The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1916-12-29
HISTORIC
And Long Contested Suit in
Hands Highest Court
Has Kept Many Farmers of COun-
~ on Uneasy Seat for Num-
ber of Years.
[Ry James K. CarlInl

]
Court Of the State Of Ohio and set 70
hearing on Tuesday, February 10, origin
ally from the Mercer County Commo
Pleas Court, a very interesting and 70
mantle, and probably the most histori
civil suit ever recorded on the calenda
Of the States highest tribunal.
The action is in the nature Of two sep
arate suits-Joseph Motion and Yorl
Ryal for themselves and others VS.. Ger
hard Kessens and Bernard Deweu. res.
pectively-better known in this county
and in the Courts as the famous Ran.
dolph slave cases.
The purpose of the action, which was
first commenced June "a, 1905, in the
Court Of Common Pleas Of Mercer Coun-
ty, is to establish trust in tract OF
land lying in the southern part of this
county
The case includes fifty-eight individual
actions against as many well-to-d do farm
ers Of the townships Of Marion, Gran
willie, Franklin, Butler and Jefferson, in
volving in question more than three
thousand acres of the most fertile farm
liAlh III ANbl INV tSLtEn OIllO.
The plaintiffs are descendants Of form
er slaves Of the late John Randolph, Of
Roanoke, Virginia, an eccentric and learn
ed lawyer. statesman and diplomat. rec
ognized as one of the historical person
ages of the United States.
There are still living forty-seven of the
original body Of some four hundred and
more slaves and more than three hun
ired descendants.
The case is rich in historic incidents,
attending the period Immediately prior to
The Civil War, and was made very diff
'ult to unravel owing to the fact that
he original will of Randolph, and many
,aluable records and deeds were DESTROY
ID by the burning of the Court House at
he evacuation of the City of Richmond,
Npril 8, 1865.
On May "a, 1888, John Randolph, of
roanoke, one time Attorney General Of
he United States, an extensive slave
lolder, died unmarried and childless,
eaving a very large estate, both real and
ersanal. He drew his own will Decem- |
'er 6, 1921, and afterwards added seven
fferent codicils
While endeavoring to find information
or the suits above referred to thor
ugh search was made of the Records Of !
richmond of those of Charlotte County, |
there Randolph died; and at Halifax
here his executor, Leigh, died The |
earch was then pursued to the County |
James City, and the City of Williams
urg, and from there to Petersburg, !
here in a Collateral proceeding a copy |
the will was accidentally discovered.
The win and codicils are very lengthy. |
ut full Of many interesting facts. The
rst two paragraphs gave rise to the
lit now pending. The will, in part, is
S follows
In the Name of God, Amen!
Il, John Randolph, of Roanoke, do or
ain this my last will and testament,
ereby revoking all other wills whatso-
yer:
Il give and bequeath to all my slaves
leir freedom, heartily regretting that
ave ever been the owner of one
Il give to my executor a sum not ex-
,eding eight thousand dollars, or so
uch thereof as may be necessary to
ansport and settle said slaves to and in
me other state or territory of the U. S.
wing to all above the age of forty, not
IS than ten acres of land each.
ITO my old and faithful servants, Ex-
X and his wife, Hetty, who trust may
suffered to remain in the State, give ,
i'd bequeath three and half barrels of
rn, two hundred weight of pork, pair !
strong shoes, suit of clothes and
lnket each to be paid them annually; Z
so an annual hat to Essex, and ten {
unds Of coffee and twenty pounds of 1
own sugar. r
ITO William Leigh (Note by writer-At z
e time Judge of the Superior Court of +
of Halifax County Virginia, I I
queath to him and to his heirs forever, +
the land on which live lying between 2
e ovens ferry road and Carrington's,
ok's, Lipscombs' and Morton's lines.
The land above the Owens ferry road q
d the lower quarter. and the land I \
ught of the Reads to be sold at my z
ID Executors discretion and what ever .
,neys over and above my debts 1 give n
d bequeath to Francis Scott Key CNote +
writer-Author of the Star Spangled 6
nner) to be disposed of toward better q
: the condition of my manumitted G
YES. r.
I give and bequeath to my said Execu- r
., William Leigh all my books, maps, n
lures, &c, except three folio manu-
ipt volumns bound in parchment, which
equeath to the masters and fellows and
'ir successors of Trinity College, Cam
dge, Old England, the first college of b
first University of the World. The v
n ~ ha ] /,
'chment referred to contain the rec A
IS of the Old London Company
As lawyers and courts of law are ex- W
mely addicted to making wills for al
ID men which they never made when el
ng, it is my viii and desire that no e
son who shall set aside or attmpt to
aside the will above referred to shall CT
r inherit, possess or enjoy any part of al
estate, real or personal" el
'nder date of August 26, 1881, at War +
< street Charing Gro, London, the
owing codicil, in part was made: c.
On the eve of embarking for the I'm T
s., considering my feeble health to nj
nothing of the danger of the seas II
this codicil to my last will and tesla
lt tc
nave upward OF TWO thousand POUNDS V
ling in the hands of Barring Brothers C,
Co, of London, and upwards of one an
usand pounds like moey in the hands
5owen and Marx; this money leave to r
Executor, William Leigh, as a fund z,
carrying into execution my will re- r
citing my slaves; and in addition to the r
visions which I have made for my
hful servant John, sometimes called w
n White, I charge my whole estate B,
h an annuity to him during his life of ht
Z dollars, and as the only favor that / r.
r asked of any government I do en-
It the Assembly of Virginia to permit re
said John and his family sto remain p
Virginia" eft
fter the death Of Randolph relatives in
tested the viii because of the large nj