The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-04

the hallowed precincts of old Cambridge
and received this honored degree from
the college authorities.
The briefest of all the presidential wills
in the vaults of the district of Columbia
is that of James Monroe. He had but lit
tie to give, and he gave it without the use
of any unnecessary language. II contains
but 100 words He gave $4,000 to each of
his daughters. Elizabeth and Maria, and
his works on which he was engaged at the
time Of his death TO his son-in-law. The
will was made in New York, and had one
witness who resided there, and one whose
home was in Washington.
One of the most Temarkabl testaments
that one finds stored away in the dusty
archives is that of Thaddeus Kosciusko,
the Polish patriot. His original will,
which was executed when he sailed from
America at the close of the revolution, is
deposited here 1t is very brief docu-
ment, and shows how thoroughly he was
imbued with love of freedom II names
Thomas jefferson as executor and directs
that all his property in America should
be sold at his death and the property APP
piled to the purchase and the liberation
of slaves in his name. He also wished
that they should be given instructions in
the trades and otherwise, and in the man
ner to properly conduct themselves as
moral and upright citizens.
There was a proviso in this document
that all this should be done unless he
should make other disposition of his prop
erty before his death. AS a matter of
fact he did make two other wills, and his
will which he left in America at his sail
ing away for Europe in 1898 became the
subject of a hot legal contest. In 1906 he
made a codicil TO this in Paris by which
he bequeathed 300 to friend Later
he wrote will at at Soleur, in Switzer-
land, which seems to have been the result
of his friendship for certain family
with which he came frequently in CON
tact, and from whom he received many
assurances of regard. This instrument
was written in French, and an exact
copy in that language is on file in the
registrars Office. There was much diff
Guilty in establishing the legality of this
document, as the laws of France differ
from ours on those matters. When the
instrument was executed Kosciusko was
a legal resident of Berville, This last
will gave $1,000 to his executor, a French
man, and 10000 francs each to the two
lonely daughters of Pierre Joseph Eel
beur.
The will of Dolly p. Madison, the wife
of the president, who reigned as Wash
ington first social queen, is stored away
with the documents for the year 1s49 DR.
M. j. Grifith, the deputy registrar, said
that she must have been very sick when
she signed it, for her signature is very
feeble, She has 800, 600 to give away the
amount which congress had appropriated
for the purpose Of her hus bands papers
One-haf of this she gave to her son,
John Payne Todd, by her former husband,
and the other half to her adopted daugh-
ter. This sum stood invested at the time
of her death in the name of James Buch-
anan, who atterward became president OF
the United States.
The last will and testament of Chief
Justice Salmon p. Chase is a bright and
shining example of the saying that law
yers make poor wills for themselves. His
will is brief and to the point, but it was
defective because it devised certain real
estate in the District of Columbia and
had but two witnesses The law demands
that there shall be three witnesses. He
had followed according to the Ohio law,
which required but two witnesses. This
called forth the remark from the most
celebrated wit before the district bar at
the time that there was high law,
higher law, and an O-high-o law.
In more modern times there is will
which is a curio, because il was written
by chief OF cranks. This is the will Of
Charles J. Guiteau. Smith Thompson,
Jr., who knows all about these curious
documents, and can put his hand upon
any will you are pleased 10 name from
1900 TO the present time, dived in among
the papers and brought it out 1t is writ
ten in scrawling hand, which is legible,
but judging from the signature was not
written by Guiteau himself 1t directs
that his body be given TO Rev. William
w. Hicks, who minstered to him sprtu-
ally while he was under sentence of
death. The mortal fear that possessed
him lest his earthly tabernacle should be
used for mercenary purposes runs through
every line of his remarkable will. He
had no property TO dispose of except GER
tain manuscripts for his book, entitled
The Truth and the Removal" This he
devised 10 the Rev. Mr.. Hicks, with the
direction that a truthful history of his
life should be written, to be called The
Life and Works Of Charles Guiteau."
He further provides that if any person
should wish to honor his remains, they
might do so by a monument on which
should be inscribed the words Here lies
the body Of Charles Guiteau patriot and
Christian. His soul is in glory" Gui-
teau's sister, Mrs Frances M SEQ
vile, afterward took steps TO contest this
will, but the suit seems TO have been aban-
dOnpd