The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-12
ANNUITY FOR AN EX.SLAYE
JUDGE COOPER'S ALLOWANCES
TO BE PAID FOR HIM.
He's Mentally Incompetent. hut the So
irene Court Decides TO Carry Out the
Purpose He Had Had wtssic Able TO Con.
troll His Property Decline OF q Family.

troll his property decline OF q FAnhiy.-
Eldridge Cooper. a seventy-year-old ex-
slave OF the Cooper estate In Columbia
county, Tenn, IL TO continue to receive
the 500 q year that Judge Cooper allowed
him until the Judges mental faculties
began to fail two years ago. And besides
Eldridge is to get s22s arrears in q lump
sum although the hundred will reach him,
as before, in quarterly instruments. Ed
ridge ives in Louisville now, since the old
home place In Columbia county went to
rack and ruin.
The negro will not be tho only one to
benefit by an order made In the Supreme
Court yesterday by Justice Truax. Several
Of Judge Cooper's relatives, sisters, brothers
and nephews and nieces, are to get the same
snnua sums out of the Judges estate, which
has been in the hands OF the Trust Com
pany of America as Trustee of his prop
erty since the Judge was pronounced men
tally incompetent q couple Of years g
Under Justice Truax's order Addison
Cooper, a brother, and Miss Martha A..
Cooper, Mrs. Eloise C. Stockweli and Mrs.
Mary A. SAMSON, sisters. are each to re-
ceive 81 900 . year and q, 75O arrears.
William p. Miner and Rosamond Miner,
a nephew and niece OF Judge Cooper, will
divide between them 81 900 . year and
81, $50 cash, and Christine Cooper, another
niece, will receive $500 . yea and $1,000
cash.
Besides these payments out OF the Judges
estate Michael j. Mulqueen, the ~referee,
will receive 81 200 for his services. He
asked for s $500. John B. Stanchneld and
John X. Berry, Who appeared for the
pe~titioning relatives, asked for $500, but
under Justice Truax's order will divide
$500 between them 10 full payment for
all services rendered. Mr.. Berry also gets
bach s7es, which he advanced in disburse-
ments
The Coopers were q great family In Ten
nessee. Matthew d. Cooper, father Of
Judge Cooper. owned q big plantation.
He married three times, the three Mrs.
Coopers being first cousins.
The first Mrs. Cooper bore three children,
Of whom the oldest. William r. Cooper,
Is the present Judge. now 81 years old. and
suffering from senile dementia. Henry
Cooper. the second son was a United States
Senator from Tennessee until 1882. when he
died. Christine Cooper 10 his only living
descendant. Mrs. Mary A. SAMSON. now
II and living on a anal barren farm in
Columbia county. was the third child OF
Mrs. Matthew u. Cooper.
The civil war swept away the Cooper
fortunes. The hundreds OF slaves were
freed. Eldridge. the cook. and his wife
alone remaining with the family. The
thousands Of acres passed into other hands.
and the family was scattered throughout
the Southern States William r. Cooper
turned lawyer and was for many years q
Chancellor in Tennessee and later served
on the Supreme Court bench. He was
a Judge OF the Supreme Court till 1900.
when he resigned, having reached the age
OF 10. and moved to New York.
Judge Cooper has always looked after
the welfare Of his sisters and brothers
and their children. ever before the death OF
his father, which occurred in 1878. From
1870 TO 1902, when the Judge 9 mind first
began to show signs OF weakness, he never
missed a single quarter in sending to each
of his sisters and brothers the allowance
he made them from his income. Beginning
with 500 a quarter. he gradually increased
the allowance to $3.50 every three months
for each OF FIVE sisters. Two Of them are
dead.
In other ways also the Judge befriended
his relatives. When his sister Eloise mar
ried Stookwell the latter bought a home
for 50. 900. giving his notes In payment.
The Judge secretly bought up the notes
and presented them to the surprised stock
wells. Miss Martha Cooper has always
been looked upon as the head OF the family.
She took charge OF the father in his latter
years. Since the remittances from her
brother ceased she has worried until her
health il broken because OF his condition.
She is absolutely without means save
he allowed her. When the remittances
first ceased a cousin OF the Coopers would
run up to New York TO remind the old Judge
tina. ne had skipped q quarter. AZ soon
the regular allowances. remArking:
Il overlooked them. II Is one Of the
pleasures OF my life to send them, and
finally IL will be all theirs. anyhow"
The Miners were reared by Miss Emma
Cooper. now dead. and both are confirmed
invalids. as Is Mrs. S~tockwell. Among
oil the seven who are now TO receive their
allowances again there Ia not one self-sup-
porting or independent. All they own
between them is a one-eleventh interest
in a tract Of barren and in Lewis county,
Tenn.
All the Judges letters sho wed his steady
determination 10 care for hts dependent
relatives. His account book was put In
evidence. showing each quarterly pay
ment from 1900 to 1902 as well as the other
items Of his expenditures from day TO day
In that period.
The last entry in the notebook is in 1901,
and after that Judge Coopers mind
memory were too feeble TO enable him 10
keep up his old systematic habits. He
lived quietly but extensively 1t . private
hotel In the heart Of the city. and when
he was hrst pronounced incompetent the
manager of the hotel was made the COM
mittee Of his person. But after some
months this proved unsatisfactory and
Homer Folks was appointed as committee
of Mr.. Coopers person. while the Trust
Company OF America acted as committee
of his estate.
Judge Cooper's property 10 said TO be
about $500. 900, and consists largely Of stock
Of the Nashville Gas Company and Of real
estate in Nashville. While testimony was
being taken as to his mental condition
the Judges will and oodicil were discovered.
IL provided for annuities OF $500 a year
each TO Eldridge Cooper and George I.
Colt, two old slaves OF the Cooper estate,
and one OF 500 for Booker Cooper. son
OF an old slave. To Christine Cooper,
his niece. the will b~equeathed SIS. 900. and
all the rest Of his estate the Judge directed
should be divided between his brother.
his sisters and the Nil ners. share and share
alike.
Oprn Air Performance OF Van WInkIe.'