The morning news., 1891-01-08
MULATro DAUGHTER.
court Decides that Her Fathsr's
70 Estate Goes TO Her.

From fhe NelD York sun
-,,o,D Dec. 5.-In the chancery
+o-dsv Judge Leake decided one OF
60 notable will cases ever tried in Vir-
Bv this mulatto girl gets property
sl-,.,ed At from S2OO, 900 TO 100000. The
:, the case show that w. A. Thomas
rseoI, Us, Ils and raised in Pittsylvanls county.
.ia va He there lived with q colored
NHs whose name is not given. Two chill
Eoln,-s,ra horn. and Thomas acknowledged
aIen az their father and treated them as
hlllI.;tii5 hlllISti5-an These children we're Bette
ID -JT,a,nia Thomas. Their mother having
slu slu;oJ Inau Of her own color, Mr..
mAll,s m1eil,ss took a trip to Europe, placing his
I5anghters in the care OF Philip Thomas,
"-.istiye. Mr.. Thomas returned during
o. si',r ,Tsr and Bette says 1t was not until
tne ne .bst he learned that she was not en-
,irely white. Soon after tne return ol Ine
s-.Lor sTJ-s he took the two girls to Columbus,
lsINg ~ I,bsre they all lived until the close OF
U@' U-'.sr Fannie having, in the meantime,
l..ia1 I. ere and died without issue.
USe.,n after the end of the war Mr. Thomas
40 Richmond with his surviving
ool-h+ar He bought a small farm just
u1ysS u.lsiSs of the city, and Bettie's mother aud
-. Iusband and the husband OF Fannie
Ts,r,as deceased, all lived there with him.
n. Thomas rented a room IN Goddlns hall,
n Ibis city, and took most OF his meals at
tba Exchange hotel, but he mao a room Ia
~ rmhouse and often spent the night
H. .So For twenty years Bette Thomas
l-.s;dsd over the farmhouse, and Mr..
ESonas treated her in every way as his
iiI.,-btsr He allowed her to have con-
auions and furnished her with horse and
pSaaton for her own pleasure. During the
P.r,r,ers Mr.. Thomas used to visit Sara
so-a taking with him his daughter and her
ooS13anion. Fannie Coles. The three ate at
tbe same table, and Bettle was known there
as Mr.. Thomas daughter
short time before he died Mr.. Thomas
,oid his farm and bought a lot and built
so,,sa nearer the city. Here he took Bette
20 live with him. He frequently told her
srd others that he intended the house for
Sar and proposed TO deed it to her. He was
- taken sick. however, and never gave
his daughter deed to the property. Mr..
Tbomas died early in January, 1889, and
lot no will. He was sick for some time
rravi3us to his death, and bis daughter
Trrsed and cared for him very tenderly. 1t
was while on his deathbed that Mr.. Thomas
csve Bette the bank book, in which was
srtsre1 the amount of his deposits in the
Planters National Bank. The daughter
saws that the book was given to her
with the purpose Of giving her the money.
sbe@vs that while on his deathbed and in
| bis right mind her father gave her several
| negotiable notes which were due, the key to
the safety deposit box rented by him in the
Planters National Bank, and the key to the
hin box in the safety deposit box, EXPLAIN
ing to her that there she would find his
most valuable papers, evidences OF debt,
stock, securities, etc, which constituted the
bulk of his estate, also the keys to the iron
e ny.1y Gr " fak1
contained some papers and personal prop
erty.
Everything that Bette claimed regarding
the relationship that existed between her
self and Mr. Thomas was substantiated By
afidavits from some of the most prominent
citiz4ns of Richmond among them DR..
Hunter Mcclure, Mr. Thomas's physician.
These persons knew that Mr.. Thomas was
very fond Of his daughter, had often said
she was the only person in the world to
whom he was under any obligations, and
frequently said he intended to leave her his
estate. Mr.. Thomas had no relations nearer
than first cousins, aud be never had any
thing to do with them. He had very linn
tied acquaintance with the citizens Of
Richmond. He never had any one to call
upon him In a social way, but some few we'll
known persons used to go to see him on
business
The most prominent lawyers in Virginia
were counsel on either side. Judge Leake
decides that by gift donatio Gaortis causG
Bette Lewis is entitled to ali of Mr.. Thomas
estate, with the exception OF his bank de-
posit' amounting to $4,000. Thomas,
while on his deathbed, gave his daughter
his bank book, and she contended that he
intended for her to have the money repre-
sented in the book, but on this point Judge
Leake decides that the delivery Of the bank
book was not sufficient delivery of the bank
deposits. An appeal to the supreme court
will be taken.