Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-28
A BIG ESTATE INVOLVED.
INVESTIGATION OF EX-GOVER-
NOR JENKINS AFFAIRS.


His Property Charged with 81, 900 |
Unaccounted for in the Settlement of
the Estate of Lloyd c. Belt-Interest-
ing Developments Awaited Before the |
United States Circuit Court.
Among the bills that will be brought be- |
fore the United States Circuit Court dur |
Ing the ensuing term is one entitled,
Elizabeth T. Belt. executrix, etc. VS..
Joseph B. Cumming and Chas. c. Jones, |
Jr., executors OF the last will and tesla
ment of Charles J. jenkins, deceased, ex-
Governor of Georgia. Mrs. Belt went to
New York from Augusta after the war
and has since resided there. Her bill Of
complaint. filed by Edwin NJ
Fox. Of New York city. and Hon. Lucius
j. Gartrell, Of Georgia, alleges among
other things that her late husband,
Ii0vd e.. Belt, formerly Of BullOch
county. by his viii devised certain real
and personal estate to her as sole eXecu-
triX. and that the will was prObated IN
the Court Of Ordinary Of that county. on
the 7th Of July. 1862. The estate at that
time was valued at 100000, Of which
certain portion Of 5000 acres Of land was
in Bull0ch and known as the Bulloch
place or lodge estate. The father OF
y
months old. and he was reared and
educated by Charles j. jenkins, who was
his guardian. When, in March, 1872,
Belt left his home for the last time, ne
charged his wife, the complainant. that,
in the event Of his death. she was TO leave
the entire conduct of her affairs IN the
hands of Gov. jenkins. Belt died away
from home soon after, and MS
widow was qualified as eXecutrix.
after she. in compliance with
her husbands instructions, permitted
Charles J. jenkins to retain and assume
the control of the estate that
had been devised and bequeatheG
% her. She was young and IN
experienced in business matters,
and had implicit faith in Gov. jenkins,
who, in June. 1868, informed her that he
proposed to sell the BullOch place, al
leging as a reason that ''he was no plant
ct himself and that he would not continue
20 manage it as he had DONE
In August. 1863. the Governor again in
formed Mrs Belt that he had sold the
place 10 Porter Fleming, of Augusta, for
SIO0. 600. and that he had placed the
amount to his own personal account with
the Augusta Bank, as he did not think 1t
necessary to open a separate account.
During the following month Gov. jenkins.
IL is alleged. told Mrs. Belt that he had
paid $4,000 for debts due from her hus-
bands estate, and that be had invested
the balance Of $1,000 in Confederate
bonds. and that such bonds were safe
investment. having been issued expressly
as security Tor the moneys of widows and
orphans. On several occasions IN 1868
and 1864 Mrs. Belt was DESTROYS of pur-
chasing. she alleges, a home for herself
and children. but the Governor refused to
allow her 10 do so or to allow any change
In the investment. and that UP
90 the time of his death he never
gave her any statement to show
what money ne had invested or had paid
on account Of the Indebtedness OF her nus
bands estate other than the verbal
statements above referred to. She alsc
claims that neither he nor his executors
have ever made a statement to her or any
person i'm her behalf to show what
dividends. interest. income or profits he
had received from the investment OF the
$4,000. and that she has never received
auv interest or income from that invest
mcnt. She saws she received in 1866 Sl,500,
but that the Governor did not advise
her as TO the source whence the
amount was derived. In 1869 Mrs. Belt
saws she was IN needy circumstances and
applied TO Governor jenkins for money,
when he replied that he had none belong
ing TO her other than the Confederate
bonds. which were worthless. Hence she
went TO New York. where she has since
supported herself and her children by her
personal eXertions and has suffered great
priVatiOus. She alleges that prior TO the
receipt Of the 100000 By Governor Jenkins
for the sale Of the BullOch place he
frequently communicated with her and
manifested the deepest interest in her af-
fairs. He told her to look upon him as
her father. and on more than one occasion
told her that he regarded her as his
daughter, ana that as long as he had one
dollar she might be sure Of having one
half of IL.
Alter receiving the 100000 he ceased
90 show any interest in her affairs, and
after the reverses and losses ceased to
have any communication with her or to
give her any advice or assistance,
though he was well aware OF
her privations, and after 1868 he accumu-
lated wealth rapidly and was for
many years prior to his death in very
atiiuent circumstances.
In October, 1881, the complainant was
informed that Confederate bonds were
salable AZ $ for every $1,000, when she
wrote % Governor jenkins. and requested
him TO send her the bonds for 81, 900.
Governor Jenkins replied that he had
never invested any of her money in those
honds.-but in Confederate treasury notes,
which notes We're of no value. This reply
said that her money was invested in the
bonds.
Mrs. Belt alleges that she then wrote to
Gov. Jenkins to send her all the securi-
ties i'm his hands belonging 10 her, when
he sent certain notes purpOrting 10 have
been issued by the Confederate Govern
ment for S43.30O. She then wrote to him
and suggested that the notes did not rep
resent the invest m6Gt he claimed to have
made, and that she wished an eXplana-
ton Of the apparent discrepancies. She
alleges that the Governor did not then or
az any other time give any eXplana-
ti0n other than that he believed
he had other Confederate bonds
OF hers 10 the amount Of $500, but he
could not find them. She concludes by
alleging that she never authorized him to
invest the So, 600 or any part of it in the
Treasury notes or Confederate bonds, and
that 10 was breach Of trust and conf
Gence reposed in him by her and her hus-
band, and claims that the estate of the
deceased Governor Is chargeable with all
the loss sustained by her on account Of
Treasury nOtss in 1863 were not
worth more than their face
value, and that if he had purchased
them for her, which she denies, the de-
livery of notes for $4,000 was not
proper accounting for the sum OF $4,000.
She also alleges that the S43,5OO IN notes
bear Endorsements showing that interest
was paid on them to Gov. Jenkins subse-
quently TO the year 1868, and that interest
largely exceeds in amount the money paid
10 or on her account since the purpOrted
investment was made.
Ii Is also alleged that Gov. jenkins diG
not in fact apply the S77, 900 in purchase
Of treasury notes, but that he applied the
sum 10 his own use in breach Of the trust
with which he was charged. Mrs. Belt,
therefore, prays that the executors of the
will be made defendants to her bill, and
that they be restrained by injunction from
distributing the estate Of the late Gov
ernor until further order of the court.
4 TEST FOR BUTTER.