Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 18.pdf/141

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120

THE GREEN BAG

West Boylston, the property owners, mostly farmers, protested quite earnestly against the right of the metropolitan water-board to take their lands by " eminent domain," a 'power they never before heard of. One day during this period of agitation, a minister driving through the Nashua valley, the future site of the reservoir, came to a hill where a fine view of the surrounding country could be had. Daniel Carville, a farmer, who for seventy years had lived in that region, suspecting that the occupant of the carriage was an official who was looking over his premises for the purpose of seizing it later by " eminent domain," walked up to the carrige with an inquiring look. The minister, putting his head out in a pleasant tone inquired if he owned " this beautiful hill." Carville, desiring to impress the supposed agent of the water-board with his idea of ownership, replied: " Yes, every foot of it right straight down to hell." Websteriana. — A subscriber kindly sends us the following copy of an original memo randum of a case endorsed on an old envelope by Daniel Webster. The hungry stripling at the Bar will feel a touch of sympathy at the thought of that eight dollar fee. CASE Mary Beck, wife of Samuel Beck, died Decr 1811, seized of certain real Estate, intestate She had no children, nor descendants She had neither Father nor Mother — She had no sister or brother She left 28 nephews & nieces

viz. 5, the children of her Brother Miles Randall 4, the children of her Brother Xath1 Randall 6, the children of her Brother Simon Randall 6, the children of her Brother Jona. Randall 4, the children of her sister Elizabeth 3, the children of Anna her sister 28— Qu. How is this Estate to be divided — Answer. Each of the twenty-eight nephews & nieces will have his or her 28th part of the Estate —• This is not a case for the application of the rule of C Representation — C CC D. WEBSTER Endorsed on back Case of Mary Beck Reed of Jona Demine eight dollars, in full for fees in this case • D. WEBSTER

Courts are not always severe with women who shoot their husbands, as was seen in the case of Mrs. Elizabeth Wilson, who tried to kill her brutal husband. The jury not only returned a verdict of " not guilty," but passed the hat, the judge chipping in a $10 bill as a starter, and the poor woman was sent out of the New York court room free to begin her life again and with a little nest egg of $41. 55. — Boston Herald.