Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-10-08
Want Martha Washington
Will Replaced in the
Courthouse
SUPERVISORS MEET
Resolutions Adpoted Requesting Gov
ernor Stuart to Deliver instrument
to Clerk OF Court.

j. p. Morgan's suggestion that the
will of Martha Washington be placed
:.t Mount Vernon has brought forth
!. storm of protests from Fairfax
county.
One of the provisions OF the Act OF
the General Assembly authorizing
the Governor to negotiate for thS re
turn of the will, or, failing in that, to
bring suit, is referred to. 1t provides:
upon the recovery of the posses
sion of the said document, it shall be
delivered to the Clerk of the Circuit
Court of Fairfax county, Virginia, for
deposit and safe-keeping among the
archives of Fairfax county"
At meeting Of the Board of Super
visors, held at Fairfax Courthouse
this week, the following preamblcs
and resolutions were unanimously ad-
opted:
"Whereas, The Board Of Supervis-
O.s of Fairfax county, finding that re-
peated efforts to recover from Mr. j.
P. Morgan, of New York, the will Of
Martha Washington (ascertained and
acknowledged to be in his possesslon)
which will was illegally and wrong
fully abstracted from the records of
the county of Fairfax by some Union
soldier in the year 1862, were fruitless
of result, and that said Morgan would
not relinquish the will except upon
conditions which were wholly objec-
tionablc to Fairfax county and which
he had no legal or moral right to i'm
pose, and
whereas, The Act Of the General
Assembly of Virginia, authorizing the
Governor to negotiate for the return
of said, will and to bring suit, if neg
cssary, for it's recovery, provided that
upon the recovery of the possession
of the said document it shall be de
livered to the Clerk of the Circuit
Court of Fairfax county, Virginia, for
deposit and safe keeping among the
archives of Fairfax county, and
"Whereas, The will has .been de
livered into the hands Of the Cover
nor. be it therefore;
."Resolved, 1st, That this Board, on
behalf of the county of Fairfax, here
by requests Governor Stuart to de-
liver the said will into the hands of
Mr.. F. w. Richardson, the Clerk of
the Circuit Court of Fairfax county.
as provided by the Act hereinbefore
referred to, and
,%s"Kesolved, I'd, That Mr. F. w. Rich
ardson, Clerk of the Circuit Court as
aforesaid, do forthwith furnish Gov
ernor Stuart with q certified copy of
these preambles and resolutions, in
order that the object of the proceed
ings against Mr.. Morgan may be i'm.
mediately achieved and further liti-
CATION rendered unnecessary.
The Fairfax Herald in commenting
upon the final disposition of the will
says:
ssWe believe Governor Stuart will
comply with the law under which no
has acted, and will not hold the will
for any other purpose at the request
or behest of Mr.. Morgan. If the coun-
ty is to be despoiled of its property,
it would be better to return the will
to Mr.. Morgan and let alien hands,
rather those of Virginian, divert the
document from its rightful place.
'The Clerks Office of Fairfax coun-
ty contains great many documents
of priceless worth from a sentimental
standpoint. including the will of Gen
Washington. Are these documents. OF
any one of them, to be wrested from
the county at the behest of John T,
Morgan? God forbid that the hand o1
Virginian should be persuaded tc
perform an unlawful act which the
hand Of a conscienceless alien dare
not perpetrate."