Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-19
A STRANGE STORY,
In the Developments of which an Old
Hair Trunk
Plays an Important Part, and Secures
Legacy of $4,000.

A Nashua IN. H. correspondent of the
Boston Journal writes that in the spring of
1880 there died at Manchester, in that State,
a woman who had been known there forty
years as Lydia p. Spoford. She had lived
in several families, was highly regarded by
a large circle of friends and acquaintance,
and was a church-going woman against whom
there was not q breath of scandal. She had
lived as domestic many years in the family
of Mr.. Moore, who on his decease left her
about $4,000, and she had accumulated by
her industry about $4,000. Following the
death of Mr.. Moore she became domestic
in the family of Mr.. ames NJ. Campbell,
then owner and editor of the Union, and
upon her death her will disclosed that she
had made him a bequest OF $500 and had
given about one-ibird OF her property 10
friends, leaving balance of SIC, 900 for any
legal heirs that might be found or for the
State Mr.. Campbell was named as her adj
ministrator, and Mrs. Spofford having been
reticent concerning her former life and never
having had photograph or portrait OF her
self, he was unable to discover any heirs.
He accordingly advertised the fact. The
hearing in the Probate Court developed the
following history of the woman:
Lydia P. Spofford came TO Manchester
with an infant child in 1910. She stopped
at the tavern and gave the name by which
she afterward lived and died, and which
that time did not understand TO be her true
name. The name OF her child was Caroline,
and she died at the age of twelve years. Mrs.
Spofford, for by this name she was known,
was reticent in almost all particulars about
her history; still, al different times she made
incidental statements which served in some
measure 10 sustain one of the claims which
was set up. She evidently intended, how
ever, to conceal her identity, her past his
tory and whafavar of aorrow sffiiction or
disappointment it contained.
The administrators advertise ment finally
came TO the attention of family named
Stafford at Chesterfield, n. II q, and the more
they put this aud that together the more
convinced they became that there was a
strong identity between the deceased and
sister by the name of Lydia P Stafford who
left that place between the years 1880 and
1910, and was last heard of in Vermont,
where she suddenly disappeared from the
house of relative who wss engaged in
staging. The sges of the two persons were
the same, and there were some collateral
circumstances which induced the family,
through Mr.. John Harris, former member
of the Legislature, TO lay the case before Gen
A. F. Stevens, of Nashua. Gen. Stevens was
Satisfied that the right clue had been found,
and set on foot proper measures to develop
the case. The case remained in great doubt
to evidence that could be pr scented in
court for several months, until an examina-
ton of the will one day induced the belief
that it would be a good point to visit the
friends TO whom she gave her personal prop
erty, and note whether or not she had left any
keepsake that could by any possibility con-
meet the past prior to 1910.
After considerable search trunk lhir-
ty-three-inch oval box, with hair covering
and the initials L. p. s., in brass-headed
nails upon the top-was found. 1t proved
the key to the situation, for il WAS the
only material thing that connected her with
the past. This trunk was described by menu
bers of the family who had not seen il for
forty years, and the circumstances that at the
same time Der brother purchased one, and
both were marked alike and By the same
F5e4sors, sad itl lne prtsence- sol Ine Drother.
1t was also shown that she took the trunk
with her to the State of Vermont.
Upon the inside OF the cover of the
trunk there had been pasted a sge hsnd-bill.
She had cut out the center, but the BROTHER, |.
bad the same border and the headline,
which she had not destroyed, Northeastern
S age Company" This was followed by |
other facts of identity, such as family re-
semblsnce, fugitive declarations of the de- |
cessed, peculiarities OF the hand and fingers,
religious sentiments and chuich-going habits |
Now comes the sequel. Tt appears that a |
child, O son, was born 10 Lydia P. Stafford in |
the snriug of 1881. This child grew TO man.
hood, married, died in 1861, leaving a |
daughter, Lizzie Z. Stafford, as his heir at |
law. This heir-now Mrs. Lizzie E Smith, |
Of Chesier6eld-is, therefore, the grand |
daughter of Lydia P. Stafford, who, in 1910, |
upon her arrival in Manchester voluntarily |
changed her name TO Lydia P. Spoford. By |
a decree OF the court Mrs. Smith is to re-
ceive the snug little cum OF about $4,000.