Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 15.pdf/531

 484

THE LAWYER-GENEALOGIST. Bv HARRY SHELMIRE HOPPER. THE lawyer who delves into genealogical writer has found the most willing informants research frequently becomes possessed to be those of the sex who could tell the of curious facts and has many odd experi ages of all their relatives accurately. Old ences. Of course, any person of ordinary age is generally considered a crown and an intelligence can become a so-called genealo honor, but a foot note was added to a copy gist, but the lawyer's familiarity with legal of a page of family records, to the effect that records and court files, together with the the ladies preferred that their ages be not suggestiveness of his mind—the result of known. They were all nearly or over seventy legal training as to the sources 01 evidence, years of age, but still were jealous of impart ing that fact. give him a decided advantage over the lay man. The law recognizes certain fixed rules Superstition is sometimes unearthed in as to evidence of pedigree, all of which enter searching for evidence. Among a number of more or less into the histories of families. ancient documents relating to a family was a Birth, marriage, descent and collateral rela folded sheet of paper to which was attached tionship, constitute the principal lines of evi the "caul" in which an ancestor had been born fully a century before. And this family dence. was composed of religiously inclined people! Whenever a lawyer enters into an investi In one instance, search wras being made gation of a genealogical subject, the layman suspects him of a hidden object or purpose, concerning the parentage of a man who was and he is credited with or accused of hunting deceased and a court record of a most pecu up a "fortune" or an "estate" or "property," liar nature was found. At the time of his which is being enjoyed by unscrupulous! death, he was the owner of considerable real usurpers or squatters, and which rightfully estate and certain alleged brothers of the de belongs to certain "heirs" who are kept out cedent claimed an interest in the property. of it. Sometimes the estate is alleged to con In self-defence the widow was obliged to bring sist of property in a certain location belong- ' an equity proceeding to quiet the title and ing to undetermined heirs. Again, the heirs 1 remove the cloud which appeared upon it. are said to be known, but they do not know; To do this, she was obliged to prove by wit where the property to which1 they lay claim nesses that her deceased husband was an is located. The writer has assured people— illegitimate child and that the alleged men and women—over and over again, that brothers were legitimate children of the same he was simply compiling a family record and mother. had no idea of recovering or hunting any In the course of another investigation, the property or estate, but the assurance has fact was developed that the onlv child of a fallen meaningless upon the ears of the listen certain couple was an adopted child : a found ers, and some of them will believe as long ling left uoon their door-step in infancy. as life lasts that he is hunting a "fortune," Being childless, they took in the waif and raised it as their own, and gave it their name of which part belongs to them. The female portion of society seems to be and left it their property when they died. Sudden disappearances are always subjects born with a characteristic which develops of daily news, and in searching out branches early and lingers long, of not truthfully Tf families, instances are found in which an stating ages—that is, of themselves —but the