Evening star., 1914-04-19

the only authentic account of the last
hours Of Washington have come from
the secretary. 1t was Lear who arranged
the private papers of Washington after
his death
In connection with this old house and
the lands that surround it. it is interesting
to take a glance at washington Will
1t contains this provision:
:, To Tobias Lear give the Of the farm.
which he holds In virtue of a lease from me
10. him and his deceased wife tfor and during
life: at the Pxpira tion of which II Is 10 be dis
posed of as is hereinafter directed.
In another part of the will is the fol-
lowing direction as to the disposition of
the land that Lear lived on:
In consideration of the consansunity between
them and my wife. being nearly related to her
as to myself. as on account of the affection had
foT and the osa1n was s under to- .d ther s
tached himself to my person. and followed my
olution. afterward devoting his time to the su-
perintendence of my private concern for many many
years. whilst my public employments, rendered
affordng me essential services, and always per,
forming them in manner the most fal and and
to 0F George Fayete and
Lawrence Augustine Washington and their heirs,
the Potomac river. including the farm of three
hundred and sixty ceres, leased to Tobias Lear,
as noticed before, and containing IN the whole Ss b
deed two thousand and twenty seven acres. De
it more or less.
All these lands passed out of the hands
of the Washington family many years
ago. The Lear tract has passed through
the hands of a. large number OF owners.
Tobias Lear was born in 1862, in Hun
king street, Portsmouth. n. H, He was
the son of Capt. Tobias Lear and Mary
Stilson Lear and a grandson or capt.
Tobias Lear and Elizabeth Hall Lear.
He was graduated from Harvard College
with the degree of A B. in 1888. He
took up the profession of teaching and
was brought to the attention of George
WASHINGTON directly after the revolution.
In Washington's correspondence is this
reference to the employment OF Lear:
Mr.. Lear or any other man who may come into
nv family in the blended character of preceptor
to the children and clerk % or pT,vsfs ys ,iHe wiz
mix with the company who resort to-. to the house
and will be. treated every respect with courtesy
and proper attention
Iear's salary was 500 a year After
Washington'S death he was appointed
consul to Santo Domingo, and in 1904
was appointed consul to Alglers. IN IN
1905 he was one of the commission which
concluded a treaty with the aeS states urtes
paid 10000 for the release OF aU Amer
leans held prisoners In Alglers. ms
treaty was strongly denounced by the
war party in the United States.
y X
countant in the War Department. On
the morning of October II, 1916, Lear
was found dead in the garden OF his
home Just west of the Treasury Office
He had shot himself through the head.
The cause for this act was never ascer-
tanned, or at least the Rambler has not
found anv record that the cause was as
certained.
Lear married into the Washington fam
ily. In 1870 he married Mary, daughter
of Col Pierce Long OF Portsmouth. NJ II.
She died of yellow fever in Philadelphia,
in 1893. In 1898 he was married to
Frances Bassett Washington, daughter
of Col Burwell Bassett Of Ethan. Kent
county. Va, and who was the widow Oh
Col George Augustine Washington,
.aephew of George Washington. Lear
married third time. his last Wife neine
Frances cambridge Henley OF virginia
Down in far corner of the Congress
sional cemetery is the tomb OF Lear
1t is inscribed:
Here lie the remains Of Tobias Lear.
He was early distinguished as the
private Secretary and Familiar Friend
of the IIlustrious Washington. And.
fter having served his country with
Dignity, Zeal and Fidelity in many Hon
orable Stations. he died Accountant OF
the War Department, II october. 1916;
Aged 54, His Desolate Widow and
Mourning Son have erected this Monu-
ment to mark the place of his Abode
in this City of Silence.
Next to the tomb of Tobias Lear Is
that of his son, Benjamin Lincoln Lear,