The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-03-13
An Ex-Slaye's Estate,

The following is clipped from the columns
of the New York World, having been con-
tributed to that paper by correspondent
from Washington, Indiana, under date Of
the 9Th, inst. It will no doubt be read with
interest by many of the INTELL1aENcER's
readers, as the gentleman referred TO is still
venerable and highly esteemed citizen of
Anderson County. The article is as fol-
lows:
A suit has just been filed in the Dayvies
Circuit Court that involves unusual legal
difficulties. Back of the simple title,
'sThomas vs. Thomas, to Quiet Title" is
strange and romantic history. John NJ.
| Thomas, nearly fifty years ago. was slave
in Anderson County, s. c., owned by John
Thompson. Thomas had wife who was
owned by Major James Thompson. Two
children were born to the Thomases 10.
| seph and Pleasant, who are the plaintiffs in
! the suit mentioned.
When Joseph was an infant his fathers
master moved to Mississippi taking his
slaves with him. John M. Thomas, the
father, ran away from his master aud re-
turned to South Carolina to his wife, but he
was pursued, captured and taken back to
|
poor slave suffered when taken for second
| time from his wife and children, and the
physical pain inflicted as apunishment for
attempted escape, do not, of course, enter
! into the legal features of the case.
Thomas ran away a second time, but in
stead of going to South Carolina he work.
ed his way North and finally settled iu this
county. After several years Of hard labor
he found himself in possession of some land,
reasonably well improved and stocked. A
neat home, naturally enough, needed a
neat mistress, and Thomas chose colored
woman of this city as his spouse. Divorced
from his second wife, he married third,
who is the defendant in this case.
In the meantime the South Carolina wife
married again and became the mother OF
four children by her last husband After
| the war Thomas wrote to his sons in South
Carolina, asking them to come and live with
him. They allege in their petition that he
| also asked their mother to come. In 1872
I Joseph, the youngest son, came to his faith :.
er. One year later Pleasant, the other son,
arrived, and with him came his mother,
her second husband having died some time
before.
The appearance of wife No. I was not
only surprise at the Thomas cabin, but it
was signal for var, Mrs. Thomas No. 3
being in blissfal ignorance Of the existence
Of Mrs. Thomas Mol. The scene that
followed partook OF the nature Of domes-
| tic cyclone, until Thomas effected conf
promise by building a new cabin just
across the road from his own for his South
Carolina vile Thomas provided for her
until 1876, when she died, but he never
recognized her as his wife. Thomas died a
few years later.
Pleasant and ] oseph Thomas claim that
they are the legitimate sons of the late
John M. Thomas and the only legal heirs
to the property. In her answer Sylvia
Thomas, wife No. and the defendant in
this suit, denies the allegation of the plain
tiffs and sells up cross claim that the
plaintiffs are not the legitimate children Of
( John M. Thomas. and that she, as his
widow, is the owner of the property left by
MIN, The main question to be decided is
the legality of the marriage of slaves in
South Carolina. Thomas's estate comprl-
ses sixty acres of very valuable land.