The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-03-05


said;
Mr.. Harrison, perhaps if show the
registrar tlas the will shall not be
harmed, he will consent"
Yes, that is COOL idea, Waterman.
DO that" answered Harrison.
The registrar. Mr.. Ogden. Waterman
and Mr.. Harrison then went to the
latter's Office, where Waterman WAS pro-
videl with a v,ry old legal document
which WAS Of no use. and oxperimen:ed
10 tiie SIT lSiitc, :t.1t III alL
There, gentlemen, think have
demonstrated very clearly that the will
cannot be Injured, he 'hen SAID.
The registrar was satisfied, and they
all repaired to his Office again. He pro.
cured the sill and real it over. and
compared it with Tie COPY in the book.
He then handed it 10 Waterman, who
commenced preparing the powder; this
he did for purpo,c. Soon p peculiar
odor filed the room. He then asked
each of the gentlemen 10 smell the will,
and see il tisv a.. e.sAd i'll it au odor
like the !.ow,l.r lie had re,'ared
They did so. alil tou;,d :, slight smell
OF the acid il G in-fng to the will.
Throwing hnt powder away, Water
man began 10 poti,nrr his antido'e as
he calledit. M gentlemen gathered
round the table to await developments.
Watei man commenced to flood lie
paper very carefully, bu seeing that
something was coming, he flooded the
whole. The effect WAS magical. The
gen'l men now SAW that the original
writing Of Nj. Wilson stood out plain
and heavy beside the interlnations of
the forg. ry. The color of the paper
changed to pure white. Waterman
handed The will to Mr.. Ogden ana asked
him to read it aloud, which he did
"'In the name of God, Amen. 7,
in the State of Georgia, being of sound
mind do hereby declare this to be my
last will and testament. I must do JUS
tice i'll this testament or | can never
meet my God; therefore deem it best
to make this confession: When ] was
young man of twenty [ met and fell
i'll love with IL beautiful girl i'll the back
woods of the State. Knowing my par
ents would never give their consent to
my union with her, we were married
secretly. In a years time she had died
in giving birth to our son. That son
still lives and bears the name of Ralph
v aterman. My foolish shame for my
secret marriage kept me long years from
making 1t public aud acknowledging
him, and hence he has grown up in per-
feet ignorance of his relationship to me.
l endeavur now to make some amends
for my shortcomings. Therefore. be
known that Ralph Waterman is my son
and heir, anu to my said beloved son.
Ralph Waterman Wilson, I devise and
bequeath the whole of my real and per-
sonal property, except one hundred
thousand dollars, which I devise and
h"queath to my beloved wife, Caro- inc
death to my relatives, share and share
a ike. Hereby point Henry Ogden
the executor and trustee Il der the fore
going requests. CLINTON WILSON"
The signature of the witnesses fol-
lowed. There it all was as plain as
could be. The first to break the silence
was Mr.. Harrison.
Mr.. Water-I mean Mr.. Wilson,
allow an old friend of your fathers to
heartily congratulate you.
THANK you, Mr.. Harrison; the name
which find there belonos to me- and is
more than all the wealth." said Ralph.
"And now," continued Mr.. Harrison,
"to catch the precious pair, Dr. Walters
and his wife. Come, Mr.. Wilson, let
us know where they are SO we can
arrest them for forgery"
can officer will find them any day at
No. Street. Augusta
Good Well. an officer will have
them here tomorrow, said Mr.. Harri-
son; and he at once went to the police
department and made the charge and
detective was soon ON his way to arrest
the pair.
The next day they were brought to
Savannah, and in the presence of the
overwhelming evidence of her crime the
woman broke down, and confessed how
she had purloined the will from Mr..
Wilson's desk and applied the acid; how
she had been practicing his handwriting
for months. and how in her hurry to
get through, the acid had not covered
"in tr st for life, etc" DIR Walters
had sent her the acid, with instructions
how to use it.