The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-10-17
TIE WIDOWS RIGHTS.
4 Romantic story Of Politics, Love, MAR
rinRe, Divorce. nnd IA Lawns,t.

Judge McCollum, sitting + - Judge
Sccly in the District Court Of Wayne
co., Pa, has given an opinion III u case
which has created more than II MI in
ierest to the community owing - the
peculiar aud romantic circums ,Yccs
which preceded it and led to its pr. cgce
in the courts. II is story in which
politics, disappointment, love, maniI %,
and divorce ARE all strangely minel i.
Honcsdale was made the county scat I
Wayne county in 1913, ut which time .
frame Courthouse was erected. TIL
building was fully adequate TO the need
OF the county ut tho time, but as pop
latiOn and buJincss increased tic lawyer,
md judges claimed that there was need
Of larger and better one. Every
movement on the part Of the nuthorlli,s
10 have u new Courthouse erected WA
opposed by the pcopIcat large, the popu.
lation Of the county being chiefly com
posed Of farmers. Finallya Grand jury
was drawn which rec mmCndcd the
building Of a new Courthouse, aud in
1876 the work was commenced by order
u the court The building was 10 cost
$780, 900. The movement met with bit
Ter opposition throughout the county,
nd ambitious politicians took adyan-
iagc Of the feeling 10 foster and increase
the opposition. Party lines were lost
sight Of. There were no parties except
the "Court house" and "anti- Court
house" parties.
The leading member Of the Board oI
County Commissioners was Thomas
Brown. He was n prosperous and tx.
pcricnCed builder and contractor, living
near IlOncsdalc. The charge Of super
intending the work on the new Court
house fell to him. He set his heart on
the completion Of the building, as hc
wns ambitious to leave il ~ a monument
Of his skill and judgment. Among the
leaders in the nnti.Court-housc party
was William nartwcil, wealthy larm,I
Of an interior township. He was rs de-
iermincd that the building should moi
hc erected under the supervision Of the
Commissioners then in Office rs Comms.
boncr Brown WIS that it should be.
Iniunclions AID legal proceedings of
every kind were obtained and brought
against the Commissioner at the insii.
cation Of the anti Courthouse Leaders.
and the work WAS greatly hampcrcd aud
delayed. On the local election Of 1877
everything depended. Offices were To-
he filed which, if the anti-COurt house
PARTY was successful, would compel Tire
work on the Cuurt-hou 10 cease, Int
II the positions were filed 10y the clndr
dates Of the other party, the completion
g., the building would be assured, under
the regime by which the work had been
commenced. The campaign was biz.
tor one aud both Brown and IIartwcl
used freely Of their time and means To-
strengthen their respective followines.
Tho Courthouse ticket was elect, Il
10y an overwhelming majority
The result was followed quickly hy
the death Of Commissioner Brown, who
Wus brokcn.hcartcd over the defeat of
his fond hopes. William IIartwcll was
c.cctcd to fill his place at the ncIt clcc.
i'pn. II WAS suIpocd That Thomas
Hrown left his family we'll provided for,
bat it wus found that hc was heavily H..
vowed. His homestead wa nortgagcd.
md there were other claims against I'll,
estate. Browns son had been clerk to
TO Board Of Commissioner under the
odd management, but he WAS turned out
when the ilmtwcll board came into
power. The creditors OF the estate be-
came pressing, and the Brown homestead
was advertised for sale by the sheriff.
In this strait, young Brown went {,
Commissioner Ilrtwcll, laid the matter
before him, and appealed to him g. vat
isiy the claims against his late father
property, take II mortgage on the nome
'cad and give them IN opportunity I,
blvo it, lImtwcll's wife had died a few
lays after ho was elected Commissioner
lilo had n,,or seen the widow of his lat,
contestant, Int couscnting to help th,
cstnto in it, needs, he called IN Mrs.
Brown TO perfect arrangements iu that
cad. He wits go well pleased with II {
mlY that ho proposed marriage to her.
',Io accepted h!In and they were married
Il few days later. His wedding present
to her was tho old homestead, tree and
clear of debit. Tile was in MAY, 1879.
The married life Of Mr. aud Mrs. llut.
we'll, however, wgH not happy one
They lived together until May, 1871
when iIurtwcll left his wife and went I,
live with hia married daughter, M onl,
child. In the following September Nj.
l!miwcli commenced proceedings aguiun
her husband for divorce and nimoN
Soon ailcrwmd Mr.. IIaiiwrll died, ica,
lag as Executor OF his largo estate H.
eon-jn-hw, J. l., Hurchcr II was the,
found that after leaving his wife. Hint
well had assigned and disposed Of nrmr
all of his personal estate 10 bis son.In
law and daughter.
Mira. lartwcll, claiming that this was
done to dGlrmId her of her ri, lts m h,l
husbands estate, brought suit to eos
pei the Executor to make mn inventory
81 all such property SO disposed Of, Il
holding thu, it was no part of the estate
hut his property by virtue of gift dur
llHrtwcll's lifetime. Tho court hold
that the evidence il clear TINT the us
hlgnments and gifts were made with th
lutention 10 icopardizc tie rights Of tn
widow, and decides that the inventory
shall he made and that the Executor
shall give bonds to the amount Of $40
600 for the faithful performance OF lis
duties in tho premises.