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[heading]Wreckers Find
Bishop's Old Will
In Razed Building

MEMPHIS (UP) -- A stroke of
fate has uncovered a yellowed, al-
most tattered document written
almost a century ago by the first
bsihop of the Episcopal diocese of
Tennessee.

The five-page document was
found in a dilapidated building on
the Mississippi riverfront here.
There is no certain explanation
how Bishop James Henry Otey's
"last will and testament" got to
the place where it was found.

Nor can it be certain that all the
wishes of Bishop Otey were carried
out to the letter.

Bishop Otey, on Mar. 22, 1862,
had taken pen in hand to write
"being of sound mind, and aware
of the uncertainty of life, do or-
dain, make and declare this to be
by last will and testament."

Almost 100 years later the will
was discovered by a demolition
crew wrecking old buildings. The
will was among sundry papers of
business firms found in a well-pre-
served wooden box virtually
sealed off between ceiling and
roof.

Oldtimers here said the building
used to be higher, that in years
gone by, severl of the floors had
been knocked down, a new roof
placed over the remaining floors.
Thus, the wooden box had rested
for years, in a space not more than
18 inches high--between ceiling
and roof.

The will showed that Bishop Otey
had little cash, but there was
some property in Memphis and
Chattanooga, Tenn., Arkansas and
North Carolina and many church
books which he left to his six chil-
dren with the words:

"I exhort and earnestly bessech
my children to read, mark, learn
and inwardly digest what is con-
tained in these books, and to give
good heed to their teachings as
able to make them wise unto sal-
vation, useful in life and happy
in death."

In making specific bequests of
Bibles, prayer books and other
church literature he wrote:

"If I could impart to them the
wisdom they (books) contain I
should give them that which would
be worth to them more than thou-
sands of gold and silver or all else
that this world contains."

In his will he disposed of six
slaves to remain in the family.

"I especially enjoin that these
servants shall not be sold out of
the family and that they all be al-
lowed the blessings of Christian
worship and instruction."