Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-07-24
READS LIKE A ROMANCE.
A Peculiar and Interesting Brooke
County Case.

Recent Litigation at Wellsburg.
Children, Supposed to Be Poor, In
o Fair Way to Acquire Large
Sums Wrongfully Withheld from
Them-Flight of a Family.
The usually quiet town of Wellsburs
is somewhat excited over few events
which have transpired there during the
past few days.
The fact that the Circuit Court OF the
county rendered a verdict that reversed
q fortune, reward.ng the righifuI heirS
and causing the parties who had mis-
appropriated it to fee the country all
very much in the style OF the conYen-
tional novel, naturally caused COM
ment. and soon became the sole topic
Of conversation, as the parties concern
ed are all prominent We.19ouTg GU
zens.
About ten years ago David buchanan
and his two children, Leah and Cam
Ill lived in the West, near chicago
his wife having died several years De
fore He was wealthy and carried d
large life insurance policy. lie was
nreTering to 90 into business with
gentleman named Lacock, when he De-
c9me in and died. Instead oil MS pio-
nertv descending n It's proper chan-
oe,s according 20 the law OF a1hnlt!'
and becoming the property oil MS cAllu-
~ his mother came West ana was ap-
noi1red administrators Of her son eS-
tate However. instead Of holding me
nroner-y in trust for her two grand
children. she entrusted it to her Two
rsma ming sons. who managed TO lose II
in s7me manner. Soon after this they
also died. neither of them leaving d
heir TO inherit the large insurance poi
ic.ao which each OF them carried upon
their lives. and which naturally revert
ed 10 Their mother. Ii was supposed
that the money spent or lost by the two
sons and belonging to the estate OF Da-
vid Buchanan. would have been made
good from the money secured from the
companies by whom the policies had
ben issued, but the facts in the case IN
d.cate that this was not done.
Shortly after the death of her sen
David. Mrs. Buchanan came east with
her two grandchildren and made her
home in W5lsburg, the family consist
.ng OF Mrs Buchanan, her unmarried
daughter, Moilie, and her two grand
children. Lslah and Gamberill. They
lived happily together and all went well
until December of 1893 when Mrs.
Buchanan was taken seriously i'll and
died. On her death bed sac des -rOyed
q will that she had made some few years
previous. which divided her property
equally among her daughter and grand
children. and made new WI leaving
her property entirely to her daughter,
Miss MCllie. then a spins,er, being on
the shady side Of forty. she gave IS her
reason for doing so that Miss Nellie
was eco old 10 ever think of marrying
and that sho would look after Miss La-
lah and Master G2mberilIs interests.
But here the old lady vas evidently ms
taken, not remembering that one is
never TOO old TO resist Cupid's sly darts.
especially when the Cupid in this case
was also including in bis aim 10 hit the
several thousands OF dollars possessed
by the said Ms ,-C,lie, for Mrs Buch-
an2n had not we, been dead a year,
when Miss MClle became Mrs James
Miller. From that time en- the pathway
Of the grandchildren was not one of ro-
ses, and they were compelled tC aband-
on the Old homestead and so 10 board
at a hotel.
Things went on in this way until sew
er9l months ago when Miss Leiah PAID
yisi; 70 B1limore. Nd. While there
she met an old and beloved friend OF her
father. Naturally taking an interest IN
4ha welfare Of his friends children, ne
wss very much surprised 20 learn, AFTER
;roDir;rg from Miss Leah, the cohul-
,ton NJ the c,rcumstanc 9, that
NTcs I,elab was working in this city
~ helm support herself and her Orotner'
SIC told him Ter sac story, and ne m
r,.S;ate'v tod her that she was the VIC
i'm of some certain peculiar clrcuH .
stances and p.aced in her possession CeI :
IN foes and pro9fs, and told ner ol
30 - sorlv life and that Of her tather'
H. alw2ys had been kept secret
cror, nor He tod her at the time OF
bar fathers death, Mr.. Buchanan We,
,~enor:Dg TO form a partnership ana
bof =, his possession over S4O,O0O, De
80 carving a E2vy life lnsu- ance
policy -Duo,oror
Upon returning home, Miss BucAailnn
and her brother retained Attorney ",
p Hubbard and he searched the Iecol Us
end found the Baltimore gentleman
s-ory 10 be true. subsequently ne
brou2bta civil action against MIS-. James
Miller nee Buchanan, 10 render an ac-
counting and give over tn money r-ght-
fully belonging 10 his clients. and also
aDp,iad for an injunction resraln!ag
/ them from using MS ciients property.
Mr.. and Ms. Miller were not Gispos-
ed 10 give up without a fighJ, and they
! retained as their counsel II. c. Henry
| and j. c. Palmer & Son.
\ few Gays ago. seeing that things
were going against them the Millers
made efforts 10 ny and convert in5o
money whatever prop rty, goods and
cla:tels that they were able to sell, and
when the court rendered its verdict they
silently bio Wellsburg an adieu and left
Ter parts at the present time unknown.
However. it 5 reported that they are
now enjoying The solubious climate OF
the Dominion of Canada.
A certain prominent citizen of Wells
burg purchased q farm from Mr.. and
Mrs. Miller. and a few days before their
departure they told him i he would pay
W. they would give him large dis
count on the purchase price. $4,000. But
he had previously gotten tip from a
frined. who told him, perhaps he would
t-.- - -, ..,.in- q % -.nf1,-rd