The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-15
EX-SLAVES REUNITED
STORY OF A FORTUNE LEFT
 THEM BY THEIR MASTER.
Which His Son, Hon. D. P. Bestor, of
 Mobile, Says is Unfounded.

ody PuDAShSh ttiS hoifS"e'6 story:
 The visit of Aunt Martha Mcdowell to New Orleans the past week proved tho most romantic incident In her event. full career.
 brother. Taylor Banks, and on finding him depended happiness and fortune to Aunt Martha. They were slaves together in one of the foremost families of Alaba- ma. The war separated them, and they had never been able to get trace of each other. Their old master had provided for them handsomely, but the legacy was nor to be divided until the Banks slaves were reunited and all the children were iocat, ed Taylor was the missing link, and while Aunt Martha crooned and rocked the cradle, she was thinking deep down in her heart of the happy days that were to her like a dream-when her prother should be found.
 Taylor Banks was in New Orleans all this time, unknown to the other members of his family. By the greatest luck in the world Aunt Martha found him here. there by closing one of the prettiest of ante-bel- lum incidents.
 Martha Mcdowell is the old bla ,k mammy in the family of Nr. H. A. Camp, the wealthy lumberman of Lumberton, Miss. The Camps came down to the city to see their daughter graduate at sophie Newcomb. They occupied apartments at the St. Charles Hotel, and while the fam fly was up at the college, Aunt Martha
 
 younger children.
 In the servants dining room one day she got to telling the waiter something about herself, for, although modest ana devoted to her motherly instincts, she IS quite loquacious at times. The coiorcd waiter was good listener, and he heard all that Aunt Martha had to say. Sne told of the big people she had worKeo for and of the hundreds of slaves her master had owned. and how few some Of the neghbcrs had been able to possess. Then tho old eyes grew moist anu sne spoke of the fortune that awaited her 1T she could only locate 8 brother. Tayior Banks.
 was serving Aunt Martha. Taylor Banks? know Taylor Banks. He hangs Street. I can fetch him in no time"
 Aunt Martha was almost overcome with joy for the instant. Then she reaized how many Taylor Bankses there might be in city like New Orleans. and how im- probable it was that this one known by her waiter friend was the real one.
 However, the waiter insisted that he would bring Taylor around to the hote. that afternoon, and he did
 The moment Martha laid eyes on Tayior she flew to him. She Is the older by two years She recognized in him the brother of 15 years when he slipped out and fol- lowed his master to the war. To make sure. they cross-questioned each other;
 Aunt Martha asked Taylor where ne was when the war broke out. He re- piled that he was owned by Preacner Bestor. at Gainesville, Ala, and that tnis same master. leading Bap.ist diVine' owned over 100 slaves.
 She said that was right. Then they com pared notes all about the Bestors at Gainesville. There were three sons or Rev. pr. Bestor, Daniel, Frank and Jonn. The latter was killed in the battle of me Wilderness in Virginia. The other two survived the war, and Judge Daniel F: Bestor is now a prominent member q tho bar at Mobile.
 few words. He had left the Bestor home- stead at Gainesville to be with ms young master. Frank Bestor, in the war The colored lad followed the gallant young soldier at Chickamauga. Corinth. Shiloh and many other places. He never left ms side.
 After the war closed, Taylor was por- ter on the steamships running between Mobile and New orleans When the rail- road was constructed he got 1on on that Later he was in several New Or- leans hotels. the last of which was the old St. Charles, For fourteen years ne peg, on Canal Street. He does not know how old he is, but he knows that he hVes at 1917 Gravier Street.
 Aunt Martha and Taylor celebrated the reunion, and the heart of the old black mammy had never been so Fight since her young mistress married. She left the clty happy They will now prepare their clam for the property that has been held m trust for them under the provisions or Master Bestor's will.
 MT. Bestor's Statement.
 The Mobile Register of Tuesday copied the above and adds to it as follows:
 Hon. D. r. Bestor of this city was shown the article in Sundays picayune Dowell and her brother. Taylor Banks and read it with great deal of interest. 1t being the first time he had seen it.
 MT. Bestor was asked Tor verincation of the statements contained in the artlcle, and said that some of them were true; while others were erroneous. He said that the statement that his tather hao left a legacy to his old slaves, as ciairnea req by Aunt Martha. was an error, as ms father died in Columbus. Mss, without will, MT. Bestor spoke very lovingly Of the old slaves and said they were enout the ordinary in intelligence MT. Bestor Banks are tho children of OtWay ana Agnes Banks. who were carriage driVer and cook. respectively. Tor ms tath'r. Martha afterHar1 married man who was owned by Captain Mcdowell and took inc family name 1f the own .r of her nus band. Otway Banks the father of Ma tha. was Mr. Bestor's body servant dur ing the war, and Mir. Bestor spoke Wlth much feeling of his loyalty and faithful ncss, saving that. though cut off from him twice during the war, Otway aLToys managed to find him. Otway has been dead for some years. and MT, Bestor said that the last he heard of Martha was about four or five years ago when she was living at Gainesville. He said that he met Taylor Banks about eight or nine years ago in a hotel In Chicago, where Taylor was at that time employed as a waiter.
 It was Willis Banks who served his brother Frank throughout the war, and the article is in error Tn stating that Frank survived the war He was killed in Wilson's raid near Tuskegee and his remains are inferred n the graveyard at that place This brother was killed at~ ter General Lee had surrendered. John, the other brother, was killed at Malvern Hill.
 Willis Banks got into trouble at Co., lumbus, and was charged with grand larceny. MT. Bestor's father refused to believe that Willis was dishonest and did all he could to have him acquitted, but Willis was convicted and sentenced to the Mississippi pen.tentiary for one year. Mir. Bestor says that after serving two montl.s Willis escaped and that so far as he knows nothing has been heard from him since his escape.
 MT Bestor told of a visit to an old family servant living near Stafford Springs. and as he related the incidents his eyes filled with tears. He said that few years ago he visited Stafford Springs, and, remembering his father