The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-28
A STRANGE STORY.
Complicated Fight over Valuable
Macon Real Estate.


Macon Real Estate.
From the Macon Gal Evening News.
Suit was filed in the superior court yes
terday afternoon by John Maloy to recov-
err certain property in Bibb and Jones coun-
ties and on Cotton avenue from his sis
ter, Mrs Celia Graham. The petition
also asks that Mrs. Graham be restrained
from using or transferring the property
which was granted temporarily by Judge
TeIton and June set for the hearing,
The petition alleges that Maloy went 10
ireland leaving a considerable amount of
property with his sister, who, at that
time. was unmarried. In order that she
might sell the property for him he gave
her deeds to il and went to Ireland. Since
then he has only receives $500 from her,
although she has collected rents to the
amount of $1,000. Maloy also alleges that
large amounts of property have been ae-
quired with the rents so collected.
Behind the petition there is a story of
much interest that is in no way alluded to
in the petition. This story, as told TO a
News reporter, is Vouched for by gem
tleman who is familiar with the family.
At the breaking out of the war the
three Sweeney brothers, who are brothers
of Mrs. Maloy, owned considerable prop
=
states government would confscate the
property, as they did not enter the con-
federate army, and in order to protect the
property, decided It to their sister, who,
at that time, was a Mrs. Burke, whose
husband, John D. Burke, was In the con-
federate army The Sweeneys then left
Macon, and remained away UNI
till after the war. In the
meantime Burke came home from
the war but had only been here a short
while when he was killed on Mulberry
street. When the Sweeneys returned TO
Macon year or so later Mrs. Burke had
married Maloy, and according to the laws
of Georgia at that time, by reason of
such marriage half of the property be-
came his. The property. however. actu-
ally belonged to the Sweeneys, they hav-
ing simply given their sister the deeds
in order to prevent its seizure by the con-
federate states government When the
Sweeneys demanded the return of the
property, Maloy refused to give it and
bitter feelings were engendered between
him and the Sweeneys. He and his wife
also failed to get along smoothly togeth-
err and had a division of the property.
Maloy converted as much of his property
as possible into cash, and left for Ire
land with $1,000 cool cash in his pockets.
That portion of his property that he
could not dispose of he left with his sis
in the state lunatic asylum
A number of years later Miles Sweeney,
who was the only surviving brother and
who had never given up his claim on the
property that he and his brothers had
decided TO their sister, Mrs. Aialoy, went
to Ireland for the purpose of recovering
that portion of it that Maloy had invest
ed over there but being without witnesses
or anything to establish his claim he was
unsuccessful and returned 10 this coun-
try a few years ago. Since then he has
tried to recover that portion of the prop
erty held by Mrs. Maloy and this case has
been in the courts for sometime.
A year or two ago Mrs. Maloy was
tried on a writ of lunacy and adjudged
insane, but she had many friends who
claimed that she was not insane and an
other trial was secured. At this trial the
jury declared her to be of sound mind.
The whole affair was resting in this shape
until about two months ago. Maloy to
the great surprise of all, showed up. He
now claims the property he left behind
with his sister. He has never been di-
vorced from his wife although they were
separated for more than a quarter of a
century, but so far as learned there has
been no reconciliation between them since
his return. She is in very feeble health.