Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-11-15
Children Of Negro Appear at
Sioux City to Contest Will of
Charles Sutton
SONS OF SLAVERY MARRIAGE
Sutton Left Small Estate to Church
and to Friends - Lived Many Years
in Sioux City and Never Mentioned
Having Family = Aged Negroes
Make Dispositions.
Special to Times Republican.

\ opeCldl 10
Sioux City, Nov. 15.-Incidents OF
slavery days before the late unpleas-
artness between north and south, are
recalled wildly in a suit brought here
10 break the will of an aged negro by
two men who claim to be sons of Ed
ward Sutton, who died last August
after thirty years residence here.
Charles Sutton and Edward Smith,
| two middle aged colored men living
Lear Monticello, Miss, claiming to be
sons of Sutton by a slavery marriage,
are contesting the will made by SUIT
ton, May 10 last, by which he divided
his estate equally among the African
Methodist church, the Florence Critten-
| ton home Yves Barnum, porter in the
Mondamin hotel and Rev. r. knight. a
former pastor of the church The two
regroes set up the claim that the old
man was mentally incompetent at the
tine he made his last testament and
that they are the rightful heirs. An
state of only about $4,000 is involved
but the peculiar features of the case
are attracting great interest around the
court house.
Dispositions from lot Of old negroes
Gown in Mississippi who knew Sutton
when he was a slave were read in court
as We'll as dispositions from both of
the contestants. They concur in their
descriptions of Sutton and statements
Of his marriage to Treacey Smith, a
gross who was the property of Har-
1iet Smith, a neighbor of DR.. Garner,
Sutton's master. All tell of the two
children, explaining Edward Smiths
rame by relating that he was after
wards adopted and brought up by
"Pahson" Smith, relative. None of
them had seen or heard of Edward
Sutton since he ran away from the
Yankees in war time. All that Charles
Sutton remembers Of his father is Of
how he rode him on his knee when he
was 4-year-old boy.
Angelina Maxwell, sister of Ed
ward Sutton who had not seen her
borther since he was young man of
under thirty, gives this description of
him: HE was a common colored
mulatto, not very, light nor very dark;
medium size, little stoop- shouldered
black hair, curly but not kinky, scar
on one side of his face or the other
disremember which, caused by the
kick of a. mule
II remembers we'll when he went off
with the Yankees" she said. He
came back pretty soon with twelve or
fifteen Yankees, riding a black boss.
He ran into his shoe shop. for he was
a fine shoemaker, and got 5000. He
gave it to mother for the children
He told her she better spend it pretty
quick, for the Yankees had told him
it wouldn't be worth anything long
Then he went away and never came
back"
Never Spoke to Children.
'Pahson" John Allen, minister Of
the gospel farmer" MIN Madison,
Enoch Robinson and Martha Johnson,
all old black people, relate their recol-
lections of Sutton, his wife and chill
dren, as also does DIR. G. III. Teunsi-
son, now practicing physician of
Monticello, who was studying medi-
cine with DR.. Garner when Sutton
was the latter's slave boy.
After the war, Sutton came north
and located in Sioux City. His slave
wife being dead, he married Amanda
Turner here may %, 1870. She died
before he did and they had no children.
Sutton never told any of his friends in
SiOly CIV ahOIt the sons in the