The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-03-04

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in her house. but was not q relative, closed
the house and refused admission to certain
persons claiming TO be nephews aud nieces
of Nine. Jumel, and made himself legatee,
without an apparent shadow Of legal rights.
The plaintiff, Bowen, claimed that he was
her only child. born ten years before her
marriage in Providence, when she was
known as Eliza or "Betsey" Bowen, and be
believed that an old Revolutionary officer,
MAJOR Reuben Ballou, was his father. At
the trial, counsel said that about 175S,a girl
named Phoebe Kelly was born in Taunton or
Cumberland, T.. 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 seafariog
man named John Bowen. John and Phoebe
Bowen we're the parents of Nine. Junel, the
remarkable woman whose history could not
be traced.
She was doubtless born in a novel snd
reared among Migrants, yet she lived to en-.
Joy wealth and splendor aud died in palace.
There was another girl three years older than
Betsey, named Polly, and after John Bow.
ems death a third girl was born called
Lavina. While John Bowen was away at
sea mob in Providence tore down an old
building. and among the white and black
females found huddlcd together within its
walls were Phoebe Bowen and her daughter
Betsey. The latter was sent to the work.
house.
In l7s6 Betsey's father was drowned, and
in 1889 Betsey came to this city. The widow
married Jon athan Clark, a shoemaker, from
Boston. at this time Betsey was only if
teen years Of age. The next year Betsey
found shelter with Reuben and Freelove
Bsllou, the same woman who had adopted
her sister. Jonathan and Phoebe died be-
fore Betsey Bowen married Stephen
Junel. During the Revolutionary
War Ballou's first wife, Chloe,
died. leaving several children. Freelove
and Ph0be we're either half sisters or cousins,
had child before marriage. Reuben Ballou
makes this entry with his IN hand in the
family bible: ION the 9th of 0ctober 1894,
at his house ID the town of Providence,
George Washington Ballou was born OF
Betsey Bowen" Reuben Ballou was pro.
baby the plaintiffs father, though Betsey
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 told
about her. And she herself spoke of Gen.
eTal Washington as having been enamoyed of
her. She limited at fayors received from
Louis XVIII. during her residence in
France, and told of love passages with the
eX.King Joseph BOnaparte. 1t was even said
that General Washington was the plaintiffs
father, but counsel in the suit cls5med no
such distinguished pedigree. at the same
time be said that Nine. Jums rsesyhave
used language IN admiration OF washington
warm enough to be translated in any way.
At this time Miss Bowen was living IN
New York with Reuben Ballou. Polly aud
John Bowen were dead. Lavina and George
Washington Bowen were living with Free
love in Providence. Betsy lived with sea
captain at the corner of Pearl and White.
hal aha with
Jumel, and in 1904, by trick, she induced
him to marry her.
After Betsey's marriage, she abandoned
her little boy George to Freeioye Bsllon, and,
though she was JumepS wife twenty'eight
years, counsel believed that he died in ignor-
al &c of the existence of the plaintiff. Jumel
wss immensely wealthy, and at this time
his wife shone brilliantly in the old aristoc.
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 TO separation from her hus-
band.
Bowen, who died recently, counsel claimed,
bore this stigma with patiencs 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 to 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 Otsego County. I1
May, 1882, Stephen Jumel died, and Mr..
Cbsse and his 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. JUmel left was
set aside by the court, though she went to
her grave believing that she had outwitted
Chase. After her death, Chase obtained two
deeds from the legitimate children of Maria
Jones, whom, he claimed, was Nine Jumeps
sister. 1t was afterWard charged that Chase
deceived ana defrauded the Joneses. The
trial resulted in a complete breakdown of
the arrangement between the lawyers. The
payment made by Chase was S8S 000, and the
VIII wss broken.
In 1867 several persons named Bowen, of
Rhode Island and Connecticut (another
Bowen family. sued to recover the prop
erty, but were beaten in court. Sabse-
quently the French heirs of Jumel tried
their luck in the courts, but failed to get
anything.
In the year in which George Washington
Bowen married, Nine. Jumel went to Eu-
rope, and he lost sight of her for at least
quarter of a century. He first saw his
mother TO know her at Saratoga. She was g
very old woman, making an absurd parade
of herself, and an occurrence then covered
her with Iidicule and drove her away. On
account of her character and for other per-
sonal reasons Bowen did not make the at
tempt to recover the property until after her
death.
An old maid in Nashville, Tenn. ia the
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