Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-06


Old Neal Gillespie, father-in-law of
! Ephraim Blaine, the father of Jim, lived
! out in Washington county. He was q
shrewd business man, well liked by his
neighbOrs. but always considered little
queer. One Of his faYorite 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 endeav0red 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 fine
farm, and when his daughter married Eph.
Blaine, she shared like the others, though
Eph. hadn't very much of this worlds
goods at the time. Matters moved along
for a good many years. Eph. Blaine sold
the farm his father-in-law had given him
and the proceeds soon disappeared. Old
man Gillespie still carried on IN his queer
ways until finally the sons and sons-in-
law petitiOned court for lunacy CON-
mission in his behalf, claiming the old
gentleman was mentally incapable of
taking care OF his estate. The question
came up before court for hearing, but
old Neal Gillespie declined to have any
attorney and proceeded to conduct his
case himself. Ephraim Blaine, his SON.
in-law, was the first witness called. He
went eXhaustively 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, Eph, l be-
lieve?"
eyes, sir" responded Jim's father.
''Did you get any dowry with my daugh-
ter when you married her?'
Eyes, 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 I'll show you that it has" re-
sponded Gillespie. and to humor him the
Judge required Blaine to answer the cues
ton.
"Well, didn't have anything SAID the
witness, reluctantly.
Snow, tell me what became of the farm
1 gave you and my daughter when you
were marriedT'
s'Ah-well-it has been sold.''
"And where is the money!"
sob, it has been spent for household and
other expenses"
''Got any of it left nows"
"NOt very much"
SsThat will do" said the old man, with a
twinkle in his eye; ''I'm done with you for
the present.
He took up the next witness, another
sOn-in-law, and subjected him to the same
I 6Xeruclatlng cr0SSnre, ana so on 10 the
end, the result 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 1
gave part of it to you and your wifef'
Eyes, sir, it was"
''WeEl, since then, have 1 added to or
kept on diminishing itW
II believe you have bought some land
since them
added several farms, and stocked 'era,
teO, haven't Iw
ayes, sir"
"You have sold your farm and got moth
ing left of it?''
eyes, sir.''
Sand you want me declared a lunatic,
and you take the management of my es-
tatesS
'sThat's what we want the court to do,
sir"
The old fellow, tall, gaunt and awk-
ward, arose in court, glared around on the
members of the family who had wasted
their substance, and yet wanted him adj
Judged lunatic. and blurted out:
'SWell, you are ALA fine set of ducks to
want to manage my estate after you've
squandered all Of your own" and he
strobe from the court house in towering
rage
The court refused to ladjudge him a
lunatic, and the sons and s0ns-in-law
failed to get their fingers Oh the old mans
property.