The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-04-03
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
!: A MISER'S /:
: LITTLE JOKE. +:

lcopyright 1901. by II. MeReon.l

4
good as his bond. He exacted the last
penny. but he also paid the last. At
twenty years of age he was lending
money and buying real estate. At the
same time he was living on raw veg
etables and wearing clothing begged
I here and there. 1t is not on record
that any man ever bested him in a
trade Of any sort. When his father
and mother died 1t was generally I'M
ierstood that Henry had no near rela-
tives. He was never heard to refer
to any one. nor did any one claiming
relationship ever visit him. He died
ut the age Of fifty from exposure to
storm and was supposed to have left
u fortune OF about $4,000. 1t was
soon discovered that he had left a
quarter of million dollars.
Henry Tweed had no friends. He
had never given human being his
confidence While he had not quar-
relied with men, he had been misery
and hard hearted and exacting Very
little could be said in his favor aud
great deal against him. One OF the
things remembered against him In his
own town was that Of dis3ossessing a
man who lad borrowed money OF him
and then failed through no fault of his
own. He was III when Tweed ordered
J the law to carry him out of the house.
I He always claimed that he was right
\ In this. though lie realized that all
others berated him for his tilnty heart.
/ After his death IT was found that he
had made restitution. He had left all
his property TO the man who had call
ell him Shylock and a scoundrel.
lie had appointed as his executors
/ two men who lad been most outspo-
ken against him.
! The win was found. admitted to pro-
bate. and the executors began their
work The heir had almost been pm
! into possession when u man claiming
/ TO he cousin of Tweed appeared and
put IN n claim. lie had n will OF later
4 date than the other. 1t also appointed
different men as executors. The law
/ says that the last will StaudS This
will upset the other. hut 1t did not
stand for long 4 woman who easily
proved That she was Il cousin came ON
from distant stat" and exhibited
letter and VIII making her the sole
/ legatee. This was dnted two weeks
+, later than the second 1t WAS perfect
4 ~ legal. and again there was a change
of executors. Things had scarcely he
I gun moving under the new win when
flood OF relatives appeared. There
were unclcS and aunts and cousins ga
lore, and all had a will.
1t transpired that one lawyer had
drawn mp all the wills as sort OF job
lot. There were fourteen OF them In
all. and lie biri given Tweed whole
sale rate. Each one down to tile last
had a later date than the other and
named different executors. Not one of
the relatives had known Tweed in life
or cared about him in the slightest,
and he stated to the lawyer that he
wanted revenge on the whole crowd.
There was bitter feeling among the
heirs and much loud talk about law
suits to h:rak the will, hut the final
legatee ngrecd 10 give each one a Ger.
tain sum and thus brought about
peace. In due time he entered into
his own and began to enjoy himself.
The newspapers had got tired OF pub
fishing columns about the eccentric
Henry Tweed. and people who knew
him best had talked the matter out.
when there was a uew development. A
lawyer who had not before been men,
toned in connection with the case
came forward with u paper signed and
witnessed reading that the last and
true will had been concealed and that
1t named different legatee from any
Of the others. Whoever was in nos
session when this paper was presented
should remain so until the will men,
toned should he found
All the old excitement was at once
revived. The heirs under the other
wills returned and began searching,
aud at one time over 100 persons were
hunting In every likely spot for the
PAPER. The man iii possession had the
house taken to pieces and every inch
J of barns and sheds gone over. There
was digging in the cellar and outdoors.
Wooden and brick walls were search
ed. Men hunted through orchards and
fields and thickets. and for a month
scarcely any other work was done in
HAT part of the county. If it hadn't
been for old Granny Benson, the viii
might never have been found. She
was old and light headed, and no one
gave her any attention. She heard
tue talk all around her. but had moth
ing TO say for some weeks. Then a
storekeeper asked her in half humor-
Gus way where she supposed the pa
per had been hidden. and She said:
Why, we all know that Henry
bought a coffin at bargain i've years
before he died and kept it in the
house. He was buried in 1t. guess
ne had pocket in the coffin and put
the paper in it."
The men who had laid out the body
and put II in its coffin were spoken to.