The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1920-02-21

on this cover except "The Last VIII
and Testament of Geu1 George WASH
ington."
Washington began his will thus:
'In the name Of God. Amen! !
George Washington of Mount Vernon
citizen Of the United States and
lately president of the same. do make
ordain and declare this instrument
which is written with my own hand
and every page thereof subscribed
with my name to be my last VIII &
Testament, revolving all others"
Just the same. he omitted his sig
nature from the bottom of page %.
which goes to show that even the
model Of all the ages was human
Martha Washington's will is dated
March 4, 1902. and was admitted to
| probate by the county court at Fair
fax June q. 1902 1t remained in the
old courthouse until the Civil war.
| Union forces occupied Fairfax in 1862
| and the viii disappeared. For more
| than 80 years the Fairfax county au
thorities could find no trace of 1t.
Upon the death of J. Pierpont Nor
gan in 1913 it became known that
the missing will was one of the most
priced articles of his great collection
of historic documents. Fairfax county
thereupon undertook to regain posses
sion of it.
j. FierpOnt Morgan. Jr., declined TO
give up the will He offered however.
to let Fairfax have Photographic
reproduction, provided Fairfax would
LET him have similar reproduction
Of George Washington's will.
This offer was declined. The Vir-
ginia Legislature was then appealed to-
with the result that an act was passed
directing the attorney general of the
state to bring suit TO recover the orig
inal document. The bill was filed in
the Supreme court.
In the meantime. in correspondence
with the Virginia state authorities. Mr..
Morgan first objected to the manner
In which he had been approached. then
offered to return the will provided II
and in vault to be constructed by
him. This and all other conditions
were refused. Finally, in 1915. when
the case was about to come to trial
Mr.. Morgan capitulated and handed
over the will to the Fairfax county
authorities.
Thereupon the secret of the dsnp-
pearance and whereabouts of the will
was cleared up. For. pasted on the
fiy-leaf of the handsome folder which
the elder Morgan had used to protect |
the will. was found the following sign
ed statement by the woman from
whom he had purchased the document |
in 1909
Lieut.. Col. David Thomson, com
the Eighty second regiment.
Ohio Volunteer infantry was. during
the spring or autumn of 1862. sta
toned at Fairfax courthouse, Va. His
headquarters were in the courthouse
building The safes had previous to
this been broken open by the Blenk-
ers, command of men noted for their
TeGklcSS NHuuHliSlH, Inc pHueTS were
On the floor and had been destroyed
n large quantities candy used to kin
lie fires. NY father, going into the
office. found his men shoveling the
material from the floor for this use
allied them to stop, and, looking over
hem, found the document in question.
lust preceding his death, in 1892, he
rave the document to me to be done
With as | thought proper.
(Signed) MARY ESPY THOMSON.
1856 Irving avenue. South, Minneapo-
lis, Mimi
Martha Wsshington's will Is long
ne, is written on pages of foolscap
nd is remarkably well preserved.
my one who doubts that Martha
Washington was good business wom-
n should read the will.
Also, the will has postscript.
ghich shows that the wife of the
Father" OF this country was also
uman.