The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-02-25

and hearty. well preserved, wh;te-haired
man. This was Ia 1872. The case WAS tried
in the United States Court in this city. be-
fore Judge Shipman, ana was directed
against Nelson Chase. the holder of the
estate. who had married 3 natural daughter
OF Nine. JumeL Eminent counsel were
employed on both sides Charles O'Conor
and James G. Carter appearing for Mr..
Chase and William A. Beach, ex Surrogate
Tucker Chauncey Shafier, Levi S. Chatfeld
and +. G.. Mcdonald for the claimant. The
sction was for ejectment brought originally
in State court under the statute allowing
maternal children TO inherit from their
mothers real and personal property. Sew
ersl millions OF dollars were involved in the
suit.
Eliza Bowen Jumel, whom Bowen claimed
was his mother, was born in Providence
about 1915 and died in her famous mansion
at Harlem Heights, y. y, July Is 1865
sged ninety years. After her death Mr.
/ Chase, q lawyer, ef this city, who had lived
IN her house. but was not a relative, closed
the house and refused admission 10 certain
persons claiming to be nephews and nieces
OF Nine Jumel, and made himself legatee
without 8n apparent shadow OF legal rights.
The plsintih, Bowen. claimed that he was
her only child, born ten years before her
marriage n Providence, when she was
known as Eliza or 'Betsey" Bowen, and he
believed that an old Revolutionary officer,
MAJOR Reuben Ballou, was bis father. Al
the trisl, counsel said that about 175S a girl
named Phoebe Kelly was born in Taunton or
Cumberland, r. l., and that when child
she came TO Providence. She stated that
she bad become the mother of boy when
she herself was only twelve years old. Two
years later Phoebe Kelly married q seafaring
man named John Bowen. John and Phoebe
Bowen were the parents of Nine. Junel, the
remarkable woman whose history could not
be traced.
o.
reared ameDg vagTante. vet she lived 10 en-
Joy wealth and splendor and died in q palace.
There was another girl three years older than
Betsey named Polly, and after John Bow.
ems death a third girl was born called
LayiDa. While John Bowen was away at
sea mob in Providence tore down an old
building. and among the white and black
females found hUdoled together within its
walls were Ph0be Bowen and her daughter
Betsey. The latter was sent TO the work
house.
in l,S6 Betsey's father was drowned, and
in l7so Betsey came to this city. The widow
married Jonathan Clark, a shoemaker from
Boston. at this tina Betsey was only fl
teen years of age. The next year Betsey
found shelter with Reuben and FreelOve
BallOu, the same woman who had adopted
her. sister. Jonathan and Phobe died be-
fore Betsey Bowen married Stephen
yumel. During the Revolutionary
died, leaving several children. FreeloVe
and Phoebe were either half sisters or cousins,
and were alike in character. each having
had a child before marriage. Reuben Ballou
makes this entry with his own hand in the
family bible: son the 9th of October, 1874,
at his house IN the town of Providence.
George Washington Ballou was born of
Betsey Bowen" Reuben Ballou was pre-
baby the plaintiffs father, though Bstsey
had been in the city before the plaintiffs
birth. Reuben took the boy, and his wife
Freelove reared him. Subsequently Bstsey
left Providence and appeared in New York
in 1901.
Many scandalous stories have been tcld
BbCut her And she herself spoke of Gen
eIai Washington as having been enamored Of
her. She hinted st favOrs received from
Louis NVIII. during her residence IN
France, and told of love passages with the
ex-KiDg Joseph Bonaparte. 1t was even said
that General Washington was the plaintiffs
father, but counsel in the suit claimed no
such distinguished pedigree. At the same
time he said that Nine. Jumel may have
used language n admiration of washington
warm enough to be translated in any way.
At this time Miss Bowen was living in
New y ork with Reuben Ballou. Polly aud
John Bowen were dead. Lavina and George
Washington Bowen were living with Free
love in Providence. Betsy lived with a sea
captain at the corner of Pearl and White
Jumel, and in 1904, by trick she induced
him to marry her.
After Betsey's marriage, she abandoned
her little boy George to Freelove Ballou, and,
though she was Jumels wife twenty. eight
years, counsel believed that he died in ignor-
ance of the existence OF the plaintiff. Jumel
was immensely wealthy, and at this time
his wife shone brilliantly in the old sristoc-
rscy Of New York, while her abandoned
child was left to struggle with poverty in
Providence. To acknowledge him would
have brought disgrace on herself and proba.
bly, have led 70 separation from her hus-
band.
Bowen, who died recently, counsel claimed,
bore this stigma with patience all his life
When his mother died he did not know that
he could inherit, and only brought the suit
after learning OF the legislation allowing
natural children 70 inherit
Nelson Chase, the defendant in the suit.
married Mary Bovine, the natural child OF
her most intimate friend, Maria Bovine and
whom she cared for in OEego County. Y
May, 1882, Stephen Jumel died, and Mr..
Chase and mis- wife established themselves in
the house OF Nine. Jumel, where they lived
on her bounty. Chase guarded and isolated
the old woman from the world. She drove
him out OF the house often but he as often
returned, and remained until her death.
The only will that Nine. Jamel left was
set aside by tle court, though she went 10
her grave believing that she bad outgitted
Chase. After her death, Chase obtained two
deeds from the legitimate children OF Maria
Jones, whom, be claimed, was Nine JumeIs
sister. Ii was Sfterward charged that Chase
deceived ana defrsuded the Joneses. The
trial resulted IN complete breakdown Of
the arrangement between the lawyers. The
payment made by Chsse was SIS, OOO, and the
VIII wss broken.
In 1867 several persons nsmed Bowen, OF
Rhode Island and Connecticut (another
Bowen family sued to recover the prop
erty, but were beaten ia court. Subse-
qUently the French heirs Of Jumel tried
their luck in the courts, bat failed to GET
anything.
II the year in which George Washington
Bowen married. Nine. Jumel went 20 En-