The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-10-18
THE WIDOWS RIGHTS.
\ Romantic Story of Politics, I.ove, Mar
rfaRes Divorce. and LnwBu:t,

Judge McCollum, sitting for Judge
Seely in the District Court Of Wayne
CO., Pa, has given an opinion In n case
which has created more than usual in.
terest to the community owing to the
peculiar and romantic circumstances
winch preceded it and led to its presence
III tne courts. IT is story in which
Po1tics, disappomtment, love, marria @,
ana 9I olyorce are au strangely mingled.
Honesdale was made the county seot a
Wayne county in 1943, at which timo q
frame Courthouse was erected. This
building was fully adequate to the needs
OF the county at the time, but as popn-
iatlon and buoiness increased the LAWYERS
and judges claimed that there was need
or larger and better one. Every
movement on the part of the authorities
TO have new Courthouse erected wos
opposed by the people at large, the popu.
latlon OF the county being chiefly com
posed OF farmers Finally Grand jury
was drawn which recommended the
building of a new Courthouse, and in
1876 the work was commenced by order
OF tho court. The building was to cost
$I6O,OOO. The movement met with bit.
ter opposition throughout the county,
and ambitious politicians took advan.
ta5ge OF the feeling to foster and increase
the opposition. Party lines were lost
s,8ht OF: There wero no parties except
the Courthouse" and "anti Court
house" parties.
The leading member of the Board of
county Commissioners was Thomas
Brown. he was n prosperous and ex
perlenced builder and contractor, living
near Honesdale Tho charge Of super
Intending tho work on the now Court
mouse fell to him. He SGT his heart on
the completion of tho building, rs he
was ambitious to leave it As a monument
of his skill and Judgment. Among the
leaders in the anti Courthouse party
was William Hartwcll, wealthy farmer
OF an interior township. He was rs de-
tcrmlnod that tho building should not
he erected under the supervision of the
Commissioners then in Office rs Commits.
Bionor Brown was that it should be.
Injunctions and legal proceedings of
every kind were obtained and BROUGHT
against tho Commissioner Mt tho instj
cation of tho anti Court house leaders,
and the work was greatly hampcrcd and
delayed. On the local election of 1877
everything depended. Offices wcro to
he filled which, if the anti Court house
party was successful, would compel the
work Oh the Courthouse to cease, but
II the positions were filled by the candi.
oates OF the other party, the completion
OF the building would be assured under
tho regime by which tho work had been
commenced. Tho campaign was bit,
ter one, and both Brown and Hartwcll
nscd freely of their time and means to
strengthen their respective followings.
ihe ant1-Cort house ticket was elected
by M overwhelming majority.
The result was followed quickly by
the death of Commissioner Brown who
was brokcn-heartcd over tho defeat of
his tond hopes. William Hartwcll wa;
elected to fill his place at the noxt clcc-
0on. 1T was supposed that Thomas
bfoWn lett hls family we'll provided for,
put 1t was found that he was heavily in
Volved. His homestead was mortgarcd.
and there were other claims against tho
estate. Browns son had been clerk to
the Board of Commissioners under tho
old management, but he was turned out
when the Hartwell 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 to
commissioner Hartwell, laid the matter
bcioro him, and appealed to him to sat
lsty the claims against his late fathers
property, take q mortgage on tho home
stead and give them an opportunity to
save it. Hartwcll's wife had died n few
days after he was elected Commissioner
Ito mad never seen the widow of his late
contestant, but conscnting to help the
estate III Ats needs, he called cn Mrs.
brown to perfect arrangements to that
end. lie was So we'll pleased with tlc
lady that he proposed marriage to her
f'hc accepted him and they were married
lew days later. His wedding present
TO her was tho old homestead, free and
clear of debt. This was in Nav, 1879,
The married life of Mr.. and Mrs. Hart
well, however, was not happy one,
Ihey lived together until May, 1881
when Hartwrll left his wife and went to
i've with his married daughter, an only
clild. In the following September Mrs
Hartwcli commenced proceedings aeains
h"r husband for divorce and alimony.
.oooh alterward Mr.. Hartwcll died, lcut
ing aS executor of his large estate lis
Son-ln-law, j. i. Burcher 1t wos thr
found that after leaving his wifr Unrt.
we'll had assigned and disposed of ncorl;
all OF his personal estate to his son-i,,.
law and daughter.
Mrs. Hnrtwell, claiming that this WA,
done to dciraud hor of her rights in hri
husbands estate, brought suit to co.'s.
pei the Executor to mako an inventory
OF all such property so disposed Of, h,
holding that it was no part of the estate.
but his property by viruo Of gift duriI
Hartwcll's time. The court holds
that the evidence is clear that tho ns.
sl%nments and gifts were made with th,
intention to jeopardize the rights of the
widow, and decides that the inventory
shall be mado and that the Executor
shall give bonds to the amount of $40
200 for the faithful performance of hi.