Telegram-herald., 1889-11-04
UNCLE TOMS WILL.
Peculiar Circumstances Of Its Loss
and Recovery.

1A0 ANCCCfC%Ss
About twenty years ago there died n
Southern Ohio queer old character named
Thomas Martin. lie was never married
and bis eccentriciues made his name ia
miliar one IN several counties. be lived IN
d little log house on farm about four miles
from village, and sometimes he was alone
for months. and again he would have h.s
house crowded with his relatives. While
father and mother wero dead, be had three
brothers and four sisters living and IA the
same county. One day he might meet one ~
theS and hand him a twenty-dollar gold
piece. The very next day be would pass
the same person by without speaking As
he was worth about 5000, all made by
the sale Of oil wells found on his lands Ia
Pennsylvania, and as his relatives were al
poor, none Of them dared offend him. IL
he treated them coldly they put up with it;
If be insisted on some family staying with
him for week they made every sacrifice
10 please him.
There was q layer Of humor In the old
mans composition withal. i think he rea-
soned that ali his relatives expected "a slice
Of his wealth, and he intended that each one
should have il, but he proposed 20 make
them earn ii as far as they could. II be
knew that his brother James was planting
corn, and In a great hurry 10 get through,
he would send for him and insist that he
hunt or fish or go looking over the country
for some plant or root needed for sickness.
If his brother Henry was extra busy In his
saw-mill, the old man was sure 10 send up
a message TO him TO come down and take a
witch-hazel rod and go wandering over the
hills TO locate metals. There was only one
bed in the house, and yet the old man would
insist that family Of eight come and visit
HIM and sleep where they could. Twice
year he killed lamb. The rest Of the time
he lived on pudding and milk and vege-
tables.
Uncle Tom, as every body called him, was
over seventy years Of age when first knew
him, and it must have seemed 10 his rel
atives that he intended To live 10 be a hun
ored. AS the years went by he really
seemed TO improve, and 1t was a cold day
when he couldn't think OF some new trick
TO play on those who anxiously waited for
him TO turn up his toes. he had made
will as was known In a certain law Office
dividing up his wealth pro rata, but one day
something occurred 10 determine him 10
revoke it. He had sent for his brother Henry
and family 10 cone to hum at once. Henry
was saving lumber on q contract, one OF
the children was eiling. and he returned
word that he could not come. This was the
first time he had ever refused such de-
mand, and when the messenger returned
the old man boiled over with indignation.
He sent for his lawyer TO come and make a
new will. and the lawyer, Of course,
brought the old one. He saw this laid on
the clock shelf, and it was lying there when
he went away. The new viii was not en-
tirely completed that Gay. Martin said he
might want 10 make some other changes,
and so he did. His sister May, who was an
old maid, was with him that day, and after
the lawyer had gone Martin wanted 10
lower her Down in the well 10 recover lost
bucket. She was umid and afraid, and the
result was that she was ordered 10 pack up
and leave, and was told plainly that she
need not expect q dollar.
Nor was this all. Having got his hand in,
rs it were, the old man went for another
brother, and forced a rupture, and then
sent for a lawyer and cut the three persons
of with legacy Of one hundred dollars
each de signed the new will and placed
il with the other. saying be would keep
both for few days and see II any thing
else turned up. Then. IN order 10 show bis
contempt for his relatives. he sent for
woman named Thatcher 10 keep house for
him This woman was q grass widow,
about forty years old, and was looked upon
as half crazy and the other half foolish.
She was employed IN the village a. laundry
work. Martin bought her clothes and
jewelry, and even gave out that be wi1ld
marry her, and he was heard 20 say moro
than once that not one OF his relatives
should ever get dollar Of his money.
One night two months af~r the Thatcher
woman went to live with h.-a. he GOT bad
fan while bringing in wood. He had % be
helped 20 bed, but only "A portion Of what
followed was known for many months
afterward. The cd man felt thst bis last
hour haa come. and he got rid q her Tor a
few minutes by sending her out - the
barn Which VIII he meant 20 burn no one
will ever know. but be got up and burned
one Of them. Both were duly sealed and
attested. and both we're equally good ia
law That ne I'D burn one q them was
sure. Thirty hours later some one hap
pcuoi % visit tie cabin. ard the Old nsn
was found dead iu his bed the woman had
disappeared and the wis were missing
WITH 81 that money 81 stake there was
great excitement. of course. hud the reia-
dives gave ne fhs case - work up. no ore
knew. uufr overhallcd the ashes in the
found scraps q paper. proving that a.
least one q the wis had been destroyed
50 FAR as 7 could tel both might have
been burned at she saue time one had
been. any bow. ard The question of which
Is was Interested every relative
20 seemed curious why Mrs Thatcher
had gore nvsv ana stil more curioa. that
she Rad escaped ooseTvstian. As TO GRE
bad met hsr in toe 81. sge or cu the g. ~
vaT. lt rect ~ canc. l1ed that she tad
reasons for hiding II ore r. the Wis
tta H preserves sat a.E haear e.
iis uaerea onats. a. fas Hha.e cao.u had
heea harted over and aTrr again wlthrat
af.nR'rE Is % light NJ H~sf stea there
fore, wEs te discover hefs hrt ~hen
fairy sharp nsn pfS himsef against
taf iaiat Pc nav Pc beaten 7 made .
clrr-d fer fnHr.V ules aralrf aa narse
back, and. Hrae mes hundred people
va0 knew fhe woman ~ s.rtt Z rsa q Eet
% iale trace ~ her A r8saer coo.d rst
have hidden ts traI more saceessfslv
IS ben / fEn3 thst ths hant ras 81 - q
ienoead , notified every sssr.f So nat pa
~ thE STATE gat "a circl ars and sent
then % tgTl marskzAs. co1sla9.es. posk