Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-30
CLAIMING A FORTUNE.
Nh WILLIAM A. TEoMAgs DAUGHTER
PILES HER PETITION.
sAe Asks That the Bulk Of the Estate,
Worth over 50 o,000. be
Awarded Her


Bette Thomas Lewis, aud. for forms sake,
John II. Lewis, her husband. flied petition,
iurfxci claiming the bulk Of the property
lsfFyy Nr. William A. Thomls.
The petitioner sets forth that she is the
natural child oi deceased aud is thirty-fye
yesrs Of age and IA three fourths white; that
she was born in pitsylvania county and had
.i.tcr who like herself was acknowledged
- fhe child Of deceased; thpt they were sep.
arsied from their mother aud thc mother lster
msTrcd = man oi her Own (mother's) color;
tha' deceased went TO Europe during the
war and left the girls IN the family OF his rel
atyf, Pbiip Thomas. 10 be cared for, and
there they played with the other children.
sui petitioner did not know until she
was quite large slri that she was
r.f entirely white; that alter his re-
turn from Europe the father. offended vt
.nnc chastisemcut iul c,sd upon one OF the
itrs by The Thomase., removed them from
taat nscc. She further alleges that they
were first taken TO q hotel al Montgomery,
A'a and then that deceased bought place
frr tpem At Columbus. Ga, where they all
resided until The end al the war, aud wnere
lsr sister, VINO had IN tho mean time married.
q without issue; that this desth sorely
cifevcd her fathci. and lie aud she were
never Afterwards separated except when ne
sent her 10 q c0nvent.school for Two years.
Then the petition proceeds as follows:
rEyoyED 10 mcHNoSD.
soon sitter the termination ~ the late war
the said father Of your orstr,T removed TO
Richmond 10 1--we and 70 engage In busiLcss.
As soon as be- could do so, and within
fhort time, he purchased 2 small farm Just
outside OF the city for home for himself
ami your OfatriV: brought her from Column
Lus Ga.. 60 thl. place, aud here ~ this nome
thcv hved together Tor more than twenty
yc1rs; here your oralriy presided at her
fathers liable and over his household atiirs;
hero sne mini.tered 10 his wants. nursing
and cariurfor hlm In sickness and IN health;
and here hr provided Tor her every want.
furnishing servants 20 wait on her. and
layl.hlug ON hrr every comfort ana Kindness
That p4Touffl Affection could suggest; aud
v0ur 0rItrN cannot now remember one
SINGLE request ihqf She ever made Of her
father winch Wa, not a. once anO choeriuy
rfgntcI ty hiu. Tor the p1st eight or ten
summers he has takcu her With him 10 Sara
torA. and only last summer Bee wanted her 10
accompany tim 81 Europe, and be did not
go .0icy because your onirIX did not wish
go.
DIED IN uEn ARMS.
Your orairiN further showcth unto your
Honor that about year ago her father sold
tlc little farm ON which they had lived so
1ppuy together for go long. aud be then
.ulchlscd lotanl hadahouse built thereon
nearer ibe cltg for bone for himself aud
tour oratriX. when thi. l0t was purchased
..s said he intended it 20 Boz conveyed i0 your
rr4iriy. aud this Was not done solely because
% some lsuuderslAuding On me part OF bis
n.rnt: aud be took the deed conveying
u to MIN. with the distinct understanding
Chat bis agent Should prepare i1r him
aaothpr deed conveying 70 To your oratrX,
which iast-named deed was never executed
fimplv because 10 was not prepared beiore
he died. When the house wa huilt on this
lot Ie directed the builder to erect It 10
accordance with the wishes 0f your CralrN,
and when AZ was finished he directed lour
oratriN 80 furnish ~ Just n, she wished II
done. In ibis, their new bone, th"y IY'd
lust ~ they had formerly nvci m TIE one
from which they hsd removed. Her room
ndjoined that Of ber father. lie seemed To
prefer that she should wait on hun whether
sick or well. and She did this almost solely
and did aii m hcr power to make him com
Portable and happy up O. The time oi
bis death, which occurred literally IN the |
arms OF your oIariN. Your ofalilN !
further shOwelh unto y"ur iion0f !
fh4t her said father had selected trustee |
for h,r aud gotten him 10 consent 70
act. bv wnicn he intended giving her at b.,
death a large amount oI bis property ; and
he was. AZ the time of his las, illness, exam !
ming the pians Of an arclt ,ct, whlch were |
then in bis house. for the plrpOse OF build
lns Nome houses for her on west Grace
.'rcet. m this clty; and Tee bss stated t0y0ur
oratriy and ~ others lime ana again ihai !
when ne died she would be the CHIEF. II not
the sole. object of his bounty. Indeed. as
f,ra> your orstix knows, she Is the only
person for whom he ever expressed any
wish and recognized there was any real oDil- |
cation on hin to care and provide for; and |
mi, desire and obligation he expressed TO
vuur OratriX and to others frequently.
Your oratfiN hns thus set forth, somewhat
10 length, TIE relations existing between her
father and herself ior The purpose Of show
irg that n was perfectly
REASON ABLE AND NATURAL
;hat he should have given her the bulk OF
Die estate on his denth-bgd, as will be herein
after explained and Of which your oratrX
has ful proof.
Your orhrX further showcth unto your
Honor thst at the time OF his death her father
had 10 relatives (other than your oralrix)
nearer than second or third cousins, with
none Of whom had he lived or had any inter
course a. fpI a. sne knows. for many years,
fiat sll: that she never heard him express
affection or regard for any OF these resiives,
but, on the contrary, Nour oratriN aud others
have heard HIN frequently say that he ala
not wish aay ot thrse relatives TO have any OF
},s property" that he had long since paid
t.em oil and owed them nothing"
Your oTatfiN further showoth unto your
Honor that her said father sometimes spoke !
of making his Will and whenever he did 80 !
referred To her as The object OF bis bounty !
q. aforesaid but nc always reierrod To |
m hing his will as "signinC his death-wsr-
rant -: was superstltsous on The subject OF
msking Will. and seemed TO speak OF 1t as
fre Wa afraid 10 do so. from fear that II !
would In some way hasten his death. bui
Veur oratrX AYERS that whilst her said rather /
70 no viii, rs aforesaid yet he ala give her
f.r buik of hs estate by d0ndh0 morris |
ClaSQ, as viii be now explained.
TUE ESTATE.
Your oratrix shoWeth unto your Honor |
tl,' the estate OF her said father was worth |
a. the time OF The eft to her herein nlen-
toned about $2S0.0)0, about 100000 oI |
which W., m the share Of stocks I'm incor- |
turlt.d companies loans evidenced by ue- |
r.ti4ble notes secured bV deeds OF trust, |
mortgages. aud collaterals, gold coin, ana |
money deposits in the Plauters Natlonal
Ilok of Eichmond TO his credit; that during |
h., A,t Illness, when perfectly IN his TignV |
mind. Dut ia contemplation OF death ana sp-
rl,h,ndi0g at the time that he would shortiy |
die. hcgaye 10 your oratrix by donltio morris |
ClI.l. "a, aforesaid. and then and tbere ue-
Ayefci the same TO her, aud the said gut was /
accepted by your oratrx then ana theIe 'ne
following personal properiy-NI':
Iir.t. The bank. book, in which was en-
tered Doe amount OF money on deposit IN tne /
Planter. Nauonal Bank Of Richmond TO his
c-,d'', o., Aforesaid. which he gave aud de.
Nvrrri go your orAtrix for the purpose OF
giving Q, Der the said amount oil money
trrla ,ai.I,d, as aforesaid.
secondly. several negotiable notes wnich