The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-09-12
HUGE LAND CLAIM
MADE BY z SISTERS
Enter Suit for Part of New
foundland, Valued at
$85, 100000.

NEW YORK, Sept. PA suit in
volving SIS, 100000 will be brought
against the Newfoundland government
by Mrs. Claremont Marshall, of els
East Seventy eighth street, in the near
future, according to information given
out by William La Point, an attorney
of ITO West Thirty-fourth' street He
has just returned from Newfoundland
with absolute evidence, he believes,
of Mrs. Marshall's right to much land
in the city of St. Johns
This is not a dream OF a fanatic"
said Mr.. La Point 1T is not a paper
suit. This is a bona fide claim, and
there are only two heirs concerned.
have no interest in it other than OF
determining whether my client has a
case or not. After spending three
weeks in Newfoundland searching
through ancient records, am con-
WINGED that it is worth while to 60 into
the courts, and my belief is that Mrs.
Marshall and her sister, Mrs. John
Walsh, of Boston, the only heirs. will
be awarded the entire ss5,OO0.ooO.
According to Mr.. La Point, the es-
tate which Mrs. Marshall claims was
confiscated by the government in the
early part of last century. The fight
to regain the property has lasted for
three-quarters of a century. If the
lawyers prediction proves correct, the
government of Newfoundland will lose
large portion of the water front of
st. Johns, extending from Petty har-
Dor to Riverhead and to government
wharf.
In the early part of the eighteenth
century," said Mr.. La Point. Samuel
Churchill. whom Mrs. Marshall be-
lieves to have been a relative of the
first duke of Marlborough, went to
Newfoundland with his son Nicholas,
and his two daughters, Claremont and
Elizabeth.
Churchill, upon his arrival at. New
foundland, engaged in the shipping
business and became the owner of a
large fleet of merchant vessels. The
captain of one of these vessels was
one Morris Bolin, a young lrishman,
romantic and captivating. Miss Clare
mont met him. There was a whirl-
wind, clandestine courtship, and the
young couple ran away and were mar
ried. The bride became a Catholic,
her husbands faith.
1.-THE rich, stern father was a strict
Covenanter, and his daughters re-
ligious change Infatuated him. He cut
her off without shilling. Shortly af-
ter he died.
Nicholas, the brother of the girl,
inherited the entire estate. The young
man was fond of his sisters, and made
will in which the property was to be
equally divided between Claremont
and Elizabeth. At this point the trou-
BILE leading up to the present suit be-
gins.
Pirates Got One Will.
nicholas intrusted one copy of the
will to William Haffyard, who had
married Elizabeth Churchill. The 9TH
er he kept, taking it with him when he
sailed for England to take charge of
his fathers affairs there.
'Enroute to England, the vessel up
on which Churchill sailed was attack
ed by pirates, and the whole ships
company was forced to walk the plank.
The pirates presumably obtained the
will. What they did with it, of
course, is matter of conjecture. No
trace was ever found of it.
when Churchill's fate was learned,
Haffyard showed Claremont the other
copy of the will intrusted to him by
his brother-in-law. He proposed that
it remain in his care until Churchill's
death was proved. Claremont gave
her consent.