The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1907-07-18
ANNUITY FOR AN EX-ST4AVE
"A New York Court Decides to Carry
Out The Purpose or "A Will.
(NeW York Sum-

(New York Sum-
Eldridge Cooper, Seventy-year
old ex-slaye of the Cooper estate in
Columbia county, Tenn, is to con-
tinue to receive the 500 a year that
Judge Cooper allowed him until the
Judges mental faculties began to
fail two years ago. Eldridge is to
get 1925 arrears in lump sum, a
though the hundred will reach him
as before, in quarterly installments.
Eldridge lives in Louisville now,
since the old home place in Column
bla county went to rack and ruin.
The Negro will not be the only
one to benefit by an order made in
the supreme court yesterday by
Justice Truax. Several of Judge
Cooper's relatives, sisters, brother
and nephews and nieces are to get
the same annual sums out of The
judges estate which has been in the
hands of the Trust Company of Am
erica as trustee Of his property Sill
the Judge was pronounced mentally
incompetent a couple of years ago.
Under Judge Truax's order Addi-
SOL Cooper, a brother, and Miss Mar
tina It. Cooper, Mrs Eloice G.. Stock
we'll and Mrs. Mary A. SAMSON, sis
ters, are each to receive 900 year
and $2,250 arrears.
| William f. Miner and Rosamont
t Miner, a nephew and 'nieces of Judge
Cooper, will divide between them
900 year and $2,250 cash, and
Christine Cooper, another niece, will
receive $500 a year and $1,000 in
cash.
Besides these payments out of the
i'm Michael mi
the referee will receive SLIGO for
his services. He asked for $2,25O
John B. Stanchfield and John K.
Berry, who appeared for the petition
] ing relatives, asked for $500, but
under Justice Truax's order will di-
vide $4,000 between them in full
payment for all services rendered.
Mr.. Berry gets back $3.50, which he
advanced in disbursements.
The Coopers we're a great family
in Tennessee Mathew D. Cooper,
father of Judge Cooper, owned big
plantation. He married three times
the three Mrs. Coopers being first
cousins.
The first Mrs. Cooper bore three
children, Of whom the oldest, Will
liam F. Cooper, is the present judge,
now eigty-seven years old, and suf-
fering from senile dementia. Henry
Cooper the second son, was United
States senator from Tennessee until
1882 when he died. Christine Coop
er Is the only surviving descendant.
Mrs. Mary A. SAMSON, now seventy
seven and living on small barren
farm in Columbia county, was the
third child Of Mrs. Matthew D.
Cooper.
The civil war swept away the Coo
per fortunes. The hundreds of slaves
were freed, Eldridge, the cook, and
his family alone remaining with the
family. The thousands of acres
passed into other hands and the fam
| lily was scattered throughout the
southern states. William F. Cooper
turned lawyer and was for many
years a chancellor in tennessee and
later served on the supreme court
bench He was a judge Of the SUI
p~eme court till 1890, when. he re-
signed, having reached the age OF
seventy, and moved to New York.
Judge Cooper has always looked
after the welfare Of his sisters and
brothers and their children, even be-
fore the death of his father; which
occurred in 1878. From 1875 to
1902, when the Judges mind began
TO SUO" SlSuS VI "SoIhhS'o Nv Nv - .
missed single quarter Of sending 70
each of his sisters ana brothers the
allowance he made them from his i'll
come. Beginning with 500
quarter, he gradually Increased the
allowance to $3.50 every three months
for each of the five sisters. TWO OF
them are dead o.. . -. = r;
in other ways also the judge be-
friended his relatives, When his SIS
ter Efoise married Stockwell the
latter bought home for $6,o0o,
giving his notes in payment. The.
Judge secretly bought up the notes
and presented them to the surprised
StockweI1's. Miss Martha Cooper mas
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 was worried until her
bhealth is broken because of his con-
dition. She is absolutely without
means save what he allowed her.
When the remittances first ceased a
cousin Of the Coopers would run up
to- New York to remind the old
Judge that he had SKIPPED quarter