Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-10

claim was considered favorable to mis- chill |
dren. The final decision, however, was against |
HIM. There are at present living in this city /
many respected relatives and friends of the /
POoler family, and am justified in thinking |
from what have learned OF Mrs. Pooler, of |
whom knew nothing personally, that among /
all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance |
there is not one who would approve of the 1
course of Mr.. Lawrence or any one else IN !
bringing from the grave her name and men, |
OFY, In order to show that the part OF the pro- |
ceeds derived from the sale OF mouse Tor !
which full price had been paid, was not Ju-
diciously expended on her ward, who from |
early life was generously and gently cared 1or |
by her grandmother, In whose home she flrst |
saw the light of day. Capt. John NJ. Guerard, /
respected and able lawyer, was the counsel /
Tor MIR. Lawrence in the case to which nave 1
investigation of the records did not /
discover any claim that would re- 4
During the several years that he had been IN 4
the courts it was often said that my property /
was that about which the litigation was going /
on. The unfortunate manner under which 1t /
was proposed to sell my property caused the !
renewal of the rumOr, and, in fact, may /
have been the innocent means Of creating
undue alarm, for at the time my health was /
completely broken down, and my attorney.
appearing as supposed to treat my demand /
upon him with comparative indifference, / I
called on Mr.. Guerard with a view to finding 4
out where Mr.. Lawrence resided. / believed 1
then, as do now. that if had continued we'll |
and succeeded in having with him an inter- |
view, even after proceedings had been COM |
menced, he would cause them 10 be dlsc0n- I
tinued. for he would understand the injustice I
of a different course when certain facts that |
could not fail but appear to him reasonable /
would be made clear to his mind. and the first /
Of which would be that his wife had received, /
III judicious expenditures, all that was hers. /
and which Is now claimed through |
him for his children. On this point !
there can be no doubt in the minds |
of any persons who knew the relation
that existed between the family. The counsel
~ ON h~rNnE hot In
ty in question when purchased by me was of /
insignificant value, and that its improved /
character is the result of my industry, so that
1t is difficult for me to understand why he
should undertake a case with so little justice
to sustain it, and that too when his high char
8cter as an attorney ana citizen Is admitted
by all classes of his fellow citizens.
Some additional facts.-CarOline II. f.
POOler became the wife of Mr.. Law
renee June 10, 1872. Her grandmother
died in 1873, one year after the
marriage of Mr.. Lawrence, whose wife was
then p years old, certainly of age TO say
whether her protector in all the days OF her
life had dealt fairly with her. If there ever
was a case where the limited means Of a minor
was prudently regulated and used where it
would do the most good, 1t was IN this in
stance. The fact that the mother OF the wife
of Mr., Lawrence is still living, and that in the
long run of tWenty-s years, she never once
intimated as far as can be known that Mrs.
POOler had not acted fairly with her daugh-
ter, nor Will she now do So if | am correctly
informed as to the affectionate relations
being with Mrs. Pooler during her
early married life and for many years, which
warrants the hope that in her Will be found
one who will cheerfully certify to the ever
anxious solicitude of Mrs. POOler for her
daughters happiness. Was there any irregu-
larity in the manner Of obtaining the order Of
court. or in the way IN which 1t was grantedt
Even il so, and no wrong was intended or IN
jury to any one accomplished, then in that
case it IS hardly fair to find fault at this late
day, when the lips of client and attorney who
Z H., I.nr-1 nF.x al
ed in death. But if any more substantial
proofs were needed to sustain the position
taken that the mother of the children of Mr..
Lawrence was fairly treated, and that much
more than she had any claim to had been
spent on her. the single fact that the late Col.
