The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-12-01
TIE CLIMAX IN A
REAL LIFE DRAMA
Rev. N. n. lurney Aids
the Heroine.

That is a very interesting story CO.'S
nected with the recent trip Of Rsy. s.. NJ
Jurney to New York city. Il concerns
the proper party 10 receive the estate
OF the late Harry D. smith. a weli known
shoe drummer, Who died IA the Omnibus
going up from the depot in the town q
Concord not a great while ago. Mr.. Smith
was well known all over the State -
North Carolina and South Carolina. which
he travelled for a long number o. years.
He was successful in business ard left
an estate valued at about thirty thous-
and dollars. He left one child, a daugh-
ter, nearly grown. When he died ms
brother, not knowing that he had e9tI
been married, administered on the estate.
Sometime after, his daughter. WHO was
at college, made a demand for the prop
erty as the heir. Mr.. Smith had never
informed his brother or any OF his family
that he had ever been married and tile
brother refused to recognize tire young
lady as his dead brothers daughter. ana
took the ground that her claim TO bc
the legal daughter OF Mr.. Smiths was
a fraud. This, of course, brought the
matter into the court and a referee was
appointed to take testimony. Tie whole
matter hinged upon this fact: Was
Smiths marriage to the mother Of the
young lady claiming to be his daughter
The girls mother was dead and she had
very little evidence to prove that M.
Smith and her mother was married. For
some ~unaccountable reason, Mr.. Smith
had never informed his family OF ms
marriage and, as he was a travelling
man he was seldom with his brother and
his family. They never suspected the
marriage until the girl came forward TO
claim the estate.
The girl or some of her friends found a
certificate Of marriage signed by Rev. N.
NJ. Jurney az the officiating minister with
his wife as witness. Armed with this
the attorneys for the girl called upon
! the brother to acknowledge the marriage
and to recognize the girl who was suing
for the property as H. d. Smiths lawful
heir. They refused to do 50.
Last week Rev. \. VI. Jurney and wife
were summoned to New York to give eyi
dence before referee. l was talking
with Mr.. Jurney last night and the story
he tells is substantially as follows:
I was married in 1886 and with my
wife went to New York on a little trip.
| had known H. D. Smith for a long
| llle Hill i IOlC W I'LL CIO -SCIh1
on to select a good hotel for myself and
bride. He did so. Shortly after we
reached New York, he came to see US
and invited US to 20 out with him to
some entertainment the next afternoon.
think it was Buffalo Bill, and then %
out to dine with MIN at enc OF New
York's famous cafes. We accepted his
invitation and after we had seen Buffalo
Bill and had our dinner at the cafe he
said to me. 'tNat Che always called me
Natl. want YOU to marry me today"
WHY / said, .'are you going to get
married?"
He ronliod eyes and want Won to
na~eorr tho caromonv ubiIa Won ara moro
a,d ,r.r+ - DOT marriod todayn
soid ~ him "Au RIGHT where j. vo,r
1;censooo
- 9aiu' - =
ioih' dii 1hoo = ne's -
pieoonei - - - " 60
nag. u.u
'du' al ISM
SO he came around with the young
lady, ana a very good looking young ia4g
, she was too, and l married theIn ana lay
wife witnessed the marriage. then Went
down to the Methodist book concern ah'
got d olahh marriage ceItlncdCe' l tHi-h
| got the blanA ceFtlncdle 10 when z
> STUB was ATTACHED and hlied out the Ger