Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-03-28
A SUICIDES WILL.
The Essspades OF Rich Man-The
Career Of John T0lley johns.

In the case, is as follows On the even.
ing Of August Is last, John Tolley Johns,
a wealthy old bachelor, whose wild o..
capades had been the subject of general
com ment among the best-known fami.
lies of the State, committed suicide at
his country seat, "Dover," near Refs
tsrtown, Baltimore county, by shooting
himself through the head with q pistol.
His family had lived at "Dover" for
over century. His grandfather, Col
onel Richard Johns, settled there before
the revolution. His grandfather and
the Hon. Kinsey Johns, OF Delaware,
were brothers, having been born at
"Sudley family residence
on West river, Anne Arundel county.
The latter had three sons, Hon. Kinsey
Johns, of Delaware; Bishop john, OF
Virginia, and Rev. II. V. d. Johns, OF
Baltimore, all OF whom are well-knowI
in their respective States.
| THB SUICIDES WILL.
When the will of John Tolley johns
was opened it was found that he had
left his entire property, valued in all
at nearly half n million dollars, TO the
children of Bishop Johns and the Rev
II. V. ID. Johns, appointing the latter
executor. The only REMEMBRANCE oI
his immediate family was n beguest OF
an annuity of $500 for life to his sister
thu wife of Harris Hodges, wealthy
and prominent merchant of this city
The will was complete surprise to tht
immediate family OF the deceased and
they Immediately gave notice of an In
tention to contest. The relatives or
both sides not Immediately interested
in the will endeavored TO effect a com
promi,e IN order to avoid the scanda
which it was known would attach tt
the family name, and particularly tt
that OF the tesJAtOr were the latter's es
capades ventilated in court of justice
They did not succeed and the case won
to court, the contestants being repre-
s-nted 10y Messrs. l.. Nevih Steele
Machen & Cuttings, Brown 4 Browne
- q. Macintosh, Major John G. Gel
lptt. Charles 4. Garrittee and Slingluf
s. Slinglutf There was an equally
formidable array of talent for the de
fense, the counsel retained being Messrs
X. r. Boarman, Charles Marshal ant
Judge II. Marshal, the latter of Rich.
m md, representing the Virginia branch
Of the family and others. The proceed
ings of the case have been listened Il
daily by hundreds OF the most promi
nent society people in the city. Tn,
ground taken for the contest WAS that
the deceased was Of unsound mind
/ while the defense claim that the re
markable eccentricities which he com
mitted during life originated from his
extremely dissipated habits, Bott
sides have been unrelenting in assailinl
the character Of their dead kinsman-
with aiffert mt motives-and the result
has been that the escapades Of the un
f,rtunate suicide have become public
property.
A RICH MANS EsCAPADEs.
1t was developed In the evidence tha
Johns, from early childhood, was giver
to terrible spells. of dissipation, during
which he would spend thousands O.
dollars and become SO crazy that ht
would have to be sent to au inebriat.
asylum. DR.. William f. Stuart, pro
prletor Of an asylum of this character
near Mt. De Sales, testified that Johns
had been a frequent inmate of his %
tablishment from 1876 until within &
month OF his death. About 1877 Rich
ard, brother Of John Tolley Johns
died very suddenly In Canada, anC
was generally believed TO have commit
Tod Suicide This theory. however
Tnhr Tnllsw .Jobns would never accent
oNd onca hnring a fit of mania. a. moi,
ha hsca,ns conyinced that Richard bal
ho.n ~"n-dsrad hv ,be,r cousin Horac,
Tova
Tbis bsl;sf nsver left him and IL 4
,nnn ,bis noint among others that TN,
nisa ot insanity ia based. As shown,
the irrational characteristics of the tes
tator, the Contestants a. piouuceu m @ WI.
% ness main raou S.epnon Iyu, ~" "nO s"H, AZ,
eha' iolley Iane W us nouso ono u".
anu otereu mn one hunu,'u 0is -, nores 49, "
SaIuaoie iahu II ne "ouiu M ho'o
some oi ooah splees tesul.eu a,su ho ho
only IN Pronlgate expenditures, W
cer'"iniy iehuereu mn crazy toi .h'
tine oeinE no wpuiu niie .' taiuaon VI
hoIses AZ livery stapieS "Lu III msno ono. ~
nous De WIN oooh ohpahlons ina
ne coulu ut,ve 'nem W uea'n WILL "i.nin !;
wi P.si.a
tles' audeu 10 other equally wilu an
senseless lreaks, sometimes caused ui
expenditures Wniie on spree W leacl
as h'gh AZ slo,ooo le three OF iour uays
Oh such OCCASIONS he woulu lreque
glve away money 10 strangers ana th
mentlon OF the name OF horace Lov M
would cause nun 10 ny ihto q v'olen
rage, during winch No WAS uanRerou
10 approach. Darlng MS spiees jon
wouid taKe oeilgnt IN aSsaultlng OF ~
sulting poor people ana then present
, ing them with aooo OF Sl'ooo III pay
ment for his run.
AN OLD SLAVES STORY.
J, uu -. s,.uu s,,uo
he..y MacA, al ot iaS nnS uMass
m', 1esEilieu Ina' olie nikn' mn,o liz. oo aao,
ioiiey was on sPiee, no osH ns. uo% NV,
10 nor quarters, anu taAins Gn n.s sa,. u
ers, tnrew lnem Que ny ono ih'H I;. vuI -.
s anu waIcpeu s1,l .iiehh oulh H up, 'Hu aa,s th