George A. Gordon, a gentleman who was as
eminent in his responsibility as he was in his
professiOn-the law-being not only the cOun-
sci of Mrs. POOler, but near relative, would
place the rights of the parties in interest be-
yOnd the possibility OF doubt. have no fault
to find with Mr.. Lawrence or his cOun-
sci. The blame for the unfortunate
condition of things brought upon me rests
with other parties, and at present l can only
say that DO human foresight on my part could
have prevented the state Of things that enter
ed into the regulating OF my affairs. and
through which every plan of mine hoped to be
profitable has been completely broken up, and
mOneyed interests | could have protected
swept away. In fact. the misfortune brought
upon me can't be estimated on the basis of a
moneyed valuation, for | have felt much
difficulty in trying to regulate my Conduct in
accordance with my views OF prODriety. No
one could more readily than myself forget the
loss sustained if the highwayman, or midnight
assassin had deprived me of my means, but
that the corporation of this city should con-
tinue the state of things Of which l have
complained so long, under the pretext that
! legal enactmcnts are necessary to be MAIN
tanned In order to regulate the means &C
quired through my own industry between my
children and myself, on the ridiculous plea
that the death of their beloved mother
concluded my trust, which plea was promuy
set aside by the presiding Judge, but
owing to the questionable conduct
of persons pretending to respectabillty
and fair dealing, decree of
court was obtained on the second position as
sumed that re-entry by the city destroyed
my trust. This false and infamous doctrine
/ has been disposed of by court of law, but
not before the management of my affairs had
been taken out of my control by the fOulest
| conspiracy that ever disgraced a civilized
! community, on the ground that must give
bond in double the amount of the proceeds de-
rived from the fraudulent transfer of my
/ property, in order that the parties to whom
title was made might be protected from
trouble in the future by my minor children.
Here is corporation claiming absolute
ownership in property, and then requiring an
! order of court 10 accomplish what was I'M
necessary. If the position assumed be cor
| rect, it would appear that absolute owner
| ship in anything would create right TO dis
| pose of it without resorting to legal methods
| of worse than questionable character. If
/ by the viii OF Divine Providence, or any other
/ cause, the trust repOsed in me was concluded,
it is difficult to understand how the property
Of children known to be minors of
petition Ofone who had no more right to ap-
/ ply for the sale under such a state of facts
! than if the application had been made for the
! sale OF the City Market If were competent
/ to explain all the facts in this case, some ad-
/ ditiOn would be required to language in order
/ to enable me to place the bold outrage my
/ rights in its true character before my fellow
] citizens. During the time the condition of
] things to which | refer were being carried on,
/ the public affairs of this city were conducted
I with looseness which no fair minded citizen
/ could regard with any degree of satisfaction,
/ and regret to say the same line of conduct
/ was the sole reason and controlling motive that
/ caused my affairs being now the source of the
1 gravest anxiety to my mind. In conclusion.
/ l will simply say, that in the near future, and
/ as l acquire the means. 1 will lay every fact
/ in connection with this iniquitOus outrage be-
/ fore my ellow-cltizens. many of whom have
I cause to thank for suggestions as to the best
I means OF getting from the present Council an
/ honest Investigation Of my affairs. that the
/ rights of my children, which are and ever will
be inseparable from those of my own, may be
! established. CHRIS, MURPHY.
PSI have been asked by no inconsider-
able number of my fellow citizens why the
proceeds of sale was not turned over to me,
less what was due the city. Desiring to dis
abuse their minds of an impression quite
/ reasonable to exist, because of the unfOrtu-
nate course pursued by the present Council,
I owing to certain influences by which they ap-
| pear to be controlled, have in each case and
not contemplated to sell my property except
on conditions agreed with me. The only idea
l could possibly suppose would enter into the
matter was that it would be simply business
transaction, such as has been done in
other cases, and none of which had
the safeguards l supposed sur
rounded my arrangements with the
I City Council and its legal adviser. l have
never had the slightest misunderstanding
with the corporation of this city in relation
to any taxes due from me. Like many others
was debtor to the city, owing to crcum
stances improbable and out of place to refer
| to, but there was no question Of dispute at
any time on either side, until an utterly in
comprehensive condition of things were spe-
cially created to meet my case, when charge
over twice in excess of the amount due was
made and published in the official organ of
the city against the property, and because of
such alleged Indebtedness, absolutely untrue,
as the books in the Office of the City Treasurer
will prove. 1t has been asserted that the
property was sold, and right here beg the
Consideration of the reader who may take
the trouble to peruse this necessarily tedious
communication to the following few lines
plucked from the resolution under which the
sale was to be made. After dealing with the
subject in the usual manner in such cases, 1t
goes on to say: "And also that the minimum
price to be fixed shall be the amount of ground
rent and taxes due by Mr.. Murphy on said
property at the time of its re-entry by the
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