Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-01
NO CONDITIONS
ATTACHED TO WILL
]. P. Morgan Returns Martha
Washington Testament to
State of Virginia.
NOW in GOVERNORS SAFE
Suggests Mount Vernon as Suit
able Place for Its Perma-
nent Deposit.

y permanent repository for the
Martha Washington will which is now
resting in Governor Stuarts office safe.
is vet TO b" chosen.
Judge James Keith. president of the
supreme Court OF Appeals of Virginia.
to whom J. =. Morgan. through Fairfax
Harrison. president OF the Southern
Railway. delivered the will. yesterday
addressed communication to the New
| York nnancier acknowledging receipt
OF the precious document. He had pre-
viously delivered il into the Governors
-cpine.
since the document was obtained by
| MIR Morgan from Mrs Mary Espy
{ Thompson. of Minneapolis. Mimi. it
has been given a handsome morocco
! binding. a special leather case was
provided for the bound document. and
II was thus carefully preserved in the
| Morgan library.
! EPPA HUNTON ACTS
AS INTERMEDIARY
The New York millionaire decided to
, surrender the will following "a friendly
exchange of communications with
| Governor stuart, through Eppa Hunton.
| acting as his legal counsel and inter
| mediary. The negotiations engaged
the attention of both Mr.. Hunton and
Judge Keith.
| The history of the Martha Washing
! ton Will subsequent to the time it was
taken from the old courthouse in Fair
fax is told by Mr.. Morgan in the fol-
lowing communication to Judge Keith:
I mfr. Morgan's Library. New York
/ September 81. 1915.
/ The Hon. James Keith. President Of
| the Supreme Court OF Appeals.
Richmond. Va:
My Dear Sir.-You are. of course.
/ aware of the unfortunate controversy
! which has arisen as to the ownership
and possession of the original will of
/ Martha Washington. When l was first
/ approached on this subject. an imputa-
tion seemed to Ine to be involved which
was most unjust in character and deep
ly painful to me: this caused me at
| the time to determine to stand upon
what seemed to be my legal rights. and
| to make no concessions in regard to
them.
THE facts In regard to the history
OF this paper are as follows. accord
| ing to the statement Of Miss Mary Espy
Thomson. from whom II was pur-
chased by my father in the year 1903
Miss Thomsons statement is:
Lieutenant Colonel David Thorn
son, commanding the Eighty
Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry
was during the spring or autumn OF
1852 stationed at Fairfax Courthouse,
Va His headquarters were In the
courthouse building. The safes had
previously been broken open by the
Blenkers, command of men noted for
their reckless vandalism. The papers
were on the floor, and had been de-
stroyed in large quantities, used to
kindle fires. My father, going into the
office, found his men shovelng the ma
terial from the floor for this use
called them to stop, and, looking over
them, found the document in question.
! Just preceding his death in 1892 he
gave the document to me, to be done
with as / thought proper
(Signed)
MARY ESPY THOMSON.
$3.50 Irving Avenue, South. Mime
apolis. Mimi
The facts in the case have been
submitted TO eminent counsel. and I am
advised that the title of my fathers
estate to the paper is. on well-recog-
nized legal principles. perfect and un-
assailable. An answer to the suit in
the Supreme Court of the United
States, brought by the Commonwealth
OF Virginia. has been prepared and is
ready TO be filed. Should the case
however, come to trial. issues will be
raised as to the late war and the status
OF participants therein, which. it seems
10 me, better should not be raised, in
view of the fifty years of peace and
unity which have elapsed since the
termination of the war. I do not wish
that. through any act of mine. differ
ences long settled should be recalled
Rather than revive the memories OF
ancient strife, long since consigned to
oblivion by the good sense and good
feeling and patriotism of the people of
the United States. | greatly prefer to
waive such personal rights as I believe
l have in this matter.
Moreover, / have the highest regard
for the people of Virginia. and the
pride of all Americans In their splen-
did traditions and lofty spirit. have
good reason to believe that their senti-
ment and interest have been aroused in
respect to this document. and feel 1t to
be proper act on my part to return
1t to their keeping.
In view of the foregoing, and OF
your eminent position as presiding JUS
tice OF the Supreme Court of Virginia,
and of the confidence and esteem in
which you are justly held by that
Common wealth. | hand you herewith
the original will of Martha Washing
ton. with n request that il be disposed
of by you in such way as will best
meet the approval and crafty the SEN
timcnt OF Governor Stuart and the
people of Virginia
"If might be allowed to offer a sug-
gestion. it would he that, because of
my fathers well-known interest in
Mount Vernon and of my own connec-
tion with it as n member of the ad-
visory board of the Mount Vernon AS
sociation, IL seems to me peculiarly
appropriate that relic closely as
sociated with Washington should be
preserved and available TO the public
at the place especially consccrated TO
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