Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-03-05
Irish Cook Drew
No Color Line
Court Decides That James {. Johnson Is
the Legal Heir 10 the Estate of Bridget
TOpey. According 10 Her Last WIN.
True Friendship Richly Rewarded.
Next Of Mn and Nurse Routed.
sy n. nARNnrr popsoN.

Afro-Americans throughout the cOun-
try will no doubt be interested in the
recent decision OF Surrogate Thomas
OF New York. I'm which he holds that
James Edward Johnson. an Afro
American. IS the legal heir under the
last viii OF Bridget Torpey. the super
animated Irish cook. who bequeathed
her fortune OF $4,000 10 him. The de-
cislon comes after a bitterly contested
fight, in which the next OF kin. two
brothers and sister. resisted the pro-
bate OF the viii. and Margaret NJ. Ben
nett, trained nurse OF 46 West Twen-
ty-dfth street. New York. who intro
duced a VIII purporting to have been
executed several months later than the
document which left the estate 90
Johnson.
Surrogate Thomas now throws out
the win presented by Miss Bennett.
which left the bulk OF the estate 10
her. and decides that Johnson. who.
according 20 the decision. was Brldg-
cts best and last friend" Is the prop
er person TO have the estate.
Bridget Torpey came 20 the United
States when she was eleven years old
and FOR over twenty-five years she
worked in the kitchen or Mrs. n. b.
Taft's boarding house. at 40 West
Twenty-hfth street During this time
she accumulated $4,000. OF which
amount $1,000 was In cash IN banks.
In his decision the surrogate com
ments on Bridgets cleverness In
amassing the considerable fortune
which she left. He repeats the testi-
mOny, showing that after she left Mrs
Taft's Bridget went TO live with Miss
Bennett In one Hundred and Second
street shortly before Jan. /, 1908. She
remained there until she removed TO
an apartment hired by johnson in
Eighteenth street, because, Il is stated,
she was unhappy In her previous abode
There was unquestionably an I'M
Outstanding between her and johnson
that II he would care for her during
her lifetime he should inherit the es-
tate" says the surrogate. Il do not
think It surprising that the decedent
chose TO reside with Johnson. She
had worked with Johnson and other
Negroes for a quarter OF a century
and was accustomed to them. She
only went TO live with Johnson after
she had diligently sought a place else
where"
In the Bennett home, according 70
the decision, Bridget was constantly
importuned for money and her trunk
ransacked. This. says the surrogate,
had a tendency to destroy her conf
dence in the household
Her characterization that 1t was
hell on earth is not to be wondered
at" says Surrogate Thomas.
The testimony showed that Bridget
next moved TO a Mrs. Kelley's, where
a son threatened her that IL money
was not forthcoming and that imme-
diately the old woman would be
thrown downstairs. Then It was that
Bridget arranged with her friend
Johnson. with whom she had worked
for some years, 10 engage a nat, and
1t could only be had by him where
Negroes were accustomed TO live.
apart from the fact that Johnson
and her neighbors were black" says
Surrogate Thomas. "the arrangement
gave the old lady comfort There she
cooked her meals as she liked them
and was happy and contented and
treated with great respect and kind
ness. The only offense against pro-
priety with which johnson Is charged
In his relations with her IS that he
was not white"