The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-09
NATION INTERESTED
IN Fight FOR Will.
National Board D. A. r. Likely
to Aid Battle to Get Wash
ington Document.
MATTER CERTAIN TO COME UP
Creation Of Public Sentiment May
Force Morgan to Give
Up Paper.

Washington, January B.-The effort
OF Fairfax County. Va, to have re-
turned to Il the will of Martha Wash
ington, stolen from It's records durius
the Civil War, and said to be in tho
possession OF ]. Picrpont Morgan. OF
New York, is expected to be brought
before the meeting OF the national
board of tho Daughters OF the Ameri-
can Revolution. to be held hero January
-, according to statement made to-
day by Mira c. T. e. Brumbaugh reg
istrar- general of the organization.
Wc expect" Mrs. Bru,nbaugh satS
mat Tho Falls Church Chapter Of the
daughters OF the American Rcyolutiot,
"h,ch is endearorlng to aid the officials
ot fairiaN County TO recover tho will
from Mr. Morgan's collection OF his-
,oric documents, Will ask tho national
noard lor assistance. financial, per-
maps. as we'll as moral support What
NC board will do. cannot. OF course
say ut this time. but the matter is cor
tain TO come up for consideration in
somo form or other
Interest Is Growing.
interest In tho eventual disrositIon
or the last will ana testament M H.
Witc OF the first President OF tho
oh!y In Washington and Virginia. but
Throughout the country, and II was
pointed out to-daF that IL the ,,.
tional organization OF the Daughters
OF tho American Revolution begins Z.
campaign Tor the surrender of tho doc
umeht by Mr. Morgan n degree OF pub
lie sentiment is likely 70 bc created
which hc may iind II difficult TO ro
sist. Notwithstanding the view he H.
quoted In dispatches rs having ex-
pressed TO the effect that the stolen
will constituted war loot. which Ii.
father the late J. pierpont Morrnn ST.
was justified in purchasing and hold
ing, In accordance with the custom OF
nations and the consequence OF war.
While those who ara Interested in
the eventual disposition OF the docu-
mcnt are awaiting the introduction I'm
the Virginia Legislature OF {: measure
proposed by State Senator z. EweN
Thornton. OF Fairfax, calling on tho
Virginia Attorney General to move
against Dir Morgan. dispatches are
coming from various sections Of tho
country in regard 10 the viii and SINH
lar caaes OF missing historic documents.
Documents Carried on.
Fairfax Courthouse lies ten miles
north OF the battlefield OF Bull Run.
and IT is said that during the civil
war. when tie Headquarters Of The
Union army. under General Mcdowell,
was located there. g. number Of othcc
Important historical documents welo
carried OFT. General Mcdowell Is said
TO have punished number OF his sol
uicts' nut 10 no avail. one OF the
records so carried of ana later return,
cd proved to be the minute book OF tho
colonial Court for tho year 1850, ana
In IL. on page 4GS. there is q rcpor.
or grand jury which is considered
nE some To be reflection OF George
Washingtons vcracity. The follow
ing Is Il copy OF that record:
May u. 1860. We present George
William Fairfax, George Washington.
John Carlyle, George Mason nnH
Abraham Jones for not entering their
wheeled carriages agreeably TO tho
: law, as appears 10 US by the list de-
/ iivered 10 the clerk, Of The county"
According 70 Walter Oliver, a Fair
| Tax lawyer. the word present was /,
technical word OF the old Colonial law,
and Was equivalent to the word or.
dict" now in use.
The 'presentmcnr OF these mon fer
! failure to enter their carriages" Mr.
oilVcr sair was the Colonial eouiya
/ i.nt OF a modern Indictment for tax
lodging"
The George william Fairfax men
.,oneI was a cousin OF Lord Fairfax.
inc George Mason mentioned was tho
celebrated author OF tho Virginia "BIu
OF Rights.
The ola minute book weighs thirty
pounds. IT was carried OF by a Penn
syivania soldier. Several years ago he
wrote to j. Il. Richardson. county clerk
OF Fairfax COUNTY, and offered 20, re
turn II for 500. The offer to pa
! money for it was refused. Later. when
the soldier died, the book was returned
Ly the probate judge who had admin
lstered his"estatc. Learning the source
1y..h
dered it returned.
NO one in this section OF the country
apparently, knows how the Martha
Washington Will got in Mr.. Morgan's
collection. II is supposed that ono OF
General McDowclrs soldiers stole It.