Evening journal., 1900-05-07
Discovered in Secret Drawer
Of an Ancient Desk
HAD BEEN DRAWN l24 YEARSACO
And Placed by its Writer, in a Secret
Receptacle, Where il was
Recently Found

After having IAN IOr one nuhuleu /
and twenty-four years undiscovered, a /
musty will, made by one Of the best
known families of the state, the Lou
dens, Of Christiana, was discovered
yesterday by James Devln in a desk in
his antique shop, on Pine street, Phila-
delphia.
The desk. which Is black with the
blackness that can only be given to
walnut by age, was purchased a few
days ago from the old Josiah Louden
homestead.
RARE OLD COLONIAL PIECE.
There was fast and high bidding for
the rare old colonial piece. Several
millionaire collectors from Philadel- |
phia and New York were present but
the heirloom was at last knocked down
to the Pine street dealer The piece
changed hands, and lbs history, so far
as any connection with the Louden
family IS concerned was ended for
ever Il had been brought from Not
tingham, England. in the late years OF
the seventeenth century. when John
I.ouden the father of the American
branch of the family, came to America
and settled in what was then Penn's
territory.
The auctoneer I'm soliciting bids for
the desk. displayed the marvellous intri-
cacies of its system OF secret drawers.
There were panels which could be
drawn back. displaying rows OF pigeon
holes hitherto unsupported The sim
pie pressing OF a spring would disclose
false bottom. TO the casual OBJ
rsftt
merely specimens OF good cabinet maxi
ing. but to the initiated they only hid
the many secret places into which
strange fingers were not supposed to
pry. The aucdoneer explained the
mechanism of all of them which ne
anew.
WILL WRITTEN IN 1776.
When the desk was taken to Phila-
delphia the dealer began his renova-
tion. The big top was lifted off and
the heavy back panels were taken
away. In one of the compartments he
found that the division piece was loose
He gave q gentle pull, and to his sur
prise the piece pulled out. Attached 70
II was a shallow drawer in which lay a
dry. dusty, legal document. IL had evil
IDENTIFY been untouched since the day of
its writing. In March. 1916.
WILL OF ESTHER BROWN.
Neither the heirs, who had probably
searched IN vain for the missing WILL
nor the researches Of the many antique
dealers who had examined the desk,
had come upon the mystery of that
sliding panel.
The will was somewhat fllmsy, and
rs creases were beginning to wear
through. but the writing was as clear
as the day en- which the testator,
weak in body. but OF sound mind aud
perfect memory" willed her worldly
goods to those who We're nearest to her.
She was Esther Brown. The last OF
her descendants and the only represen-
tatives OF the old Lcuden family have
died within the past five years. John
Iouden died in 1895 and his brother,
Josiah just three months ago. Neither
was married By a will of Josiah all
the Louden property was bequeathed
to his first cousin, Laura Baldwin. who
is now living at No 1902 Green street.
Philadelphia.
The sale OF the old family furniture
and homestead was for her benefit. She
has in her possession the Bible, on
whose blank pages have been written
the births, deaths and marriages OF the
Louden family. From those records
Esther Browns relation TO the Loudens
can easily be traced Josiah and John
were the sons Of jeremiah, who was
the son Of Rachel Brown and John
LOuden. The last two are the "daugh-
ter Rachel" and beloved sOn-in-law'
mentioned in the viii.
An examination Of the records in the
register OF wills Office, I'm this city,
showed that no viii of Esther Brown
had ever been probated.
The colonial dame, who at the time
the viii was made was between 20 and
so years cid. probably hid the docu.
ment in the drawer. whose secret was
known 10 her only, and died before di.
vulging its hiding place
On her death her money and estates
were divided by the state. Being
woman of a beautiful disposition an,
never having incurred the enmity o
any members OF her family, the admin
istration made by the state was almos
the same as that directed by her will
Her descendants all made wills whicl
were found and probated. AS IL wa
customary In those days for every ma
and woman to dispose OF property Il
the approved legal fashion the oil
ladys supposed failure TO make a wi
has always been a matter CT conjee
tpre among the members OF the Loude
family.
OLD LOUDEN HOMESTEAD
The homestead in Christiana.
which Miss Baldwin and her two bach
eior cousins lived until Josiah's dealt
Is the Oldest hOtise in that section {
the country. The architecture of N
main building is distinctly colonia
but several wings have been ad1e
which bear the imprint Of later buils
ing On ons end OF the house blac
xazed bricks are inlaid. forming II
t.atc 1871
A thoueand acres or ground forme
the original estate. but the growth
fne quaint little village has reduce
tbis considerably The house is batter
~ ard decayed but rrii o5arc a mar
o colonial grandeur. Nearby. undt
.|.1.Hf. MI. IIat