Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-02-01
Gil APTER XVI.
Last WnuBa

That Pierce Bostock executed the
will and article of manumission before
leaving Mississippi, that he secreted
II In his house, forgot to take IL with
him, apparently forgot the fact that he
had done IL, and never mentioned it TO
anybody, were things that, to my mind,
were perfectly consistent with his con-
dition of mind otter the deed The
witnesses. Mr. Dorion said, were OBJ
scure white men of the vicinity II
was not necessary for them to know,
and they doubtless were not informed
as to the character of the instrument,
any more thun that it was last will and
testament, They were not men much
given to gossip, and MIR Bostock could
easily satisfy them not to mention the
circumstance Ills extreme caution in
secrcting the paper was u natural part
OF the terror and dread OF disclosures
about Coralic which possessed him
after the duel That the will was his
deliberate act appeared when it was
seen that he, not being lawyer, had
informed himself as to how to execute
II legally The proof was very strong
that his mind failed sadly after his re-
movul to La lourchc and when, the
evening" before he died, he was full OF
nnNicty to execute another paper, it is
not at all strange to me that he had
forgotten the one secreted in the old
Mississippi home
This is my theory But | should add
/ that lawyers have argued long and
learncdly over this branch OF the case,
/ unt Tint fuItra. h,ya ,vrIttan pninfons
sustaining II.
take from my closet file of the
| New Orleans Daily Picayune for the
| years ls5J-dO. In those fcyerish times
| little else but heated politics and the
] alarming condition of the nation was
seriously talked or read about, but
among the things of local interest most
often mentioned by the press of the
southern metropolis was the great suit
at law OF Coralie Jewett against Con-
| rad B1stock, involving the novel pre-
liminary question rs TO whether the
! plaintiff was free woman and en-
| titled to sue-and, after that, the title
to the La Fourchc plantation, its slaves
and belongings and all other property
left by the late Pierce Bostock
Could man give higher proof than |
lid OF faith IN the justice Of his cause?
Before the suit was begpn ! married
the woman who by the decision miyh.
be declared a slave!
have said that the law of Louisiana
was cruel to such as she. Let me
hasten to add that in the end IL gave
her full measure of justice,
The fight was bitter one and pro.
longed for more than two years. The
defendant was in possession and was
ably represented And brisk little MIR,
Garnett ON our side, had an oppor'
tunity to become acquainted with The
best lawyers Of Loui- lana
The reader will not require me to
give the details of this great legal con
test, lie can find them In the Missis
sippi and Louisiana reports of the time
So large a public interest is rarely
excited in civil cause. sympathy was
largely in our favor, the exceptions
being Of that class which could moi
bear the thought that a woman born a
slave should become the owner of one
of the finest plantations In the state,
But Cornlie's romantic story had won
the ardent people of that section 10
her support, and frequent proffers OF
material help in the struggle were
made TO us. The generous friendship
of MIR. Dorion enabled us TO thankfully
decline them.
In the last days of 1850 we were On,
, tirely successful. Courts and juries
J were with us. Possession was given
TO my wife the day before Christmas ei
!. tlAAk EnaEl.aEd AAsaA q halillax RAEnlxAl