The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-04-21
CH APTER XVI.
LAST WORDS.

III NJ <A<A A.
LAST WORDS.
That Pierce Bostocls executed the
will and article of manumission before
leaving Mississippi, that he secreted
it in his house, forgot to take it with
him, apparently forgot the fact that he
had done it, and never mentioned it to
anybody, were things that, to my mind.
were perfectly consistent with his con-
dition of mind after the deed. The
witnesses, Mr.. Dorion said, were OBJ
scure white men of the vicinity. 1t
was not necessary for them to know,
and they doubtless were not informed
as to the character of the instrument,
any more than that it was a last will and
testament. They were not men much
given to gossip, and Mr.. Bostock could
easily satisfy them not to mention the
circumstance. His extreme caution in
secreting the paper was natural part
of the terror and dread of disclosures
about Coralie which possessed him
after the duel. That the will was his
deliberate act appeared when it was
seen that he, not being lawyer, had
informed himself as to how to execute
it legally The proof was very strong
that his mind failed sadly after his re-
moval to La Fourche, and when, the
evening before he died, he was full of
anxiety to execute another paper, it is
not at all strange to me that he had
forgotten the one secreted in the old
Mississippi home.
This is my theory. But should add
that lawyers have argued long and
learnedly over this branch of the case,
and that judges have written opinions
sustaining it.
| take from my closet file of the
New Orleans Daily Picayune for the
years lS59.60. In those feverish times
little else but heated politics and the
alarming condition of the nation was
arong the things of local interest most
often mentioned by the press of the
southern metropolis was the great suit
at law of Coralie Jewett against Con-
rad Bostoclx, involving the novel pre-
liminary question as to whether the
plaintiff was free woman and en-
titled to sue-and, after that, the title
to the La Fourche plantation, it's slaves
and belongings and all other property
left by the late Pierce Bostocll.
Could man give higher proof than
did of faith in the justice of his cause?
Before the suit was begun | married
the woman who by the decision might
be declared slave!
have said that the law of Louisiana
was cruel to such as she. Let me
Lasten to add that in the end it gave
her full measure of justice.
The fight was q bitter one and pro-
longed for more than two years. The
defendant was in possession and was
ably represented. And brisk little Mr..
Garnett, on our side, had an oppor-
tunity to become acquainted with the
"best lawyers of Louisiana"
The reader will not require me to
give the details of this great legal con-
test. lie can find them in the Missis-
sippi and Louisiana reports of the time.
So large a public interest is rarely
excited in civil cause. sympathy was
largely in our favor, the exceptions
being of that class which could not
bear the thought that a woman born a
slave should become the owner of one
of the finest plantations in the state.
But Coralie's romantic story had won
the ardent people of that section to
her support, and frequent proffers OF
material help in the struggle were
made to us. The generous friendship
of Mr.. Dorion enabled us to thankfully
decline them.
In the last days of 1860 we were en-
tirely successful Courts and juries
were with us. Possession was given
to my wife the day before Christmas of
that year; and such holiday carnival
Gs was given to our overioyed and af'