The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-01-15

AS TO VALUE
Question Raised by BIease as to
Worth of the Estate of the
Late Robert D. Coleman
Auditor Receives Message
From Blease's Secretary.
Governors Secretary Submits Tele-
gram Requiring Amount of the
Estate of RObt. Coleman.

. oeSIetdTS SuDHltS lele-
gram Requiring Amount of the
Estate of Robt. Coleman.
In your issue of Saturday morning
January 8, 1915, page 8, column 2,
IN commenting on the pardon granted
by his excellency, Gov. Blease, to one
Harry Coleman, you state:
Young Man Heir to Estate Worth
$4,000" " VI vi
Upon reading your article, I sent
the following telegram:
columbia, S. c., January 8, 1915.
County Auditor, Union County,
Union, S. G.
PleaSe wire me at once amount
OF estate left by Robert or R.D.Cole-
man, father of Harry Coleman. Please
be absolutely accurate in your fig
ures.
(Slgned) "W. f. Blackburn,
Private Secretary"
And receive ne following reply:
Union, &C, Jan. 8, 1915.
Mr.. w. f. Blackburn, Private Secre-
tary, Columbia, S. C.
Estate of r. d. Coleman, 1918.
real estate $1,000. Nothing on books
of 1914.
(Slgned) "T. j. Betenbaugh,
County Auditor, Union County,"
l presume, in justice to Gov. Blease,
and to CO rect an erroneous Impress
ION created among the readers of
your paper, you will give the same
prominence to this communication
that you did in the articl. .bove men
toned. w. F. Blactburn
Private Sc. Qlsrv. ~
) Columbia. S. g, January % II :.
lin November of last wear. when
Harry Coleman's long lost brbther,
Roland Coleman, was located in} Ohio,
the Union correspondent of The State
reported, on the authority of counsel
and county officials interested, that
the estate of Robert u. Coleman
which had come into the possession
of his son, Harry Coleman, comprised
900 acres of land worth $40 or $50
an acre." as well as "Some cash and
valuable papers. 1.-THE State.
Auditor Thos. j. Betenbaugh re-
ceived message from w. F. Black
burn, private secretary of Cole L.
Blease, recently, asking for definite
Information as to the amount of the
estate left by Robert ID. Coleman. The
inquiry was made because of the ac-
count of Harry Coleman's release
from prison as published in The CO.
lumbia State. The following is
clipping from The State of January
8:
From time to time in writing of the
death of r. ID. Coleman and Of the
subsequent trial and conviction of
Harry Coleman, his son, as the man
guilty of murder, the estate was con-
stantly referred to by newspaper cor
respondents as being worth $4,000 or
$4,000. There are 200 acres of land
and the buildings and outhouses
thereon are of considerable value. The
States correspondent has never heard
any one put the value of this land be-
low $40 per acre. Many have put the
valuation considerably above that fig
ure. At the time of the death of Rob-
ert Coleman it was commonly report
ed that he left at least 81 900 in cash
and some few papers that were of
value: The value put on the 200
acres of land is practically correct.
While the auditors books may and do
show no more than $1,000, this valua-
ton is perhaps the valuation that
would have been just a number of
years ago. To show that $40 an acre
is not too high valuation, it is found
that there are mortgages aggregating
$3,768 now on record against this
same home place of 200 acres of land.
There is one mortgage given by Har-
ry Coleman, dated August 1, 1913, for
$500. This mortgage is recorded in
Book Mortgages S-22, page 22S.
There is a second mortgage for ST.
800, given by Harry Coleman and
recorded in Book Mortgages S-22,
page 1888; the date of the mortgage is
February 2S, 1913.
AT subsequent date Harry Cole
man decided the place to Calvin C.
Alexander and his wife, Mary Alex
ander; these in turn gave a subse-
quent mortgage over the place for
$1,969, making a total sum in the
three mortgages of $3,76S; this third
mortgage is in Book S-22, page 339.
Every one of these mortgages remains
uncancelled on the clerks books and
were given to responsible and wide
awake business men. 1t is a we'll
(COntinued on last naoe)