The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1910-01-27
ORANGE COURT
JUDGE Holt Presided A Crowded
Car
CONTEST OVER GEO. GAINES WILL
Faithful Negro Dead-Superyisor APP
pointed

The illness Of Judge Grimsley pre-
vented him from presiding over the
January term of Orange court ana
Judge Holt, of Stanton, was designated
by Gov. Swanson in his place.
The train which left Fredericksburg
at 8 a. m. had only one passenger
coach. BY the time it reached Mine
Run il was crowded and from there on
at every station to Orange people got
on, from 6 to 10 in number. To say the
train was packed puts it mildly. When
a station was reached Capt. Coates
would go out and say, STANDING room
only. and the passengers would pile
in. One end of the coach was gwen
over negro passengers, but when TIE
crush came whites and negroes were
mixed up until 100 people were in the
car at one time and ladies had TO stand
up. Another coach had been heated
ready to go, but for some reason was
cut oil and laid idly here in the station
all day. The lack of accommodation
was adversely commented on by many.
The rain kept the farmers away who
did not have imperative business.
There was the usual number of COM
mercial travellers and horse traders.
There is a stand-still in building dur
ing the cold weather. In the early
spring the Southern railroad will put
up a new depot at corner of Main street
and Railroad avenue. 1t will meet the
needs of increasing travel.
AN INTERESTING SUIT
A suit which will be bitterly contest
ed and long drawn out is the effort to
break the will of the late George A.
Gaines by his sister, Mrs. William l..
Morris. Gaines was one of the biggest
landed proprietors of Orange and its
best known saloon keeper for % years
For the past twenty years he has lived
openly with a colOred woman, Rose
Henshaw, who has two boys. Their
residence was on the suburbs and it had
all the comforts. 1t is stated that
when Gaines commenced living with her
he promised to provide amply for her
at his death. Several weeks ago he
died. The administrator of the es-
tate is Col. Geo. S. Shackelford, who
has been Gaines lawyer for 20 years
and wrote the will 6 years ago. Gaines
states in the will that he devlses to
Rose Henshaw and his two children all
of his estate, amounting to about $780,
600, except 81, 900 to his sister, Mrs.
Morris; 81, 900 to James Mundy, a
former employee, and $1,000 to the
mother of Rose Henshaw. This suit
will be instituted at next term. An
array of lawyers will be engaged
Grimsley and Miller of Culpeper, and
A. T. Browning for Mrs. Morris, and
Shackelford & Shackelford, of Orange,
and Rixey & Hiden, Of Culpeper, for
the will.
A FAITHFUL MAN GONE
Neil Braxton, the porter of the Ho-
tel Coleman. died Thursday, aged 6o
wears. He knew more travelling men
| than any colored man in Virginia. He
had been connected with the hotel for
30 wears. He sweled with pride when
he was able to tell that he was Con-
federate soldier and served through the
whole war. When the Monticello
Guards. of Orange, marched to Har-
per's Ferry in the John Brown RAID
| Neil Braxton went with them. saw
John Brown hung and came home.
When the war of ls6l-65 began he went
into the army with Captain, afterwards
Colonel, p. P. Slaughter, of the Doth
Va Reg;, helped TO bear him off the
field when he was thought to be NOR
tally wounded at Gaines Mill and stay
ed with the command until the end.
There are few like him left.
APPOINTED SUPERVISOR
Mr.. E. H. Woodville has been APP
pointed supervisor of Gordon district,
to fill the vacancy caused by the death
of Mr.. T. J. Almond.
SAVE THE TURKEYS
The board of supervisors having
shortened the season for killing birds
and turkeys in Orange, the hunts
men are coming over the Spotsylvania
line to hunt. There is strong senti-
ment throughout the county to ask the
Legislature to prevent the sale Of wild
turkeys for the next three years,
Huntsmen say if this is done there will
be plenty Of turkeys by that time,
whereas they have been killed so close
that if the present conditions continue
there will be none left to breed from.