The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-14
Unique ana Sensational Case.

The trial just closed was unique and SEN
sational. The defendant is the wife Of
George w. Atkinson, Governor of West
Virginia. Had Mrs. Atkinson been con-
victed. she would have been liable to
sentence of five years in prison, from which
there would be no escape, except by the
clemency of her husband in whom as the
Governor, rests the pardoning power. Mrs
Atkinson was accused of forging the name
of her late husband. Judge Camden She
was at the time a rich woman. On June
"a she married Governor Atkinson. She
was already under indictment for forging
the name of her former husband The
specific acts charged against Mrs. Atkin-
son were the forgery of the name of the
late Judge G.. d. Camden to two receipts
given to j. 7. Owens and memoranda con-
cerning the sale of land to Owens by Judge
Camden. The receipts We're signed &c. d.
Camden, per Mrs. G. d. Camden" and the
defense was that Judge Camden was i'll and
that Mrs. Camden, now Mrs. Atkinson, was
authorized to sign the papers.
Even before her indictment Mrs. Atkin-
son was the most remarkable woman in
West Virginia. The Governor is her third
husband. AS q poor and obscure girl she
married in 1878 Dr Edward Davis a man
y
whisky one dark night and died. In 1888
the widow married Judge Gideon Draper
camden, the most prominent member or the
famous Camden family, that numbers SEN
ators, Governors and millionaires in its list
of notableS. She was then thirty-eight,
handsome, vivacious and lively-just the
Widower of SeVenty-tive, and that he was
attracted and that the widow was not with
out business sense are proved by mar
riage contract that gave her $l00e0 for
marrying him and caring for him in his
old age and also by the will that gave her
all of his estate except few five-hundred-
dollar legacies to his children and grand
children
A formal protest against the probating
OF the will was filed by Martha NJ. SOM
meIs, Dora Il. Ramsburg daughters of the
deceased and other relatives. This protest
was nled by their attorney, Nathan Goff.
now judge of the United States Circuit
Court. After a hearing the court ordered
that the instrument in question should be
recorded ,as the true last will and testa-
ment or q. ID. Camden, deceased. Subse-
quent litigation resulted in a compromise
whereby the widow was to receive $10S 900.
When the children of the judge regained
possession OF the estate they discovered
there had been considerable waste in he
outlying lands. One Joshua +. Owens of
Giimer county, they discovered had
and sold II to Scott Withers The Camden
heirs began suit against Withers for the
money and against Owens for trespass
In answer. Owens filed four receipts for
money in the handwriting of Myra II.
Camden, aggregaung about 81 500, in fun
payment for 2lS acres, the land on which
he had cut timber. The four receipts bore
the respective dates 1888 1884, 1885, 1856, but
g careful examination of the late Judge
Camden s papers disclosed no memorandum
OF such sales. nor did his bank books indi-
cate the receipt Of any such sums of money
An expert examination OF the receipts filed
by Owens disclosed, IL is claimed, that al
though the purported to be written az diff
ferent times, embracing a period of four
years, two OF them had in reality been writ
ten on two pieces OF the same sheet of
paper and at the same time, Judge Cam
dens children and grandchildren then laid
the matter before the grand jury and the
indictment Of Mrs. Atkinson followed.