The Savannah morning news., 1900-07-19

and Her Contest TOT an Estate-A
Y,.ottv Question Apparently Set
r.d by an Unexpected Visitor
c-opl,itc Supplies the Climax.
From the New York Sun.
=, uas A matter of comment among
~. old boys at the Ailanthus Club when
10 Josiah Marcellus did not appear
evening. Since the expiration of the
.riod of mourning for his wife the Judge
bod been most regular in his attendance,
.-o,irg himself something of an epicure,
crack hand at whist and not the first
- On home in the later hours when dig
,,,,, itself is prone to tip back It's chair
and touch the button for just one more.
mis- comment turned to concern when a
week passed and still the Judge remained
a.av. so much so that some of his asso-
cia+es we're constrained to break their
daily routine down town 20 the extent
of calling to inquire for his health.
The Judge himself put apprehensions at
rest by receiving them in his own proper
nerson: well preserved and rosy, with
ives bright behind gold-rimmed specta-
ciAs and little dabs of whisker nesting
cosiIy on his cheeks like white mice In
deed he never appeared better in his
Ufs there was a jauntiness TO his bear
inc a newness and style to his dress,
heretofore conventonally rusty and old
fashioned. which raised strange notions
in .he minds of his friends. His reticence,
too regarding his absence, tended to
strengthen these surmises. He was all
right he assured them, only a little pre-
occupied with some personal matters,
which. he feared, might interfere with his
leisure for considerable time
II was Eccles. the old bachelor lawyer
and beau Eccles, sharp-eyed and persist
ent in court and society, and the most
chronic gossip of them all, who solved the
mystery.
THE Judge is sweet on the widow" he
announced one night to the symposium,
sill mourning that gentleman's seclu-
sion
There was a note of incredulity in the
general inquiry. What widow" which
F,cclas felt it due to himself to squelch
al once II have seen them" he said
"out driving in the park, dining at the
Country Club and with heads together at
the opera: and you know how much of
that sort of thing he has done during the
past twenty years"
After a moments silence, again came
the inquiry, what widow?'' but now ask
ed in tones of grave. even sad conviction.
why the Widow Straner." replied the
triumphant Eccles. You might know that
only an up-and-up hummer could catch
the old Judge"
There was a chorus of praise, qualified
BY a growl regarding the superlative fol-
" Of age from the more indurated of the
old boys and then the question, why,
he bpp la n
he? tickled 'Eccles volubility.
Certainly" he answered. "Marcellus
e. Beavers have had the case from the
first Tried il at Circuit, reversed the ad-
verse Judgment in the Court of Appeals,
won a verdict on second trial, and are
now fighting tooth and nail our applica-
zion for a new trial on the ground of new
" discovered evidence. l tell you II the
widow lands a share of old Peter Ravens
millions she'll have one man to thank
for it and that's the Judge; while If she
loses. he may yet prove very snug and
competent consolation to her. All, whether
that woman is the fraud we say she is or
not she's a genius and il said that be
ing one she was bound to be the other
shouldn't be more than half Wrong"'
II was on the following day that Judge
Marcellus, all unknowing of the rather
cynical reflections of his cronies, called
Abe Croukite. the former detective in the
private Office and began to discuss conf
dentalv with him the details Of the very
litigation which had wrought such
change in his habits and hopes.
you may have heard began the old
lawyer, of the diverse and complicated
suit we are prosecuting against the Raven
estate on behalf of our client, Mrs. Julia
Straner ii is unnecessary for me 80 en-
Ter into all the Voluminous details; suffice
il 10 say that the crux of the whole mat
ter is whether or not she is the child of
old Peter Raven, born of marriage made
in the early sixties, when he was one OF
the pioneer miners of Colorado, and before
he discovered the famous Raven lode, the
source Of his vast wealth. We succeeded
in establishing her identity and legitimacy
by proof documentary, 10 be sure, but
which the most skilled experts We're I'M
able to impugn, and the matter was about
TO be equitably settled when Macron &
Eccles the attorneys for the defense,
served notice OF motion for new trial
on the ground of newly discovered evil
dence. the most significant of which is en-
bodied in this affidavit of Margaret Speer
lately of Sidney New South Wales, but
now Of s Culver street this city:
Miss Speer, il appears, is a spinster
81 years of age and the half-sister OF
Jane Speer, who was the first wife OF
Peter Raven. and, as we assert, the moth
CT OF Mrs Straner Miss Speer deposes
that she went to Australia nearly forty
years ago as governess, and only recent
~ learned of these proceedings, having
returned to this country a month since, in
utter ignorance of the fortunes of the
Ravens after her sisters death. Her
statement thus far. you see, corroborates
our poeition but she goes on and swears
mat She was in regular correspondence
with her sister for years and that the lat
yer IS letters, including one written in the
Iast week of her iife, were filled with
lamentations over her childless condition,
10 which she attributed the aversion of
her husband for her. Copies of these let
tefs are submitted, which. if genuine,
i1i.y bear out these allegations. DO you
comprehend the scope of this new evil
uence, Cronkite? 1t shows our client to
oe not only an imposter, but presumably
me forger Of the certificates of birth and
ntpIism adduced to prove her assertions.
ne whole story is impossible, villainously
impossible, but it must be met.
10 Is this Miss Speer. as she calls
Hrfseli, who must be discredited. unveil-
~ exposed; 1t is her precious letters
when must be proved to be the forgeries.
me time is fearfully short. although we
uaPe obtained a months adjournment on
tne ground of surprise and the illness
VI mfs Straner, who is naturally over
"nelmed by this sudden dashing of her
,uopes after she has endured so much.
lou must take this matter in hand, Cronk-
~ seek out this pretended Miss Sheer;
ta" her confidence; learn with whom she
hot oh, re rIaat k,aA