The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-14
A COLORED WOMAM'S CLAIMS
Maria Evans Wants Part of a
Physicians Estate.
The Amount Involved Is 800, OOO-she
Claims to be the Widow OF DIR. Henry
Laurence, OF Chicago, and Has En-
tered Suit for Dover Rights-Remark.
able Story OF Former Slave.

OF a slave has been brought out by the
filing OF suit called in Judge Bren-
tano's court to-day. Maria Evans, or
Laurence, negress, the plaintiff, is
fighting for dover rights in the estate
OF DR.. Henry Laurence, as his widow.
Her suit is opposed by DR.. Henry Lau-
renee, Of Oakwoods boulevard, and
twenty other relatives of DR.. Henry
Laurence, who died in 1891.
They set up the contention that the
complainant was not the lawful wife of
their dead relative. The amount in
volved in the litigation reaches the sum
OF 100000. the property Left by DR..
Laurence who died intessate and child
less. The widows dover is two-thirds
OF the whole estate.
Maria Evans Laurence, the complain
ant in the suit, still preserves the
oomeliness which gained her freedom,
and she claims two white husbands,
both OF whom we're men of learning and
possessed OF means. Her kinked hair,
long for one OF her race, Ia whitened,
her face Ia scanned with the burrows of
time, but her carriage is erect, her step
Is light and her eyes lustrous.
Tho first chapter of the romance of
L
old, in the slave market Of Yazoo, Miss.
young clerk, John H. Evans, who
came OF an old and prominent Virginia
family, saw her there and fell in love
with her. He made a vow that he
would secure her freedom and then
marry her. He had no money with
which to buy her freedom. but set about
to earn and save it. 1t took him seven
years to do it; but he was true to his
dark skinned sweetheart, who, in the
meantime, had been sold and taken to
Kentucky.
Evans followed her there and in 1s4s
paid 81, COO to her master, brought her
to Cincinnati, where he gave her liberty,
and 1t IL alleged, made her his wife.
They retired TO Yazoo, where he con-
tinued In business. Shortly after NOV.
Ing to the place she made the scquaint.
ance OF Henry Laurance, a young
Englishman, who became O frequent
visitor at the Evans home. He was an
abolitionist and later lefs Yazoo and
came to live in Chicago.
Jues before the war broke out Evans
and his wife went to live in New Or
leans. In 1861 they received letter
from Laurence. who was not prospecting
In Chicago, and he was advised by them
to move to New Orleans, which he did,
Lac NVans couple conducted boarding
honse on Canal street in that city. In
1865 Evsns died. DR.. Laurence WAS
living with them and he fell in love
with the widow. Two years af.er the
death of Evans there WAS another
epoch in the life OF the Mississippi
slave.
From then she called herself the
wife of DR.. Henry Laurence. Whether
she was, is the question which will be-
determined by the court in the trial
which is to be begun to-day. She claims
that 1t WAS only q common law m arrisge,
by which both consented to live together
as man and wife until death parted
them and this contract YVES faithfully
carried out by them both. For twenty
two years she says she was 3 wife to
Henry Laurence and closed his eyes
when death finally separated them.
The couple came to Chicago in 1877,
and lived in q house which DR.. Laurence
bought. The defense to the SUIT Is that
tho former slave was no. the wife of DR..
Laurence, but his servant, and that no
marriage contract existed between
them.