The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-06-27
JUDGE CAMDEN'S WILL.
Pronounced Forgery by His
Heirs and His Widow Ac-
CuSed.
IT'S CURIOUS BAD SPELLING.
The Errors Are Said 10 Agree with the
Widows Style Of Writing, but not
With His Case-The Case will
Be Fought Out.
Corr. Pittsbure comp,ercial Gazette


ct at the next term of the Harrison
county circuit court, when the chill
dren of the late Judge Draper Cam
den will attempt to set aside what
purports to be the last will and tes-
lament of that wealthy and distin-
guished West Virginian.
The case promises to be complica-
ted beyond description and will in
volve, on one side or the other, a
very large number of the best known
people in this State, and should the
will be broken there will be COM
menced criminal prosecution for for
gerry and other crimes, which will
make defendants of quite a number,
including the widow of the deceased.
JUDGE cAMDEN's CAREER.
Judge Gideon d. Camden, the
decedent, was born in Lewis county,
Va, now West Virginia, August 5,
1905. When but 10 years of age be
was elected clerk of the circuit court
of his native county, and, being al
lowed to take his seat, was continued
in the Office for many years. In
1912 he married Sallie Hoffman, of
Culpepper, Va. and soon afterward
having engaged in the study of law,
was admitted to the bar, soon taking
high rank as an attorney. Retiring
from the active practice of law by
his election to the office of circuit
judge, he remained in that position
until the breaking out of the rebel.
lion, when he allied himself with the
South, and was absent from his ma
tive state until after peace was de-
clared.
Returning to West Virginia he
took up his residence in this place
and engaged in an extensive prac-
tice, his speciality being land cases in
the United States district and SUI
preme courts. He was very promi-
nent in politics after his return to
West Virginia, and when the Demo
cratic party came into power he was
chosen delegate to the constitu.
tional convention Of 1872, and was q
member of the legislature Of 1923
where he was recognized leader
During that session he came within
one vote of securing the caucus nom
nation for United States senator
He was again member Of the legis-
lature of 1855, and at the Demo
cratic. national conventiono of 1876 he
was member of the committee APP
pointed to notify Samuel j. Tilden
of his nomination.
HE MARRIEs A SECOND TIME.
OF the seven children by his first
wife, but two now survive-Mrs. M
M. Sommers, of this place and Mrs
Robert Ramsberg, of Frederick City
Md. A number of years ago Judge
Camden's first wife died and about
ten years ago he married Miss Myra
Horner, daughter of prominent
and wealthy man of this county.
She survives him, and is now alleged
to have been the author not only Of
the will sought by her to be declared
valid, but also of sundry deeds to
real estate, checks, ETC., by all Of
which she is the beneficiary to the
practical exclusion of all Other
heirs.
At the time of his death Judge
Camden was possessed of very
large amount of real and personal
property, his wealth being estimated
at from 100000 to $1,000,000, and
as result there were great expec-
tations" among those who, aside from
his wife, might reasonably expect to
be the beneficiaries. 1t was common
rumor that the Judge had signed,
at the time of his second marriage, a
paper by the terms Of which he set.
tied upon his wife 100000 in lieu Of
dover, and there was disposition
among his heirs to accept this as
bona fide, and there was no suspi.
cion that there would be any other
claim upon the part of the widow in
the event of his death.
This being so, there was decided
exhibition of CONSERVATION when, af-
ter the remains of the distinguished
jurist and politician had been con-
signed to earth, Mrs. Camden pro-
duced will dated during the month
of October, 1890, by the terms OF
which the decedent bestowed a total
of 50, 500upon his children and grand
children, and then left the entire re-
mainder of his wealth, both real and
personal, to his widow.
THE WILL PRONOUNCED FORGERY.
When the will was offered for pro-
bate it was carefully examined by
the heirs and their representatives,
and was at once pronounced a for
gerry. This conclusion was not based
upon the text of the document, which
was peculiar enough, but rested main
ly upon the chirography and orthog-
raphy of the manuscript. Judge
Camden was highly educated gen
tleman, who was never known in the
course of a most voluminous CORE
spondence, as well as in the prepare
tion of countless legal and other do
cuments, to either misspell word
or to be at all cratic in his disposi-
ton of punctuation points, but this
alleged will presented some notable
from his habitual careful
ness in these regards.
The paper did not contain one prop
erly placed punctuation mark, and,
indeed, was almost devoid of such.
The most common words were miss
PEELED, as ''cair" for ''care," "herto-
for" for heretofore" etc, there be-
ing over fifty errors in photography
in the 300 words of the will, and
many OF the characteristic peculiar
ties of the handwriting of the de-
ceased were either wanting entirely
or were but caricaturer of the orig
inal.
The signature at the end bore every
evidence of having been traced from
another document with some sharp
instrument-probably a pin or needle
= and then written over. But the most
circumstance was the fact
that during the month of September,
1890, not quite month before the
date of the will offered for probate,
the decedent is known to have made
another will, the general terms of