The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-10-13
BETHESDA'S HISTORY.
Continued from Seventh Page.

Continued from Seventh Page.
His explanations proved satisfactory
temporarily, but suspicious were later
again aroused as to the accuracy of
his accounting. Between 5000 and 5000
pounds had been RENTED to him, in
Guiding the expenses going out with the
students. six and twenty hundred
pounds was expended in buying slaves"
wrote Lady Huntingdon, which, unit
ed with the orphan house slaves, made
near four score, sufficient for a large
estate. And after these were put upon
my own estate, there was upon change
in Bristol an offer of G1,100 sterling
yearly to be paid to me. After this
six years passed without a single line
or scrap of paper, or any account
whatever He then, without leave, sold
five and forty slaves to a great amount
and took the bonds for the money in
his own name. I have every reason
to apprehend the worst from Mr..
Piercy's conduct"
Piercy's dishonesty was a source Of
much distress to Lady Huntingdon,
seeming to indicate, she thought, neg
lect by her of the trust from White
field. Her biographer says of Piercy:
His conduct appears to have been al
together devoid of honesty and truth;
>
brought false accounts against most re-
spectacle men, and. living in luxury,
said he did so out of his wlfe's estate"
Piercy, on his departure from Geor-
gia, had, by letters of attorney. placed
all of Lady Huntingdon's interests in
the hands of Messrs. Tattnall, Glenn
and Hall. Lady Huntingdon sought the
advice of Lord George Germaine, one
of the secretaries of state. He wrote
4
ingdon to give full powers of attorney
to Col Tattnall and Mr.. Hall to call
to account Mr.. Bailie, then resident
manager at Bethesda, and who was ac-
cused by Piercy with retaining the
furniture and asserting that it had
been carried away by the French, of
appropriating valuable personal arti-
cles left by WHITEHEAD, of misapplying
the proceeds from the crops and other
offenses. Everything indicated dis
graceful condition in the management
of the house from the moment re-
straints were removed by the outbreak
of the war. In twelve years Lady
Huntingdon had received nothing from
the estate and had paid out thousands
of pounds on account of what should
have been, during the greater part Of
the time at least, self-supporting, If
not profit-yielding. Unprincipled hypo-
critics had looted at her expense and
torn down the noble work of White
field.
It was not until 1854 that the Be-
thesda estate was one more placed un-
der a responsible management. Col
Henry Laurens, to whom Lady Hunt
ingdon had extended every possible
courtesy after his release from the
Tower, where he had been confined af-
ter his capture by the British on mis-
way as an envoy to the Netherlands.
was invested by her with full authority
for the conduct and investigation Of
her affairs in America.
Rev John Johnson was sent to Savan-
nah as resident manager of the home.
He was a man of pronounced Views
and a most determined character, not
OF a nature TO amalgamate with the
new conditions that prevailed. But a
short time passed before he came into
conflict with the laws recently enacted
regulating the negro slaves. His re-
lations with the authorities appear TO
have been strained. but not 10 such an
extent as 10 force him 20 leave the
home. az which he seems 10 have re-