The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1884-11-29
EIalae's Grandfather.
Tried for Insa nity. He PsaVss Himself Equal
to The Emergency.

to The EnsEgsacy.
IChris Magee. in Pittsburg Dispsteh.l
~ don't know whether he could
be called a crank, but he had that
reputation, nevertheless. One of
his favorite pranks was to hitch a
horse to his sleigh in midsummer,
throw in a lot of buffalo robes, and
drive over to Washington. /
think the whole trouble with him
was that the more his family en-
deavored to prevent his doing
queer things, the more he would
do them. When his sons and
daughters married and left his
roof, he gave each one a fine farm,
and when his daughter married
Eph Blaine she shared like the
others, though Eph hadn't very
much os this worlds goods at the
time. Matters moved along for a
good many years; Eph Blaine sold
the farm his father-in.law had Civ
en- him, aud the proceeds soon dis
appeared. Old mau Gillespie still
carried on in his queer ways until
finally the sons and sons.in.law
petitioned the court for a lunacy
commission in his behalf, as they
claimed the old gentleman was
mentally incapable of taking care
ofhis estate. The question came
up before court for hearing, but
old Neal Gillespie declined to have
any attorney and proceeded to
conduct the case himself. Ephraim
Blaine, his son.in.law, was the first
witness called. He went exhaus.
lively into the causes which led
the family to take the step they
had; told about his father.in-law's
crazy ways, and was then turned
over to the alleged lunatic for
cross. examination.
"You are my son in-law, Epb, !
believer
Yes, sir,' responded Jim's ia.
ther.
"Did you get any dowry with my
daughter when you married her ~
"Yes, / did,
"Tell the Court what property
you had yourself when you were
married ~
The witness objected on the
ground that it had nothing to do
with the case.
"But III show you that it has,n
responded Gillespie; aud to
bumor him, the Judge required
Blaine to answer the question.
swell, l didn't have anything"
said the witness reluctantly.
"Now, tell me what became Of
the farm | gave you and my
daughter when you were mar
riedw
"Ah--well-it has been sold.n
"And where is the moneyr'
"Oh--it has been spent for
household and other purposes"
"Got any of it left now ~
''Not very much"
"That will do" said the old man,
with a twinkle in his eye. "l'm
done with you for tho present."
He took up the next witness,
another son.in-law, and subjected
him to the same excruciating cross
fire, and so on to the end, the re.
suit with each relative being the
same. Ephraim Blaine was called
up again.
"Eph, | want you to tell the
Court if my estate was diminished
any when | gave part of it to you
aud your wife,"
ayes sir it was"
"Well, since then have / added
to or kept on diminishing it ~
II believe you have bought
some land since then.n
"Added several farms and stock
ed 'em, too, haven't ~
"Yes, sir.n
"You have sold your farm and
got nothing left of it ~
"Yes, sir.n
Sand you want me declared
lunatic, and you take the manage
ment of my estate 7"
"That's what we want the Court
to do, sir"
The old fellow, tall, gaunt and
awkward, arose in court, glared
around on the members of the
family who had wasted their SUBJ
stance, and yet wanted him ad-
judged a lunatic, and blurted out.
swell, you are all fine set of
ducks to want to manage my estate
after you've squandered all of
your own" And he strobe from
the courthouse in a towering rage.
The Court refused to adjudge him
a lunatic, and the sons and sons-in-
law failed to get their fingers OH
the old mans property.