Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-09-22
ITEMS OF INTEREST.

Of the State having a direct bearing
on the granting OF equal rights of cit
izenship TO men and women provides
that husbands courtesy in the real
estate of his deceased wife shall be in
the one-third thereof instead Of the
whole. A wife's dover is in one-third
of her deceased husbands property.
This has been the law heretofore, and
the act of the legislature places man
and woman on the same plane in this
particular.
Stumbling as she was going 10 the
spring-house where she was making
butter, Miss Beulah Freshwater, aged
thirty-two, stuck her head in a barrel
shaped two-gallon crock filled with
water and was drowned. Her lifeless
soody with her head wedged in the
crock was found by her father, John
Freshwater, a prominent Brooke coun-
ty, W. Va, dairyman, two hours af-
ter the woman left for the spring
house. Her head was 50 tightly
wedged in the heavy earthen crock that
it was necessary to break the crock
with Ratchet.
In the Corporation Court of Win
chester last Monday an order was en-
tered confirming and ratifying a COM
promise effected between the Northern
Virginia Power Company and the ad-
miniStratriX of the late Marshall ID.
Miller, who was killed by an electric
light company's wire while at work as
an assistant superintendent of con-
struction at Shenandoah Junction on
September 10Th last. The compromise
was for $3.50, to be paid to the heirs
at law Of the deceased Mr.. Miller
was working on pole Of the company
when his body came in contact with a
live wire ana he was instantly killed.
He was native of Augusta county,
Va. His mother, Mrs. Betty p. Mil
Ter, was appointed Administrative of his
estate. The compromise was effected
without a lawsuit, only a friendly suit
being necessary.The decedent left his
mother, six sisters and brothers and
two nephews who would have shared
. in the distribution of the fund, but the
children waived their rights in favor
of their mother, while the two nephews
received the sum of SIS each. A
claim of contributory negligence was
put up by the electric light company
and was not denied by the family.
The Advocate says that the parson-
age property of the Southern Meth
odist Church in Charles Town was
sold last week to M. M. Jenkins,
farmer of Uvilla, this county, for S.
500. Mr.. Jenkins who will quit farm
ing, will get possession of it in the
spring of 1922. Meanwhile, the Meth
odist trustees will buy or lease other
property for the use and occupation Of
their minister. The passing of the
parsonage to private ownership marks
the end of long and uninterrupted
title on the part Of the church. Az
ter the Civil War it became the subject
Of litigation between the Northern and
Southern branches Of Methodism. The
circuit court of this county in 1870 de-
creed that a deed should be given for
il to the trustees Of the Southern Meth
odist Church. Charles Davies, a men,
Der of the bar Of the county, residing
at Harper's Ferry, and one Of the very
few attorneys, allowed to practice in
the court here because of the opera
ton Of the Test Oath that excluded
Southern sympathizers from the bar,
was appointed a special commissioner
to execute the deed This deed was
dated November IS, 1870, and conveyed
the property to Rein Shugert, Thomas
johnson, Vim. P. Henson, Thomas
Locke, James M. Slifer, Richard A.
Hessey and Jacob Haines, trustees
About 1888 the old parsonage building
was destroyed by fire. Immediately
afterward the present substantial,
eight-room brick house was built. The
lot fronts about 90 feet on West Wash
ington street.