The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1893-07-18
Sui4 Ron saruina.

Counsel for Mrs. Mary A. Davis, of Cam
den, who for number of years was the
housekeeper for Walt Whitman. the good
gray poet" has instituted proceedings to
recover claim of $5460 against the ad-
ministrator for her services in attending
the poet. Thomas B. Harmed, who was
one of the closest friends of the dead poet,
and counsel for the administrator, stated
on Saturday that Mrs. Davis had been in
the employ of Mr.. Whitman from 1885
until the time of his death. in 1892. Since
his death she has occupied the old poets
charge, under the provisions Of his will.
He commended that she had no claim what
ever on the estate or she would have pre-
sented it before. The understanding, said
Mr.. Harmed, with Mrs. Davis. was that
she was to have her rent, IN exchange for
Whitman's board. She had the use of the
house for years and also had two of her
SONS boarding with her.
Mr.. Harmed said that the poet frequent
ly gave her money and he was constantly
receiving supplies of various kinds from
his friends and admirers. all of which
were rsed in the household.
In reference to her claiIn as nurse, Mr..
Harmed said she acted in that capacity for
four weeks previous to Whitman's death,
and he had personally paid her and had
received her receipt for the same. For
three years previous to his death, Walt
Whitman had the services of profession
al male nurse, who was paid out of a fund
raised for that purpose by the poets adj
mirers. and Mrs. Davis was paid for the
nurses board
Colonel George Whitman, brother of
deceased, who lives in Burlington. has
instructed his counsel to fight the claim
and also order Mrs. Davis to vacate the
premises. All of the leeacies made by
Walt Whitman have been paid and the
money left by him has all been used.
Mrs. Davis was bequeathed $1,000 by the
poet, and number of lawyers are of the
opinion that when she accepted the legacy
she relinquished all claim against the
estate.
Mrs. Davis is indignant over the charge
of ingratitude made against her by Whit
mans friends. The lady says the charge
is preposterous and that if there is any
ingratitude it comes from the other side.
When she went to live with Whitman,
Mrs. Davis says she was in comfortable
circumstances, and that he was very poor
80 poor that he had to eat his meals on
a dry goods box-and that she used up
nearly all her own property for his bene-
fit, in addition to nursing him. The also
says that she never received any compen-
sation from Whitman except the 81 900
legacy, which is no compensation for sew
en- years labor, to say nothing OF her own
expenditures.
Mrs. Davis further charges that Whit
man was practically abandoned by his
relatives and that very few of the persons
who are now claiming to have been on
terms of intimacy with him were known
to him when she commenced to look after
him. She also said that he did get
an occasional basket from different per-
sons, but not more than half dozen times
and as for Walt, he had no in
come at all.
She added with good deal of feeling
that she had spent the best years of her
life and wasted her own private estate
upon the poet, only to be regarded as
ungrateful by his friends. She says her
claim is not new, that she employed
Judge Carrow six months ago to rep
resent her in the matter and recently
instructed him to bring suit.
II will prove case at the trial." she
said, that will satisfy the public that my
claim is genuine, and ] will prove further
that it was Waits desire and intention
that should be taken care Of"
Judge Carrow said that the case will
probably be tried at :the October term of
the Camden County Circuit Court.