Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1924-06-26

rock. Those mentioned as being
from Pleasantville were also, with
others from that place, present at
the grange meeting held here Satur-
day evening, and which is noted
elsewhere in this paper.
The Millers are descendants of
Samuel Miller of Malta township,
who died about II years ago, in his
92nd year. He was the third child
of Peter and Elizabeth Miller and
was born near Cumberland, o. His
wife who died 80 years ago, was
Margaret Atkinson, a daughter of
the late Samuel Atkinson of near
Reinersyille. They were the par
ents of nine children, three Of whom
survive-John F. and Charles Mil
Ter of Malta, and Mrs Adelia Scott
of McConnelsville. Saml Miller was
for many years an elder in the Malta
Church of Christ.
The Morgan County Democrat of
Nov. 10, 1909, in writing of Samuel
Miller said: He is a great reader
of the Bible and forceful writer on
religious topics. No resident of the
county is held in higher regard by
all his acquaintance than this up
right and honorable citizen" The
same issue of the Democrat gave an
article written by j. w. Tannehill,
which told of the largest estate ever
inherited by Morgan county heirs,
and gave brief history of the early
descendants of John Miller, founder
of the estate.
While many large estates, the ar
ticle pointed out, are phantoms of
| scheming lawyers and credulous
would-be heirs, the Miller estate of
! Pennsylvania was one that was
really inherited by Morgan county
people. 1t was the largest and most
noted of any estate ever received by
citizens of the county.
The story as related by Mr.. Tan
nehill was, briefly, this: The Mil
/ lers originally lived in Philadelphia.
| The first members of the family of
whom we have authentic record
were John Miller and his wife Mary,
the former being prosperous mer-
chant in Philadelphia. He died in
1887. He had three children
John. Elizabeth and Peter. He will
ed the property to his widow and at
her death to his youngest son,
Peter. The widow and children
moved to Easton, Pa, and here the
mother died. The son John moved
TO western Pennsylvania where he
married. He had one child. Peter
Miller, born in 1889, who was the
father Of the Millers who settled in
Morgan county, Ohio. John Miller
died shortly after the birth of his
son, Elizabeth, the sister of John
Miller, married man named Dar-
rock. She died leaving no children.
Peter, the brother of John Miller
and Mrs. Darrock, after settling at
Easton, Pa, engaged in the mer-
camille business. He never married.
When he died in 1S47 he left an es-
tate valued at 100000, but not
dollar of it was bequeathed to his
nephew and namesake Peter Miller.
His will, it is stated, was so intri-
cate that no court could construe it
and no executor carry out it's pro-
visions.
In 1848, Peter Miller of Morgan
county, o., brought suit to set aside
the will of his uncle In case the
petition was granted, Peter Miller.
the only heir would receive the en-
tire estate. The case was finally
carried to the supreme court of
Pennsylvania which decided that the
will attempted to create a perpetu-
ity, and that even if its provisions
were Ineligible enough to be car
RED out, the fact that the estate was
10 De Kept intact forever, was con-
trary to the laws of Pennsylvania.
The will was therefore set aside, and
Peter Miller, the nephew, was de-
clared the rightful heir of all the
property. 1t was shown that the
estate, If allowed to accumulate at
compound interest for 100 years,
would amount to over $84,0O0.0OO. !
AS above stated Elder Samuel |
Miller was a son of Peter Miller re-
ferred 10, as inheriting this estate. !
Another son was the late Peter Mil
Ter who was the father of VIM. Mil
Ter who resides in Columbus.