Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1890-01-03
THE LOST WILL.

About 20 years ago there died in
southern Ohio a queer old character
named Thomas Martin. He was never
married and his eccentricities made his
name familiar one in several counties.
He lived in a little log house on a farm
about four miles from village, and
sometimes he was lone for months, and
again he would have his house crowded
with his relatives. While father and
mother were dead, he had three
brothers and four sisters living, and in
the same county. One day he might
meet one of them and hand him $50
gold piece. The very next day he
would pass the same person by without
speaking. AS he was worth about
5000, 900, all made by the sale of oil
wells found on his lands in Pennsylva-
MIA, and as his relatives were all poor,
none of them dared offend him. If he
treated them coldly they put up with
it.; if he insisted on some family stay
ing with him for week they made
every sacrifice to please him.
There was a layer OF humorin the Id
mans composition withal. think he
reasoned that all his relatives expec ed
a slice of his wealth, and he intended
that each one should have it, but he
proposed to make them earn it as far as
they could. If he knew that his brother
James was planting corn, and in a
great hurry to 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
bls saw mill the old man was sure to
send up message to him to come down
and take 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 in
sist 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 vegetables.
Uncle Tom, as every body called him,
was over 70 years of age when l fiji st
knew him, and it must have seemed to
his relatives that he intended to live to
be hundred. AS the years went BY
he really seemed to improve and it 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 to determine him to
revoke it. He had sent for his brother
Henry and family to come to him at
once. Henry was saving lumber on a
contract, one of'the children was aiing
and he returned word that he could not
come. This was the first time he had
ever refused such demand, and when
the messenger returned the old man
boiled over with indignation. He sent
for his lawyer to come and make ne w
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 will was not
entirely completed that day. Martin
said he might want to 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 to lower her down IN
the well to recover lost bucket. She
was timid and afraid, and the result
was that she was ordered to pack up
and leave, and was told plainly that
she need not expect dollar.
Nor was this all. Having got his
hand in, as it were, the old man went
for another brother, and forced rup-
ture, and then sent for a lawyer and
cut the three persons off with legacy
of 800 each. He signed the new will
and placed it with the others. saying he
would keep both for few days and see
if anything else turned up. Then. in
order to show his contempt for his rela
tives, he sent for woman named
That cher to keep house for him. This
woman was a widow, about 40 years