Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1914-01-10
]. ?. MORGAN AND
THE STOLEN WILL
Millionaire Holder of Decu-
ment Still Averse to
Restoring 1t.
CUVILLIER'S LETTER.
Former Alexandrian Cites Other
Cases Where Property Stolen Dur
ing Civil War Was Returned.
CUVILLIER'S LETTER.

J. p. Morgan's refusal to surren-
der the will of Martha Washington,
which was cut from q book in the
court house at Fairfax by some van
dial, during the civil war, is still a
subject of comment and in some
quarters evaporation. 1t is supposed
the financier with his millions will
set up fierce fight against giving
up the stolen property, but the Old
Dominion is aroused and will remain
in the ring.
One Of the Richmond papers today
contains picture of the court house
at Fairfax and one of the Morgan
palace in New York. The humble
structure at the county seat stands
in marked contrast to that which the
stolen will has been placed, but the
former bears the look Of continental
.lLonestN AMI Was not erected by
money acquired in stock juggling.
LOUIS A. Culivier, native of this
city, and now member of the New
York Assembly, in letter to New
York newspaper says, among other
things:
As a native of Virginia | take
great interest in the recovery of the
will of Martha Washington, now in
the private collection of ]. P. Nor
gan. 1T is unfortunate that Mr..
Morgan is placed in the position Of
having in his possession the stolen
official records of Fairfax county: ac-
cording to the statutes of the State Of
Virginia, when will is probated it
becomes part Of the official record
of the. State.
"New York state has established
similar precedents in similar cases.
! recall the Legislature Of 1910 re-
turning to the State of South Caro-
line two muSter-rolls of the War of
the Revolution that had been stolen
from she State Library in South
Carolina and that the State of New
York purchased in good faith. The
State Librarian the late Dr.. Drap-
er, refused to turn them over to
South Caroline; hence a bill was in
troduces. requesting the state of New
York to return these muster-rolLs
to South Carolina. The contention Of
South Carolina was to the effect that
thass u,uster-rolls were stolen. The
Legislature and the Governor of
this State were unanimous that the
State of New York did not want
stolen articles in its possession.
81 can see no difference between the
State of New York and one of its
citizens in respect to stolen official
documents of another state. In 1910
the legislature unanimously passed
and the Governor signed bill ALL
ehorzing the acknowledgement of the
State of New York to turn over to
the Seventh Virginia regiment the
Confederate flag of that regiment
that was captured by the New York
troops in Virginia during the civil
war"
NEGOTIATIONS between Attorney
Gen Williams and Mrs. Helen Los
sing Johnson of Poughkeepsie, n. y,
relative to the return to Virginia OF
certain DOCUMENTS, including letters
written by George Washington and
the Maruis deLafayette to the mouse
of burgesses, which were removed oy
her father, Benson J. Losing, the
historian from the State library, soon
after the close of the war between
the states have been concluded WIN
the Understanding that Virginia may
recover the documents on payment OF
$3.50.
This Mrs. Johnson claims, repre-
septs the sum she has expended on
advertising the documents for sale
and in the employment of lawyer
to carry on the negotiations with the
Virginia officials after they learned
that she had them in her possession
Mrs. johnson at first held out fol
$4,000.
Ths sstHsnsnt of this case is OF
interest just new because os it's sin,i.
lsriU to thst Of ths Narth Wash.
a4lgtcn val, stalsa Saam srseng tha
FatGsy county rssords dusing the Wa,