The evening times., 1895-09-27
'HUIIM6 FOa THE IERs'
laHysIs Gradually Uaravslias the
Mccaifery Will Case.
SOME OF THEM LIVE HERE
He Wana Canal Boatman and Left
Several Sets OF Children-dade an
Enormous Fortnne in the West.
GeorgetownF People Who win Come
in for n Shsre,I

in for " 8haretI
Testimony has been taken within the past
few days in this city ead Philadelphia to
establish various facts in the Mccaffery
| Will case, whichis probably one OF the most
| interesting and antficate, and may become
one of the most celebrated, viii cases of
this country. 1t centers In Chicago. but has
| ramificatlons Throughout Maryland and
| other States.
For the last fifteen months attorneys and
| others Interested have been ransacking all
| the corners OF many of the States of the
| Union as well as parts of England, Scotland
| and Ireland, for informa ton To complete the
history of the family and descendants Of
| John McCaffery, who recently died a semi
millionaire in Chicago.
john AcCaffery was born In Ireland in
| 1908, of humble parentage. After drifting
| around for some time he married pretty
| young Mary Dawson, then only fifteen
| years OF age, Gretna Green. renowned for
! the romantic marriages of clipping couples.
| Three children were born of this union be
| fore they reached dAmerica-wil!iam. Nancy
| and James.
CAME HERE AN IMMIGRANT.
| Ee...,Ns u:i,pc,,cd TO look for empio yment.
| McCafIery. at-th he a.,e ef about 80, came TO
the New World, leaving his wife and cbil-
| drcn on the other side OF the sea. Having
! found employment as contractor on the
| Erie canal and also on the Erie Railroad,
| he frtlu.sted brother to bring over his
| wife and Children. one OF whom, however,
| Nancy, lay sick of fever, and was ncccs-
sarily left behind.
With her other children Mrs AcCaffery
/ came TO this country and located first at
| Eimira and then at Corning, N. Y. One
| OF these children. James, died. second
| one named in his memory also succumbed
te death and both were buried at Einra-
| The son William became lame from the
kick of a horse, and later in a personal en-
| counter with some one received a severe cut
on his forehead, which left lasting scar.
He was boatman for some years with his
father on the canal. and then suddenly dis
appeared.
| 1t was supposed at first that he had
| been stolen, but IN the light OF recent
! investigation 1t has been conciusively y
| proved that, being OF a rowing character, he
shifted from place to place, but finally en-
| barked on an Old steam barge, which, while
| plying on it's way betw tween Philadelphia and
| Washington. was caught in a gale in s62
| after leaving Chesapeake City and was
| sunk within the very sight of the keeper
| Of the lighthouse at Point Lookout, Chcsa-
pea ke Bay. near the mouth of the Potomac.
PRosPERED AS A BoATMAN.
| John McCaffery. the father, with his
family. located at Corning. and for years
tney resided there, lie plying b is vocation as
a boatnian along the Erie canal. and also
| at tines contra ctor on the Erie Railroad
Frequent trips were made between Buffalo
and New York, and finally. after arfuous
efforts, he succceded In getting together sui
! ficient to build himself two boats, which
were called the, L. >. Phelps and the II. G
| Phelps.
-Four more children were born to the
| couple in this country. of whom two are
| buried in the church yard at Elnlira.
| Sarah, one of the daughters. who E:srrisj
in Georgeto wn, also died Among her de-
scendents are John and James Seaman,
| of Georgcto wn, and Mrs. Anna N. Wheian,
| of Baltimore. Napcy. who married in Ire
| land, subsequently enigrated 10 Philadel-
| phia. and died there. The ren,a inisy
| children of this first marriage were Susan,
now Mrs. Brown Austin. OF McKeesport
Pa. and Margaret, now Mrs. shipIey, oi
| Hagerstown. ~
| In184S John McCa fiery. his wife and fam
| lily. made their fiiiai trip 10 New York on
| his canal boat They separate IL ~ al
legged, after a quarrel. Mrs. McCaffery
| going to the little towu of s,arkey. near
| the borders OF Lake Seneca, in the State
! of New York. II was testified that Mrs.
| McCaffcry did not see nor attempt to
see anything OF any of her children again
| nor hear anything of her former husband
until about six months after the death of
! John McCaffery in Chicago in June. 1894,
after which she appeared and claimed an
| interest in his property.
THE SECOND WIFE.
After John McCafrery and his wife sepa-
| rated in the harbor Of New York. it is SUP
! posed he went with his boats to the Dismal
| Swamp Canal and traded edthereforsometime
| and took unto himself 4 second wife, whose
maiden name was Douglas. and who was an
English woman, and by her had several chill
dren, one of whom was named Marian and
another Henry N. Douglas Mccaffery.
His second wife and her children and also
the children OF his first wife he domiciled
in an unpretentious dwelling on the banks OF
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. near Alex
| aDdria, Va, between which place and Cum
beriand he was accustomed to ply in the
early fifties on his canal boat. as trader.
In midwinter, with the snow on tn e ground
and cut off from all neal by help, his second
wife was burned to death in the flames
which resulted from the explosion of an oil
can, and their little daughter Marian also re-
| ceived a severe burn upon the right arm,
which she retains to this day, and whicf ,
the proceedings now pending was pro, ed
and by which she was identified by witnesses
who were present at the fire.
The second wife left a prayer book which
has played some part in the Identification,
and pedigree OF one branch Of the McCaffery
family. John -McCaffery also had family
Bible, leaf Of wiiics. Is still preserved to
show the record OF the births and deaths of
the children by his first wife. the original of
which is now still the subject OF search.
SCATTERING OF THE FAMILY.
After the fire the children by the first
wife were placed at school for several years
in Alexandria and subsequently in WASH
ingtOn with estimable people. Rebecca
Shepard, who was in the employ of John
AcCaffery, to take charge Of his canal
boat as cook and nurse for his children,
went, with Marian and Henry, children of
the second wife, to Hancock, Nd, where
Marian was taken In charge by kindly
disposed old lady, Mrs. Eliza Rhinehart,
still living 10. Hancock, and subsequently
adopted by Mrs.. Susan cosdy, who also is
still alive. ~
Henry was taken In charge of by James
r. Smith, in West Virginia, and died in in
fancy, the fact Of bis death and the in