tensas Parish. Mrs. Dorsey came
to New Orleans In 1870 for advice and for
the benefit OF her health. The troubles
10 Tensas Parish arose from the fact that
abe had leased certain property there, had
taken notes for the rent, and several Oi
them had been protested for non.payment.
] never received any money under the
power OF attorney.
"Mrs. Dorsey had the most brilliant OF
intellects, a quick perception and great
knowledge Of languages and the natural
sciences, She wrote Auently and well.
AS an Rmanueusis, she pnt down things IS
they wore said. Her mind was well bal.
anced aud under her own control. These
reports about my using undue influences
with her are bundle oi enormous false
hoods this was said with great vehemence
aud in an agitated mannerl, false as to her,
false to me, aud false In every particular.
She was an independent woman; II ! had
been seeking for bequests could have
gotten them for large amounts. stopped
subscriptions gotten up for my benefit In
Mississippi, Texas and Georgia. have
bFt little left, but among my posses.
slons Is independence Of character. |
never talked 10 Mfs. Dorsey about
making her will. ] never knew
about her will; did not know that was
her legatee, tlrst learned that she. had
made her viii Zhsu she came to New Or.
leans. She said, i shall eEpect you AS my
friend to see that my wishes are faithfully
carried out ] promised. ! afterwards
wrote 10 har 10 ask for instructions 10 carry
out her will. Shs replied, whom near her
end. She left Instructions With Mr..
Payne, and he gave them 10 me alter the
return ol the party who bad taken her re-
mains TO Matches. When the will was
probaled, then, for the frst time, knew
OF It's contents. MB. Dorsey, was per.
iectly well acquainted with my private
Affairs, She knew that unless recovered
niy rroDerty, then under litigation, |
W0ulu l9ao egsyIWlhN HiOie
about my public career tlsa aid myself.
never Tried N be the nero o. my own
rtoiies; never told her aboc.. my career.
We useJ 70 tall great deal about matters.
We differed on many points; she always
got the best Of the Argument. There yas
nothing ol ohstiuacy about hpr, - -
~ know 4, Mnrtimerj mat him Mt
Beauyoir, he stayed thorR until Mrs.
Dorsey came 10 New Orleans. WhGn be
first came TO BeauvOir he showed dis
position TO attend to local affairs. Hetook
charge OF the newspaper at Hands6oro,
which was aiterwGrd removed to Pass
Christian. As bis own affairs improved,
4 bis intorpst In his sister Affairs decreased
ia was th6 youngest child oil the lamilyi
and bis sister (Sfs. Dorsey took great ln'
ierest In him. He was ungrAtehl 10 per-