The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-06-09
BRIDE GOT RAW DEAL

CONTINUED From First Page)
Kemp. B. s. Register. A. D. Barksdale
and Irby Turnbull.
| AS the case appeared in the Circuit
Court OF Mecklenburg the clerk of
the court declined to appoint the
widow ADMINISTRATIVE of the estate Of
Gooch or to appoint the Virginia Trust
Co. or others named by her as ad-
ministrator of the estate. After a
consideration Of the prenuptial con-
tract, which puts the sum of $4,000
in trust in the hands of the Old Do
minion Trust Co. the interest thereon
to be paid In semi-annual payments
OF $1,000 each. the clerk felt called
upon to carry out the terms OF the
contract and. at the request of the
daughter of the dead man, appointed
her uncle. j. II. Gooch citizen or
! North Carolina, administrator OF the
estate. At this the case was taken to
the Mecklenburg Circuit Court. where
the presiding Judge decided to ,.ppoint
a curator. naming the Old Dominion
Trust Co.
| The widow. through her attorneys,
the ndeclared that either appointment
was injurious to her interests. 1t is
alleged that the uncle, being a near
ktnsman and prejudiced to the widow
in favor Of the niece Is an improper
administrator: that the Old Dominion
Trust Company Is a party TO the suit,
being named In the prenuptial con-
tract as trustee under tbs contract.
Claiming that the circumstances
under which she was married led her
to believe that Gooch really loved her
and that he personally came to her
and told her that no lad arranged a
pr.nuptial contract to protect her in
the event OF his death. the widow al
leges that she felt overcome with
gratitude and that, naturally. as a low
Ing wife. she did not question the mat
ter; In fact felt that 1t VS. improver
for her to discuss such a question.
Was Young Music Teacher.
Beginning with the early acQuaint-
ance OF the widow with Gooch, the
record in the case declares that Miss
Radcliffe. secured "A position as a
teacher of music at the age of nine
teen years with the Southside Insti-
tute. of Chase City. about twelve miles
from the home OF Gooch. Gooch, 1t
is said, secured an introduction to the
young music teacher and pressed his
claims for her hand. Later she secured
a better position at Boiling Springs
4 High School, in Cleveland County, N.
c.. as director of music for that school.
which position she held for two years
The entire acquaintance between the
widow and Gooch covered a period of
Ave years. until April, 1915, when Miss
Radcliffe resigned to become the bride
of Gooch. The marriage was solem-
nized October IA. 1918. the bride then
being in her twenty-fourth year, the
record stating that she attained the
age of twenty-four years on the 14th
day of November, 1915. the date of the
death Of said w. H. Gooch," the groom
committing suicide on the birthday Of
hts bride, and one month to the day
after the wedding ceremony.
| Letters Gave Her shock.
Again the hand of the scenario writ
err might appear to have guided the
destinies of this unfortunate couple
for the conductor of the apartment
car In which the couple travelled hand
ed the bride the letters Of her dead
husband. Here she was given Sec
ond terrible shock. for the letters.
she alleges, gave her the informant ton
that another woman than herself had
| hgnred In the life OF her husband.
and that he had not told her the
truth regarding the pre-nuptial con-
tract or the amount of his wealth.
With reference to the pre-nuptial
contract the Widows declaration al
| leges that she had previously been
told OF the contract though she had
never seen II. As the bridal party
waited. II il said. thirty minutes be-
fore they were to leave on a wedding
trip. and while an automobile waited
to take them to Salisbury from her
mothers home in Lexington, where she
ceremony was performed, the contract
was nrst produced.
| Says the declaration. without legal
or other advisers the bride signed the
| contract"
! Got q "Raw DeaI.-
| Following the signature, which u
the couple left for Salisbury. where
they took the train for San Francisco
The suicide took place on the return
trip. while in Texas.
In its opinion the Mecklenburg court
says. The whole circumstances of this
case are peculiarly sad and tragic. It
may be this young lady has had. to
use n slang phrase. a raw deal: that
great injustice has been done her"
| As the chief basis for the request
that the court consider the pre-nuptial
contract it 10 emphasized that the bride
only read the first paragraph and that
| at the altar and that she believed from
| that paragraph and from previous con-
| servations with her husband before
| the marriage that the contract CIV
ing her the income from the deposit
| Of $4,000 with the Old Dominion Trust
| Company WAS merely an ASSURANCE of
| that amount and was intended as a
protection and not to prevent tho
| bride from enjoying her legal right
as widow in the event she became
such.
Further the attorneys for the widow
claim that the estate OF the husband
| Is probably as much as 100000, which
would give the widow the income on
| much more than that guaranteed under
| the pre-nuptial contract.
| In the appeal the attorneys for the
| widow claim that the court erred in
appointing a curator and then dismiss-
| ing petitioners motion for the appoint
ment Of an administrator and that the
court was therefore without authority
to appoint curator. except until ad-