The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-21
Letters to The Editor.
THE IsBELL ESTATE.
A Reply to MT. Parrish's Card on
 the Subject.
Editor The Advertiser:


 Editor The Advertiser:
 The card of Mir. 4. G. Parrish in your Tuesdays issue may be correct from his stand point, but it does not fairly pre- sent the point of view of the Presby- terian Church of this place in reference to the settlement of Captain R. H. Isbell's estate by Captain Armstrong as executor. Impelled by an imperious sense of duty the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian Church brought suit against the executors of Captain Arm. strong for an accounting and settlement of the Isbell estate with no purpose of refecting upon the intentions of Captain Armstrong, their contention being, that he failed to follow the law and his estate ought to bear. the loss.
 Captain IsbeIl in 1892 died testate, leav- ing a large estate then thought to be worth $200 900, and in his will he instruct ed Captain Armstrong to pay of ten bonds on Isbell College, the property of the First Presbyterian Church of Talla- dega. By the terms of the will-for the purpose of paying said bequest and his debts-Captain Isbell, converted his whole assets, real and personal. into person atty. Captain. Armstrong from Septem- ber 18th, 1892 until his death in 1901, ad- ministered upon the Isbell estate as solvent, and at his death left large real estate holdings unadministered upon. He never made any inventory or settlement of the Isbeli estate whatsoever, nor was a single claim filed in the proper Probate Court against the Isbell estate.
 After Captain Armstrong died. MT. A. G. Parrish, your correspondent wired the trustees they must pay up the Isbell College bonds in thirty days. The trus- tees asked for a Conference and to see the accounts of Captain Armstrong against the Isbell estate. The church, through its attorney, was notified that no conference was desired, and that. the accounts could be inspected after the same had been filed in court In view of the fact that the girls of this com lege for quite, fifty years, 1t did not seem the proper thing to do. to let its doors be closed without an effort. in. its behalf when Captain Isbell had provided for 1t and meant to make it a lasting testi- monial of his love for this community and a perpetuation of his family name.
 The Church-disclaming all desire to re- fleet on Captain Armstron's intentions contends that Captain Armstrengs estate should be charged with the value of the assets of the Isbeil estate as the same existed egihteen months after Captain Armstrong qualified {, as executor, and that said Isbell estate should not be charged an enormous sum-, to wit $30,000 as interest, taxes insurance and attorney fees on a property kept idle for nine years-which when new cost $350,000 and which if sold for $30OOO at the time the church contends it should have been sold. would have left the estate solvent. That 1t is not just to the church and to this community, to allow the executors of Captain Armstrong to credit the Isbell estate with only the pitifui sum of $15,- $50 for said valuable property, and as against said sum of $15,650 to charge back to the estate an item for accrued interest almost if not completely wiping out said sum so allowed.
 No recourse was left to the church except to appeal to the laws of the country. H. L. McElderry.