The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-04
Alleges Daughters Feared Famous Writer Would
 Marry Miss Lyon
(Continued from First Page.)

NCOIllnueu HUH T II Sl dSC.J
 the receipt for $500 on account which wedding present. On his own account MT. Ashcroft makes demand for two months salary, in amount $500. The amount of indebtedness aScrfbed to Mrs. Ashcroft in the attachment pa pers shows that neither of these offset claims received recognition. Aside from the alleged doubtful validity Of the conveyance due to the methods by which it was obtained and the absence from the deed of MT. Ashcroft's sig nature, it now appears that Mrs. Ash croft could not execute a proper war ranty deed because there is a mort gage of S1, 800 on the property. A war ranty deed undertakes by it's express terms to convey property on which there is no encumbrance of any sort.
 As before stated, however, MT. Ash croft makes these matters of secondary importance. What he dwellS upon are the accusations which have gone abroad against his wife and himself, chief among these being the allegation acting as his social secretary and that the two Ashcrofts obtained from shim, by fraud and deceit, a sweeping power of attorney, he being unaware of the existence of such a document until the fact was disclosed in connection with the probing of her accounts by
 expert investigators. The direct pub lication or dissemination of such dam aging reports are not aScrfbed to Mark Twain, but they emanated from persons in intimate association with him and his daughters and before long became public property.
 The power of attorney document in wolves a distinct issue of fact and veracity between the author and the Ashcrofts. It is said that when MT. Clemens learned of it's existence his
 wonted serenity forsook him and he expressed a fear that it might have
 been used to strip him of all his prop erty. That any misuse was made Of the instrument, however, does not ap-
 pear The Ashcrofts say that in deny ing earlier knowledge of the document | MT. Clements must be the victim Of treacherous memory. They assert that he gave Mrs. Ashcroft a power of attorney during the early period of her | service with him, or nearly seven years ago, because he did not wish to be bothered with the signing of checks. After MT. Ashcroft entered his employ a like authority was extended to him by reason of the convenience it af- forded in the transa ction of business
 for Mark Twain in New York and else where. The banking institutions where he had accounts. and publishing and other concerns with which he did bus | mess were formally notified of the be- | stowal of authority upon the Ashcrofts
 so that there was really no secrecy or
 subterfuge of any sort about the mat | ter.
 l Regarding Mrs. Ashcroft's alleged
 financial shortage while she was ad-
 ministering the affairs of Mark | Twain's household, the claim is made | that no good warrant existed for the | damaging rumors which obtained cir | culation because the expert account
 ants who worked on the case reported | that they found no evidence that she l had diverted for her own benefit any
 of the funds unaccounted for. As she | kept no cash accounts or books of any
 kind showing receipts and expenditures | the only available record was that fur | nished by the check stubs. Some of l the bills she paid by check and some | in cash, and it was these cash dis | bursements which made up the nomi- nal deficit The total of several thou
 sand dollars extended over period or
 several years and was what might | have been expected as it was her GUS
 tom to pay small bills in cash. Her
 employer knew that she kept no books
 and always appeared to be satisfied
 with her method of conducting affairs
 which was of course not a business like | method.
 Still another report in circulation is
 to the effect that MT. Ashcroft induced | Mark Twain to invest $25,000 or so in l an English milk company, greatly to his own gain and his employers loss.
 This tale MT. Ashcroft declares to be pure invention. He says he was not | instrumental in getting MT. Clemens | to put a cent into the enterprise re7 ferred to, but that the latter had in
 vested $50, ,0O0 in it before they even became acquainted.
 | Mention was made last week of a second visit paid to the Ashcroft home | by Lawyer Stanchfield'S partner and
 his repulse by Mrs. Lyon, Mrs. Ash croft'S mother. The lawyer was ac- companied by Miss Clara Clemens. Mrs. Lyons paused long enough in her | task of giving the lawyer "a piece of her mind" to ask Miss Clemens if she had found her missing necklace. Il mean the one," she added. "that my daughter has been accused of steal ing" Miss Clemens replied that she had found it and was very sorry that there had been any misapprehension on | the subject. And I am very glad. replied Mrs. Lyon. that one islander is disposed of. There are many others
 to be cleared up, but I feel confident
 that before long they will all have
 gone the way of the story about the
 missing necklace
 | Directly after her first interview | with the lawyer Mrs. Ashcroft began | arrangements to remove to her Farm
 ington house. She and her husband have now concluded to remain here awhile longer. The suit in which Mark
 Twain is the plaintiff is returnabe to
 the September term of the Superior
 court.