Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-03
CIaiman,. for an Estate of 90, 600.

Claimants for an Estate of 90, 600.
TRACING RELATIONSHIP TO A DEAD MAN UNDER
DIFFICULTIES
About one year ago THE STAR published an
account OF the case Of the estate Of Robert V.
Harrison in the Probate Court on petition of
Miss Hamilton and Mrs. Duering, claiming to be
heirs OF the estate, which case was decided adj
versely to the petitioners. Harrison, who died
in May, 1877, at a house on Ohio avenue, had
lived here all his life with Mrs. Harrison, who
lived on New York avenue near 18th street;
street, between 10th and 18th, and 18th street
near ID, and who bore the reputation of keeping
TO be her son, and notwithstanding his sur
roundingS he grew up to be well-behaved man
and good citizen, although he had no education
whatever. He learned the trade of coachmaker
with the McDermotts, but did not work at it
after he was free. He was, however. member
OF the old Auxiliary Guard, the police force of
Washington in ante-bellum days, but frequently
remarked that he need not work, as the old
woman lad enough for him to live on. "Bob''
Harrison, as he was generally called. died in
the house where Mrs. Harrison died in 1872
$1,000 1t is said-and DR.. j. F. Hart1gan, who at
tended him in his illness, having as a creditor
obtained administration of the estates adver-
tiSed for the heirs. AS stated above
MISS HAMILTON AND SISTER PUT IN A CLAIM
which last January was decided adversely to
them by Judge DIN, and they then filed is
sues to be tried by jury, but nothing further has
been done in their case. The claim OF those
parties was that Mrs. Harrison was daughter
of Edward Hamilton, a brother to their father
Ehen 7. Hamilton, of Loudon county, Va The
government claimed in this case that Mrs. Har-
riSon was "Cinthy" Ashford, of Alexandria, who
with her sister, fell into loose ways while work
ing at the cotton factory near Four Mile Run;
that she became the mistress of Mr.. Hari On.
and after living with him a few years In Alex
andria. came to this city and opened house of
assfgnation; that the younger sister was the
mother OF bob" Harrison by Robert Ruther-
ford, and finding herself poor she confided the
child Bob, to her sister, and subsequently she
joined Rutherford in the south. and nothing
was afterward heard OF them.
NEW CLAIMANTS
then appeared-Murphy and others-who in
their petition claim than Jane A. Murphy, Mary
+. Fox and Anna Casseen are the children and
heirs at law of Rachel Casseen, daughter of
Thomas Ashford, brother OF Nancy Ashford.
Nancy, they claim, was Mrs. Harrison. To sup
port this claim, Mr. A. d. Frazier testified that
be lived at Four-Mile run in 1926 and Tom Ash
ford married Miss HoSkins: that Toms sister
Nancy came to Washington, and he never saw
her again until some years afterwards, when she
came into Lawyer BrentS Office and asked for
money to buy shoes. 7. ii. Glover testified that
he knew Nancy at Four-Mle run, and also in
this city. when she kept house for MI. Brent and
name was Sandy Moore and the boys name
George Moore; that he was born in 1925 saw him
just before Harrfson'S inauguration. Richard
A. Rudd testified that he knew Nancy Ashford,
and heard that She had a child and came to
Washington. Jane De Neal swore that she
knew Mrs. Ashford and her children, and
ldQ seen tyntn1a on UQP corner or l2Il and h
streets; that she was first known as Cynthia
Dawes, had heard her called Harrison, saw
Nancy at 18th and streets John 7. Arm
strong testified that the Ashfords Ghe mother
and her daughters Nancy and Cinthy) lived near
the Old Diagonal pump In Alexandria in 1917 or
rs, and it was common report that Nancy had
child boy, by Rutherford, who was called
Tom" Mr.. Jos. II. Bradley testified that
Nancy Moore several years before 1910 was the
reputed mistress of w. L. Brent, the lawyer.
s. c. Mills testified that he knew Bob Harrison
as far back as 1913, and that Mrs. Harrison, with
whom Bob lived. was supposed to be his mother,
FOR THE GOVERNMENT IT WAS TESTIFIED
that Mrs. Moore lived with Col. Brent on 18th
and E streets; that her boy, George, went to
Henry Guilds school and had good education,
and studied law in Mr.. BrentS office; that Mrs
Harrison was unlike Mrs. Moore. Mrs Jackson
testified that Mrs. Moore, who lived with Col
Brent dealt with her, and she spoke of her boy
going to SCHOOL, knew Bob Harrison WELL and
saw him about ten days before he died. John
Hudson testified that he knew Mrs. Harrison as
Tilley Harrison, and knew the son all his life:
also knew Mrs. Moore and her son George, who
was a member of the bar Vivian Brent testi-
fed that he knew Nancy Moore who left Wash
ington in 1874 and went to st. Louis, and she
married his father in 1S47, who died in Louis
lana. w. II. Lemons testified that he was
slave of Col BrentS; knew Mrs. Moore and her
son George, he was called George Thornton,
and studied law with Mr.. Brent.
The case was recently argued before Judge
Macarthur holding the Probate Court and the
government argued that Mrs. Moore and Mrs
Harrison were not kfth or kan, neither were the
boys George Moore and Thos Harrison; that
Mrs. Moore was not an Ashford at all before
marriage but a Dawes