The Washington times., 1914-01-09
MORGAN SAID To
! OWN MASON WILL
Virginia Taking Steps to Re-
cover Washington and
Mason TeStamentS.
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Continued from First Page.)
finance king rested one OF the docu-
meuts they had been seeking for more
than a half century.
mot until we received word on De-
esmbe= 26 last that in return for photo
graphs of the George Washington will
ere could receive from the library of J.
y. Morgan photographs Of the Martha
Washington will, had We any knowledge
that the document stolen from here
more than fifty years ago was in The
possession OF the New York f1nancier,"
declared DR.. w. p. Moncure, one of the
EldeIt residents of the community.
Elder Morgan Silent.
Il wrote to the late ]. P. Morgan
On the name Of the State of Virginia
r score of times asking him if he had
ihe stolen will" declared C. V Ford,
Commonwealth attorney for Fairfax
County, interrupting Dr.. Moncure. Not
once did receive an answer. tried 70
convince him that the win was stolen
property and rightfully belonged in the
records of Fairfax Courthouse"
How the late Moncure D. Conway,
author Of the Life of Hawthorne" and
several other historical and biographical
works, and a first cousin Of DR.. Mon
cure, wrote that he knew who had the
viii about twenty-years ago, is sub
'Moncure d. Conway wrote me re-
qIesting that I obtain permission of the
county authorities relinquishing the
Countys claim to the Martha Washing
ton will" declared DR.. Moncure. That
was twenty years ago. He recited in his
letter that New York friend of his had
purchased the will from the soldier who
stole It during the civil war. He SAID
that the man wanted $3.50 for the docU-
ment.
u notified my cousin that the county
authorities could not relinquish title to
the VIII. and that they did not see fit
at the time to spend a large sum of
money trying to discover his possessOr
and TO recover it from him
Conway died shortly after the in
Eident, and several years later it was
Eumored that J. P. Morgan had added
the precious document to his collection
The sagacity of the elder Morgan, his
evident love for the relic and his
Ehrewdness in eYading being brought in
TO any communication over the Wash
ington will is contrasted today in the
conversations about the little hamlet
with the manner in which the son and
heir gave up the secret mis- father had
kept so long.
AS soon as the late ]. p. Morgau
died Mrs. Barbour, at The instigation of
the Fairfax county chapter of the
Daushters of the American Revolution,
wrote to his son requesting the return
OF the Martha Washington Will said
.AiE- 01lN6Ts explaining now OelDlle
knowledge of the whereabouts of the
VIII came to the people of Virginia.
AT that time We did not know that
the Will was in the Morgan library. That
: as month o rso ago and We had been
seektnE it for more than half century.
Within few davs a letter was received
from Mr.. MorEans librarian Sc wing that
we could have photographs of the stolen
document Then il was that We first
knew the Will as IN Morgan's posses
sion."
Bills Aimed At Morgan.
simultaneously with the introduction
IN the State senate of Senator Thorn
toms bill to recover the will, Represen-
tstive Oliver will introduce a similar
measure in the lower house Of the State
Legislature. Both legislators will seek
FIRST to have the governor of Virginia re-
cover the document by communicating
with its present pOsseSSor. Then, in
eveEt, that Morgan still refuses to part
with the will, the attorney general of
Virginia will be directed to institute
SUIT. Just what the substance of the
nifl5 VIII be neither Senator 'TbOIn>o |
nor Representative Oliver was able to |
gay today. as drafts Of the measures
have not been complied.
Morgan. according to some lawyers Of |
Ne~ oYrk. claims that ne holds the |
Tor Thornton. He certainly does not !
Tho people of this State can prove that
Lsi father held il secretly. in that he
r ne 3 Jedly. refused TO answer communi- /
catoDs directed to him by the Com