Huntsville gazette., 1891-04-18
From the Philadelphia Call March 26)

From the Philadelphia Call March 26)
The Register of Wills this morn
ing admitted to probate the will OF
John D. Lewis, colored, late mem
Der Of the Philadelphia bar, who last
week died suddenly of heart disease
at his office. at Eighth and Walnut
streets. The estate left by the de-
cedent consists mainly of real prop
erty located in Toronto and this city,
valued at about 800 900.
After requests to his widow and
two children, his will reads:
"And now, whereas it has been
my lifelong experience and observa>
ton, that much of the prosperity,
enterprise and progressiveness of the
colored race in America has been in
iured by reason Of prejudice and dis
elimination against them;
81, therefore bequeath all the re-
mainder OF my estate to my trustees.
their heirs and assigns in trust for the
following charitable uses, to wit: To
promote, aid and protect citizens of
the United States Of African descent,
in the enjoyment of their civil rights
as provided by the first section of
the Fourteenth Amendment to the
Constitution of the United States
and the Civil Rights acts of Congress
gress based thereupon, and also OF
the Fifteenth Amendment thereof,
and such as are publicly accorded all
other classes of American citizens.
with this desire I empower and
direct the said trustees herein after
named and their successors to form
and charter charitable organiza,
ton under the laws of Pennsylvania,
having its headquarters in said city
of Philadelphia, and to be named
The Lewis Protective Bureau of
Civil Rights; its objects to be as
aforesaid, to protect, aid and secure
to the colored citizens or colored per-
sons in the United States their civil
rights, as applicable to all other clas-
SEES of American citizens, how and
whenever the same may be denied
one or more of them by reason of
race, color or condition, with powers
to employ all legal and moral means
to destroy and prevent such discrim
ination, and to give substantial aid
in money or otherwise, within the
discretion of the said corporation to
any person or persons, who seek re-
dress from such discrimination, and
who shall satisfy the said corporation
that he, she or they are entitled to
such aid. 1t is my desire that the
executive work of this corporation
be principally applied to the proven
ton of discrimination by the we'll
known persons, common carriers, no.
tells, business houses, schools, all pla'
ces If moral amusement, cemeteries.
and in defense of all other rights
which any respectable citizens isen-
titled by moral right"
The testator directs the trustees to
appoint board Of directors to CON-.
sist Of Philadelphia attorney at
law, colored physician, who shall
be graduate ola college; colored
clergyman of the Methodist Church,
Of the Baptist Church, and of the
Episcopal denomination.
He appoints as his executors and
trustees his son, his widow, Philip
H. Deerle and William II Browne
The last mentioned was counsel
against the Mount Moriah Cemete
~ Company in a famous case fifteen
years ago, in which the Supreme
Court ordered the intermeut in its
grounds of Henry Jones. the noted
colored caterer, who was the father
in-law Of Mr.. Lewis.