Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-03
Miss Martha Wood.

The lady over whose money the Wood
family is duarreling was L maiden aunt of
Mrs. O'Shea's named Martha Wood. She
died q few years ago at the age Of ninety.
This old lady was infatuated with Mrs.
O'She2, who was her favorite relative.
They lived in adjoining houses at Ethan.
Miss Wood allowed Mrs. O'Shea about Sl5.-
$50 year for the support Of her family.
Mrs. O'Shea in turn allowed Capt. O'Shea
about one-third of this sum, which enabled
him to maintain a separate residence in
London, his visits to Ethan being few and
far between. Miss Wood originally made 4
will leaving the bulk Of her proper to Mrs.
O'Shea, but pro iding, also, for her
rephews, Gen. Sir Evelyn and Charles
Wood, also for other relatives. These other
nephews and nieces We're profoundly iea!-
GUS of Miss Woods attachment to Mrs.
O'Shea, and as she alleges in the will were
constantly poisoning her aunt's mind
against her; family quarrels ensued, and
finally Miss Wood became so irritated
by the conduct of the other
relatives towards her favorite niece,
that she revoked her first will
and made another which left everything
she pos sessed in trust with Mrs. O'Shea
for Mrs. O'Shea's children. This will suit,
however, debars Mrs O'Shea from dealing
with this money until the will is proved.
Capt O'Shea, as guardian of the children
since the divorce, is the only person bene-
flied by the will so far. Sir Evelyn and
Charles Page Wood are now contesting it
on the grounds of undue influence and mis-
representation. If the case is ever investi-
gated it will reveal that curious household
at Ethan, where Parnell buried himself
from politics and INDUCED in the romantic
passion which ruined his career. This suit
will be keenly interesting, both because of
the bearing it has upon Parnell's private
life and because it will reveal many Incl
dents of q dramatic and startling character.
Among the many disclosures that il en-
tails there is one of the most sensational
descriptions, showing that in the bitterness
of their luminosity over money Mrs.
O'Shea's relatives did not hesitate to
charge her with the grave crime of forgery.
This episode, perhaps the most curious in
the whole suit, would never have been per-
mitted TO leak out, though the papers in the
case have been in the hands of many differ
ent lawyers. The information of the
world comes from a perfectly au-
thentic source and rests on docu-
mentary evidence, which will be produced
when the suit comes to trial. The circum-
stances under which the charges of forgery
came to be made were briefly these: Mrs
O'Shea was accustomed to receive her al
lowance from her aunt by quarterly check
IN the summer of 1856, after O'Shea had
publicly quarreled with Parnell over The
1OIuc Euic Ulii, MIS- " Oliei received one
of these checks and forwarded it to her
banker. 1t was sent on for payment to
her aunt's bankers, and Mrs. OShea in
stead of being Motif ed that the money had
been lodged to her credit, got the check
back with the ominous Endorsement, ''Sig-
natures differ''-the usual formula where
By an English bank intimates that the gen.
uiness of signature is doubtful. As at
that time Miss Wood, the drawer of the
check, was an invalid from extreme old
age, it appears, from letters, that Mrs.
O'Shea, not wishing to worry her aunt,
and not realizingy full the implied meaning
of the return of the check, sent it back to
her bankers with letter attesting the
genuineness of the signature, as it was
written in her presence, but Miss Woods
bankers returned the check again, intimat-
ing that they could not pay it owing to the
alleged difference of the signature
The letters show that Mrs. O'Shea was
furiously indignant at what she now dis
cerned to be an imputation Of forgery
against her, but the bankers maintained
their objection, saying that if a new check
was presented by a disinterested per-
son they would pay it a new
check was written by Miss Wood at
the request of Mrs. O'Shea, and it
was witnessed by the family doctor, and
the bankers paid this check. Mrs. O'Shea's |
lawyer learned from the bankers that the
idea Of questioning the first check was in
spired by the relatives who are now contes-
ting the will, and who had warned the bank |
ers that Miss Wood had grown incapable Of |
any business or even OF writing |
her name