Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-12
A SECRET M0NEY-BOX
CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE)
commit herself to anything specific it

"Why. you surely remember how old
you were in 1857
ASK her how old she H. now; there Is
no objection to that" said Mr.. Thorn.
Then" laughed Mr. Wise. Il will ask
you that question, Mrs. Massey
ayes; ] am So
DO you remember that in 1868 you got
your share Of your fathers little estate?'
IL don't remember"
.Why YOU have heard these papers
read. showing n division OF the estate.
MY brother may have received IT. i
had and then had implicit confidence IN
him.
The witness did not remember having
received any statement from any guar
dian or other person In connection WIN
her fathers estate. She could not pre-
sumo that her brothers loved her any
more than they did their other sisters,
bnt said that she was their youngest
sister. o.o
"They seemed TO have loved you s2,90
more" laughed Mr.. Wise
Counsel cross-examined Mrs. Massey
concerning the secret drawer, ana asked
II she saw the money in II at the Tune
when her husbands grandchlid was
charity student at Miller School upon
Mr.. Massey's affidavit. She said she did
not know about this.
Mr. Wise, after some further question:
ing OF the witness, told Mrs. Massey
that he was through with her. and that
he very much regretted the necessity OF
asking her some unpleasant questions.
There was then a little connection in the
courtroom, and Mrs Massey retired.
MIR. MASSEY CALLED.
Call John Il. Massey" said Mr.. Nicely
for the plaintiff, and the gray-haired Sl-
perintendent of Public instruction APP
preached the clerk and was sworn he
upon being Intercepted by Mr. Nicely
said that he was the plaintiff In thls
cause. and was also Superintendent OF
public Instruction of Virginia. He had
held this office about five and a nan
wears. having been elected to that POSI-
ton in the fall Of 1889
"Mr Massey. tell this jury whether or
not since you have been superintendent
of Public instruction you have ever re-
ceived any pecuniary compensation from
any one for anything you DID as a mem
Der of the State Board of Education Ui
which YOU are member" said MI
Nicely.
MIR. Massey spoke with great emphasis
and precision In reply, saying that he had
never since he had been member OF the
Board of Education of Virginia received
one penny OF pecunary compensation lot
any one of his official acts. As TO MS
Ash Lawn"-Farm transfer 10 his brother'
Mr. Massey said that prior TO the war
he was I'm good circumstances; that when
the war closed II left him very destitute
as compared with his previous circum-
stances. He had paid $1,000 In cash In
Confederate money as part payment on
the ash Lawn farm, for which he was
TO nav $4,000 At the end of the war
the balance and interest left him owing
about $4,000 on the property. lie sold
another farm for $1,000, and then paid
II on the cash Lawn farm. He made
good crops just then and paid more on
the latter farm, leaving him owing about
$500 on IT, Just here Mr.. Massey spoke
with great emotion Of his present defec-
tive memory, saying that the Pilot article
had nearly paralyzed his mind. and caused
him 10 be unable to collect with any de-
gree Of accuracy his impressions upon
matters OF the past. He appealed To the
court TO be borne with. If his memory,
which was usually good, should now APP
pear to be bad.
Continuing his narrative, Mr.. Massey
said that his entire indebtedness after the
events above mentioned was $1,000. He
then told the history Of his brother. also
a minister, and concluded by saying that
when his brother came to Virginia TO at
tend the funeral of their father. he q. T..
difficulties. and the brother agreed that II
he would deed him the ash Lawn" farm.
he the brother) would assume all Of his
(witness's) debts. one Of the stipulatons
was that witness would stay on the farm
and apply the proceeds from the same TO
the payment OF the debts, and these pro-
ceeds, with money furnished by the
brother. paid the debts. The deed OF 1872
transferring the farm 10 the brother. was
IL \ 80
brother transferring the Ash Lawn
farm back to Mr.. Massey was also put
in evidence.
THE SURETY SUIT.
Mr.. Massey here narrated the circum-
stances of the suit brought against him
as surety on the bond of an administrator
(Williams). In which case judgment was
given against him. He said that he and
Mr.. Spence were sureties on the bond OF
Dr. Williams, said administrator, and Mr.
Massey's position was that DR.. Williams
paid for the support and education Of the
infant children in the case N,OD more
than he (Wiiliams) received from the
estate OF the father of the children. Mr..
Massey said he found this TO be "A fact
by going over all the vouchers In the case.
Later on, during the war, these vouchers
were destroyed by fire. The children
liams's bondsmen the money that had
gone into the hands of DR. Williams as
administrator. They got judgment
against Mr.. Massey and Mr.. Spence be-
cause. Mr.. Massey contends, DR.. Will
liams himself. as administrator. paid out.
for the benefit Of these children, the trust
money he had Of theirs. when under the
law he should have paid 1t over TO a Ie-
gaily appointed guardian Of the children,
and let that guardian pay for the support
and education of said children. Mr..
Massey went on to say that he knew
that these children once received from
DR.. Williams, as administrator the
money left by their father. He Massey
should not again pay 1T, and he has all
along refused TO pay, Notwithstanding the
judgments secured against him on the
technical point indicated.
WHY CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT
After explaining this matter (of which
the above is the substance), Mr.. Massey
said this determination Of his not TO pay
that Judgment FOR which he did not feel
morally bound, accounts for what might
seem to be a peculiar way OF conducting
his financial affairs-that depositing
money on certificates OF deposit. etc. He
had done this. he said, so that his money
might not be subject to executions under
the judgment from Rockingham county
referred TO above.
In regard to the statement In the Pilot
article that he was hopelessly insolvent,
he referred TO the Inconsistency dn his
Judgment of that statement Of the Pilot,
when I'm the same article the Pilot had
said that he (Iassey) was In possession
Of a valuable estate (Ash Lawn.
Mr.. Massey was asked about his finan-
| cial condition for the past twenty years.
| In ansXerinR this he WANTED to use q