The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1889-01-17

$ TO refer TO tins evidence specific
, ally, but give the impressions and
: conclusions it left upon my mind.
Jesse Spencer was a man oil
] no education scarcely, but had
2 been of sound mind and good
judgment, inexperienced in
, business or with business affairs
of any magnitude. For though
{ his estate will amount 10 eleven
t or twelve housand d
+, dollars perhaps, besides what he
, had given 10 his children, it was
the result of the sudden and un-
expected enhancement in the
: in the evalue Of coal land
of which he had a small
farm. that brought him some
$4,000. But as he had nothing
to do with bringing about such
enhanced value this increase IN
value of his estate may be look
ed upon more as matter of good
fortune than the result of bust
, ness, shrewdness or foresight.
Naturally a quiet man, he
seemed to be afl'ec,ionate, loved
his wife. and up to The very close
of his life seemed TO love all his
children and impressed through
out. If We except.the act in con-
troversy here, with the propriety
of all his children sharing his
estate equally. This is evidenced
not only by his repeated ex-
pressions shown in evide ice, but
much more strongly by his actions
toward them shown in his dis
tribution Of $500 apiece to each
of his children, and by his will
executed some two years before
his death, in which he expressly
provided all should share equally.
He deferred much 10 his wife and
depended much upon her.
In the latter years of their
lives she was evidently super
ior to him physically and perhaps
retained greater yisor of mind.
He seemed to appreciate bis own
inability for the management of
large sums and relied much upon
his son Samuel, and acted with ex-
treme caution, and never in any
matter of importance in the last
few years without his wife's and
Samuels concurrence.
| am unable to say from this
testimony that the old man was
insane, although there is some
testimony tending TO show cer-
tain delusions that would seem
to indicate the early stages of
ses,iie deme:st;a.
But surely this evidence does
show very considerable change
in the old mans mind that it
was greatly enfeebled, not only |
by age, the 50 years that he had |
lived, but also by his weakened |
enfeebied body the result of his
sickness.
He was on the border line /
take it, when at times sparks OF |
The old intelligence would show
themselves, at other times he
was III the unreal and shauowy
dreamland.
This may account too for this
seeming conflict between the wit
nesses. Some would see and
converse with him while he was
in one condition, others at an
other.
The loss of his wife evidently
affected him greatly and added to
tha. confusion that age and dis
tress had already brought TO his
mind. He missed her more from
day 10 day than he could at first
realize.
lie could not know how much
be had come to depend upon her
during the many years they liv-
ed together, until he would daily
and hourly miss the little atten-
tions lie had been used TO re ceive
at her hands almost increasingly.
He missed her ccmpanionsi,p. {
He was lonesome. lie had out s
lived all those who could be con- 8
or companlonable 10 him. 1
He felt that he was left alone {
md abandoned. The evidence 1
shows that heswas not abandon a
I'd. That his children, all ofthem q
put Isaiah, who resided in the a
vest, were properly attentive to f
llm, more so in fact than is usu- r
Il. i
The old man was not a reading I
nan. lie could not entertain a
himself IN that way. He could
'ut sit and contemplate his own P
oneliness and misery, making Il
i'm wish many times that Il
'e had died before his C
rlfe. lie frequently gave
ray to his feelings in tears tt
his may and does show weak is
ming and enfeebied mind, but h
either insanity nor entire want II
t mind net inconsistent with c.
aDacity 10 make will or do 9th a