Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-02-15

their demand for 100000 900 against
the bank Of England is alleged to be
an old bank book which has been mys-
teriously passed down from William
Penn, who concealed this great fort
n from history in some way. This
bank book is declared to be wrong
fully in the possession of Stephen
Penn.
One of the Penn family said Stephen
was in London and was a broker. He
is accused of having obtained wrong
ful possession of the bank book in 1871,
and to have wrongfully drawn $500, 900
interest on the deposit since, that time.
He obtained the book from Mary won.
a Penn who married 4 Frenchman of
that name, and at her death in 1871
the book should have come to Eliza
Penn, of Elizabeth. \. J., though by
what process of law claimants do not
pretend to explain.
Fol- want of such details in the story
William asserted hat his lawyers
wouldn't-and you know no good law
yerS would-tell all that was being
done" and when asked about the adj
dress and business of Stephen Penn,
IN London. William Penn said: That's
what I do not want to tell"
The only other piece of evidence
which William Penn puts forward as a
basis of their claim is a curious old
book, which speaks its own genuine
ness, having been written by William
Penn while imprisoned in the Tower
Of London. The possession Of this
book is alleged to be necessary to
prove the real descendants of Penn.
The book is said to have been carried
to London several times in connection
with the litigation against the bank
Of England, and to compel Stephen
Penn to account for the wrongly taken
interest. The fact that such heavy
litigation could have escaped publicity
did not to diSabuse the minds
of the Penn heirs. When this was
suggested to them, they said that the
matter had been worked along very
quietly. They mention among other
things that their New York lawyer,
who could not be found, had been
obliged to come all the way back to
Washington after his first trip to Lon
don, because he must get papers from
! the secretary of state in order to en-
title him to pursue the fortune in Lon
I don.
The old Penn book, entitled, mo
Cross, No Crown" though guarded
with jealous care by it's present pos
SCISSOR, William Penn, under advice
from his counsel mot to let the other
, side get to know his case" was shown
to a reporter. Its owner had been
offered 500 for it. There was only
n place that it ought to &C. he said,
and that was to Pennsylvania. Glad
dened to hear his inherited Partially
for Pennsylvania the reporter suggest
ed that he should present it to the
Pennsylvania Historical society.
Mr.. Penn seemed to take kindly to
the idea that the historical society
ought to have it and admitted with
evident reluctance that it could be
bought for enough money. Mr.. Penn
could not" let the reporter copy out
the queer old passages in the middle
of the book, because Of the caution
of his New York lawyers, but con
scented to allow a part of the preface
to be copied, as agreed with the sug-
geStion that that could do his cause no
harm. He held the lamp hard by
while the reporter took a few quaint
passages from the old book, and re
fused even to go to his supper while
tho uyn,I- xrar hnirD Iano Tln JaoJ-
is about an inch and a half thick, six
inches long, by four inches wide. It is
marked Printed and sold by Andrew
Sowle ammo 1882 and PENIS prefs. e
is dated "Worminghurst in Suffex the
LIST of the 9th month 1892" 1t is GOV.
cred with heavy calfskin and is in
an excellent state of preservation for
a book 211 years old. Every line can
I be read. The whole is dedicated to the
task of upholding "virtue and temper
ance' and the twenty-five chapters
contain quotations from the writings
Of a hundred or more authors in every
age of literature. The preface reads in
part as follows:
Reader, the great business of mans
life is to answer the end for which
he lives, and this is to glorify God and
save his own soul. This is the decree
Of heaven as old as the world. But
so it IS that a mindeth nothing less
than what he should most MIND and
despiseth to inquire into his own mind,
its original duty and end, choosing
rather to dedicate his days (the steps
he should make to b~lessedness) to graft
fly the pride, avarice and luxury of
his heart, as IT he had been born for
himself, or rather given himself be
ing, and so not subject to the reckon
ing and judgment of a superior power.
To this wild and lamentable pass hath
/ poor man brought himself by his dis
! obedience to the law of God In his
heart by doing that which he knows
he should not do and leaving undOne
that which he knows he should do.
And as long as this disease %continu-
i eth upon man, he will make God his
enemy and himself incapable Of love
and salvation that he has manifested
/ by his own Christ Jesus to the world.
IF, reader, thou art such an one, my
counsel to thee is to retire into myself
and take a view of the condition of
hty soul, for Christ will give thee light
with which to do it. Search carefully
and thoroughly, thy life is upon it,
thy soul is at stake. = = Christ's
cross is Christs way to Christ's crown
This is the subject OF the following