MARK TWAIN SUITS ALL OFF.
All Litigation Between Him and the Ashcrofts is Finally Dropped
The differences between Mark Twain and his daughter, Miss Clara Clemens, on the one side, and his former secretary Mrs. Ralph Ashcroft, and her husband have been settled without an appeal to the courts. All criticism of the conduct of Mrs. Ashcroft has been withdrawn and all suits have been dropped.
On their part the Ashcrofts ratify and confirm the conveyance to Mark Twain by Mrs. Ashcroft of the house, known as the Lobster Pot, which adjoins Mr. Clemens's estate at Redding, Conn., the gift of which to his former secretary on her marriage is understood to have been the beginning of the trouble. During the controversy it was contended by Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft that the deed transferring the house back to the humorist had been signed by Mrs. Ashcroft under duress.
In addition Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft have agreed to withdraw the suits which they brought against Mark Twain and Miss Clemens for defamation of character.
On the other hand Mark Twain has agreed to drop his suit against Mrs. Ashcroft for an alleged loan of $3,050 and has removed the attachment which he had caused to be placed on the property of his former secretary at Farmington. Reparation has also been made for the hard things which the Ashcrofts alleged had been said of them by the author and Miss Clemens. Mark Twain has signed a document acquitting Mrs. Ashcroft of all blame for her conduct of his affairs while she was in his employ as his secretary. Miss Clara Clemens has also to the satisfaction of Mr. and Mrs. Ashcroft retracted the criticisms she is alleged to have made on Mrs. Ashcroft.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ashcroft continues to be Secretary and Treasurer of the Mark Twain Company, which manages the business connected with the publication and sale of the humorist's works. It is understood that on the exoneration of his wife he offered to resign his place, but Mark Twain requested him to continue to hold it.
| Related
resource: Karen Lystra's DANGEROUS INTIMACY (University of California Press, 2004). |
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