The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-11-02


Jacob Brown. farmer, had come taI
be'sixty-Hye years old when be got his
money. A brother whom he had not
seen for years died and left him $50.
900 In cash. For the aYe years preced.
Ing the old man had been a widoweti
and lived alone He bad -four children
two; sisters and half q dozen more dis
tant relatives living around him. but
mo one had offered him aS home. II
/ was seldom that any Of them came
near him. He was referred to as ..tle
old man, and the few acres Of bis
stony old farm were not Coveted by
y any one.f NJ .Ss Z. 4
When It became known through q
lawyer that old Jacob had struck It
rich there was hnstllng. His Oldest
son, Henry, was the first TO reach bis
house. He. brought his wife and three.
children along, and be galloned his,
/ horses for the last mile. II had been
{ two years SINCE they had been In the
old mans house, Now they shook
hands with him: The son patted him
/ on the back and called him a glorious
old father, He must giye up his firm
and SO home apd lire With them. For
the rest Of his days he could sit in a
recting chair ana have custard pie
three times a day y 4 ia !,
On the way to Henry's home James
and his family we're met as they came
driving james was the second son.
she thad 6ften been heard to wonder
ssv6y the old man man didn't turn up
his toes and get out. Of the world. but
he wasn't q bad sop-thut Is, he had
never thought Of: killing bis father
with q club. James leaped from bis
wagon to embrace bis father and offer
him a home for tho next hundred
gears. BE should have fried chicken
and milk toast,eyery day, aud the best
bed in the house should be his at
night No one should rout him out in
the morning. and fresh ten should
await him when be deigned to arise.
Henry and James were squabbling
when Hannah and Mary. the two
daughters. drove up with their, bus.
bands. They had come for, father,
They had. heard that he was III and
were going to take him home and
nurse him more tenderly than q baby
with measles. N !. tst
There wassa, row, on&tLe highway be.
tween those devoted children that, was
Aeardia mile away. but Henry gained
die victory fandI bore the father away.
That blight thisshouse was Surrounded
BY the two sisters dnd Other Relatives,
and they had to be menaced by shot.
gun. - Sl'.sE -
At the beginning of the row there
was only. one lawyer In Glendale7 the
nearest village. Within year there
were three. 1t required at least three
to keep track Of the suits and motiops
that came up. "f32 8 r \ S
One stipulation that old Jacob made
4 was that he should be privileged to see
his lawyer as often as he wanted to.
That was respected by all. but from
purely selfish motives. IT came TO be
believed that every time he saw bis
lawyer he changed his will. 1t turned
out that this belief was well founded.
When death came at last 1t was found
! TINT he had made forty-two wills In
all. They had bobbed from Henry TO
James. from james to Betsey and from
Betsey to Hannah and back to James.
They had taken in the two sisters aud
cast them. out. They had enriched
nephews and nieces and impoverished
them again. Four times in one year
the father was kidnapped by relatives
Once he was chloroformed In his bed
at midnight and, lowered from win
dow. Once he WIS kidnapped and hid
deu away In an old barn for week. j
| That, neighborhood became the live
LEST In the state. There was a Fourth
Of July going on all the time. Even
a circus could not draw against It. Nc
old man ever lived who was coddled
and cared for more. a hundred times
day, no matter who he was with. he
was psked II anything more could BIZ
done for him. 10 summer q child was
appointed TO fan him. and In winter
4 they bought stoves with looking
glasses set Into the top that be NIGH
Il see himself MS he toasted his toes. The
doctor said that he would have lived
three years longer IL left to care fo
himself on his farm. 10
oueerly enough. he did not die In th'
l..
house Of a relative. but was stricken II
the office of his lawyer just after max
ing his forty.second will. The gam
came on the wings of love rs soon n
the news went out They squabble'
US to where the funeral should be held
as to where he should be buried. as t
who should pay for the coffin. as t
. who should weep the most.
The will was not read at the hous
Of any relative, They wouldn't hay
It so. They assembled in the villag
hall. and there were scores Of outsid
ers. There were quarrels for from
seats. At last the reading began. an