Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-01-06
FAIRFAX TO SUE
MORGAN FOR WILL
Attorney General Will be
Requested to Act in the
Matter at Once.
CUT FROM THE BOOK.
CUT FROM THE BOOK,
Carried From Virginia During Civil
War-Will of George Mason Van
ished About Same Time.

When the State Legislature meets
in Richmond next week, State Sena-
tor r. Ewell Thornton, of FairfaS
county, will introduce resolution
authorizing and instIucting the At
torney General of the State
to institute suit against j. P
Morgan in the United States Supreme
Court for the recovery of the will OF
Martha Washington which is in the
library of the New York financier
The will of Martha Washington
wife of the first President of the Uni
ted States and the richest woman of
this section of the country in her
day, was cut from the record book of
Fairfax county while the war be-
tween the States was raging in that
part of Virginia. At the same time
the will of George Mason, who wrote
the bill of rights, was taken from the
same book.
For more than fifty years the
people of Fairfax county have search
ed for the Martha Washington will,
which they priced very highly as a
relic. Not long ago some one who
saw the will among Mr.. Morgan's col
lection notified a friend in Fairfax,
and an effort was made to have the
document returned to where it right
fully and legally belongs. ..,.
Mrs. John S. Barbour, regent OF
the Falls Church Chapter OF the
Daughters of the American Revolu-
tion, acting for her organization,
wrote and asked Mr.. Morgan to re-
turn the will, which she said, had
leen "taker from the records OF Fair
fax county"
Mr.. Morgan's secretary replied
that Mr.. Morgan was in France, but
that the letter would be called to his
attention on his return
Just after Christmas Eve, Mrs.
Barbour received the following letter
from Mr.. Morgan's librarian:
Mr.. Morgan's Library,
New York, Dec 26, 1913.
Mrs. ]. S. Barbour, Fairfax, Va.
Dear Madam-Upon his return
from England, Mr.. J. P. Morgan has
read your letter of November 10,
and in reply, has asked me to say
,that he regrets he is unable to ac-
cede to your request that the will
Of Martha Washington be returned
to the archives of Fairfax county
Mr.. Morgan desires me to say
that he will be glad to have this
will photographed and send you a
set of such photographs, if you de-
sire. He would appreciate the re-
turn courtesy of Photographic re-
production of the will of George
Washington, which is deposited in the
archives of Fairfax county.
Very truly yours,
BELLE DA COSTA GREEN,
Librarian.
The State organization of tht
DAUGHTERS of the American Revotu
ton supported the Falls Church
Chapter in making the request to-
the will on Mr. Morgan.
Having failed to get the documen
by gentle means, the people OF FAR
fax county will now ask the Stat
to take legal steps to regain It.
A decade or longer ago F. W. Rich
ardson, who has been clerk of Fair
fax county for thirty years, began t.
receive letters from persons in New
York asking if clear title to tn
will of Martha Washington could b
had. Mr.. Richardson invariably re
sponided that the original will of Mar
tina Washington belonged to the peo
pie Of Fairfax county and could no
be legally disposed Of by any one in
TO whose possession it hsd fallen.
Mr.. Richardson's mind is not clea
on the names of those who wrote hln
Six years ago friend Of r. Wal
ton Moore, prominent attorney, Q
Washington and Fairfax told ~
Moore that the Martha Washnsto
will had been seen in the collection Q
wills belonging to J, P. Morgan. 81
Mr.. Moore told c. Vernon Ford, not
Conmonwealth's Attorney at Fair