The Penn's Grove record., 1888-02-04
PEOPLES COLUMN.

= "hs lkch. NOuFu bAb w ga
plain to the public some things ia cou.
nectiOn with the will case between
james +. Smith and my father Edward
Smith which l understand has beeu
very much misrepresented to the pup
lie by James Smith and his friesds.
All very sorry to be compelled to ex-
pose my own uncle aud n who has
been u protesting Christian for years.
but | shall feel that 1 have not done
justice To myself aud the rest Of the
family il did not give tolths public.
both sides of the question.
|. Ia the first place / understand that
James T.. Smith and his friends have
been telling the public that his father
had cut him off in his will and had
left him next tv nothing. Let ms zee.
About two years ago grandfather sold
him the farm where he now lives con-
tanning about 80 acres for Ave thOus-
aud dollars, four thousand dollars less
than real value. He said he did 1t to
| give jam Us a chance. Tie farm is in
first class repair and the house WAS re-
built only u short time ago. There is
! four thousand dollars to stait with.
Then the will states that after he pays
certain claims which are against him
the mortgage shall be cancelled which
gives him %twenty-one hundred more,
making him six thousand one hun
bred dollars. or iu other words, he gets
a nine thousand dollar farm for TWEEN
ty-niue hundred dollars.
! My father only gets the proceeds
/ from his share of the property while
he lives and that is all. He cannot
dispose Of one foot of land. Now
which is the best of? James Smith
WAS not satisfied with his share. He
knew Le could retain that property for
which he held \ deed and then he want
ed half of every thing else, which
would have made him about three
| fonrths of the whole estate.
If the way james Smith has acted
oward US is Christianity | do not un-
derstand the teachings OF the Scrip
lures. James Smith came 10 my faith
er after the will was read and was
very much dissatisfied with his share
and wanted father to give him athous-
and dollars. When father told him lie
could not 10 IL, he became very angry
| and made use Of certain expressions
about their fathers soul which l
!, will not repeat. The public knows
| what they we're which he now positive
ly denies, trying to make the public be-
| lleve that he is innocent and that my
father is the guilty party, it does not
| look probable that my father would
manufacture a lie Of that kind when
James and himself were on good terms
! at the time and my father did not
! have the least idea that James Smith
intended trying TO break the will, but
| OIL the other hand James had q great
many incentives to urge him to deny
having said these things.
He WIS q Church member and n class
| leader and such expressions as he used
does not become n class leader. They
we're about his own father who had
bsfriended him all his life and he knew
that if he acknowledged having said
these things it would lower him in the
estimation of the community 1t large,
let alone the members Of the Church
and the melnters of his class. l am
satisfied that he said these things in 4
moment of passion but would not it have
been more like q Christian and y
gent leman to have acknowledged his
faults than to have tried 10 make his
brother out u liar. ! An very sorry to
be compelled to make these thing pub
lie but l do not want my father to
have to lay under charge Of this kind
when he is not guilty.
James Il. Smith also says there is y
breach i'll the family that will never
be healed over while he and his family
lives. Who caused this breach to be
madep Have We tried to wrong James
aud his family or has lie tried to wrong
us? l think the public is capable Ot
judging for themselves who is the
wronged party. Probably James will
try to deny what he said about the
minister of the brick Church, the Rev.
Margerum. and l also suppose that the
party that wrote the anonymous letter
to the Rev. w. Margerum would deny
that piece OF contemplate, cowardly,
dirt If the community was informed
who they weie. This letter shows that
they are contemplate towards and
are ashamed Tor the public to know who
they they are or they would have have
signed their names TO it.
| would like to also inform that gen.
tleman who sal next 10 James IN the
Court room and has been making him
self very conspicuous In this attain
which was none Of his business, that
the next time he tells u gentleman
about the affair lie had better tell both
sides of the question and place it in its
true light, and not misrepresent it IA
others. Then he will be better thought
of by the person whom he told. The
person came direct TO us and wanted
to know il it WAS true thS; father WAS
left every thing and James Lothing.
He said that this intimate friend 0t
James told MIN that was the CASE, but
he said it looked very different to him
when lie heard both sides of the ques-
ton. That is the way the public has
been misinfnrmed and that is the req
son that | write this letter to try and
give to the public II fair understand