The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-06-25
NEW SERIES, VOL 7 NO
Fighting Over a Fortune.

Fighting Over a Fortune.
A Clarksburg, W. Va, special to the
Washington Post says:
The trial of the will case of .Tndoa r.
y. camden began today in the county
court Dy the examination of witnesses
ior proponents, who then rested their
case. tomorrow the evidence for fine
contestants will be taken, when the real
battle will begin. This case promises To
become one OF the most celebrated of any
OF It's KIND ever tried in this State. if
not in the United States
Juuge camden was an uncle of ex-
senator Camden, and the richest man ia
West Virginia, He died very suddenly
some three months ago at Hot Springs.
ARK, where he had been taken by his
wife and sister for his health. He was
apparently improving the day before his
death and telegraphed here that he
would be back home shortly well man.
Immediately after his funeral his
widow, who was the Judges second
wife, and 70 whom he was married in
1853 offered for probate through her
attorney will by which the vast estate
OF the Judge, with the exception of
tween his daughters, was heaueathed to
her sue also produced several deeds
for realty, and an ante>nuptial contract
! for 100000.
The will was dated in November, and
superseded many other wills in which a
more natural distribution of his property
/ had been made. 1t caused sensation
here, and was boldly pronounced by
many forgery, and upon that ground
Inc present contest Is being made. Judge
camden was we'll educated man. care
full speller and very particular in regard
to punctuation. The will in controversy
has not one puetuation mark, and is in
correctly spelled in several places The |
word "heretofOren which, as a LAWYER.
Judge Camden was obliged to write daily
for years and which one would think. |
from force of habit he would spell right,
was spelled cher to forn The word !
..Oiarkshurga Wag spelled 'Clakburg," |
the word care was also printed "cair,' |
ana there were many other equally as I
extraordinary peculiarities running
through the entire paper
lt is asserted by the contestants that /
under powerful glass the letters show
that they are not Joined, but appear as
If they were carefully formed to initiate |
some other paper.
The publication by TRUTH a local /
paper OF this city, of a history of the case
as it appeared in the ST. Louis Repqtblic.
caused great sensation, and NAV
eventually end in serious trouble. 1t
seemed to crystaliZe public opinion, and
the friends of both parties are very
bitter towards each other. Another /
paper called the Old Gsla7d edited by a /
man who still boasts of his connection I
with the rebellion. and takes pride in
having never been reconstructed"
came out with a bitter attack on the
writer OF the st. Louis letter, and playeG /
the chivalry racket for all it Was worth.
HIS article, while it sold many papers,
dld not tend to lessen the feeling, and
When the case was called today the
courtroom was crowded to suffocation
by people, who, both from idle curiosity
and friendship for the contestants, were
DESTROYS of hearing the evidence.
1t is reported that eX Senator Camden
Is backing the heirs, not merely to get
fair division of the estate, but to prove
that his uncle was not heartless enough
to disinherit his own flesh and blood, and
give million or more dollars to- woman
for simply acting as-h his nurse for a few
years,
The writer Of the above article is either
ignorant of the facts he deals with or
designedly misrepresents them. Instead
o1Judge Camden's having been an edu-
ssaessttz.sl Na;9Iav he was quite the rasersesa
He never went TO school more than
twelve months in his life He was a
man of masculine mind, an able
lawyer, and an incorruptible judge; but
his oppor tunities for early training
were very limited. He was also noted
for his bad spelling If we were to form
an opinion of the case referred to in the
article above, from the educational ad>
vantages and knowledge of photography
that he wrote the will. His penman-
ship was bold and fairly good, having
served for while IN the clerks office of
his county, where he acquired a good
use of his pen.
Mrs. Camden was a Miss Horner. a
very influential and prominent family
in Harrison county She first married
a Dr. Davis, OF Clarksburg, and ALTERS
wards Judge Camden. She is a lady by
instinct and education; and was de
voted wife, and nursed and cared for the
Judge in his old age and failing health
very tenderly. He was eighty six years
old when he died and when it is said he
made his will. From what we know of
Judge Camden-his kind and sympa-
thetic nature, and of his educational
qualifications, we conclude that the
terms of the will and the manner in
which they are expressed are his own,
and from what we have heard of his
widow, we believe he intended to prefer
her as he did