Abraham Lincoln quarterly. [Vol. 5, no. 3]

150 ABRAHAM LINCOLN QUARTERLY
ton's National Detective Agency to make investigations, and
their sleuth, John H. Ghegan, called at Merchant's Restaurant, 110o Duane Street, New York City, where Crear was in
business. Investigator Ghegan's testimony indicated that his
effort was a waste of time, as the Sun had published everything Crear had to say about the farm and cabin.4'
John A. Davenport was called upon to make a deposition
in this case regarding the Rock Spring farm and the cabin
he had sold to Reverend Bigham nine years previously. H.
P. Ford, Examiner for Larue County, after swearing in Davenport, at the Davenport farm, asked, among others, the following question, "Did you ever see the house that is said to
be the house where Lincoln was born in said farm?" Davenport replied, "Not until after it was brought from my place
here." After this curious answer, the next question was,
"How came it on your place?" and the reply, "I only know
from hearsay." 42
Crear never visited the farm, but as Dennett had informed
him it was worth $9,ooo as farm land, and much more because of its historical background, Crear made a strenuous
effort to retain his title to it. However, the Larue County
Circuit Court ruled the Dennett conveyance to Crear fraudulent and void in May, 1905, and for the third time a court
ordered the place sold by a commissioner.
On August 28, 1905, the farm was bid in for $3,6oo by
Richard Lloyd Jones who was acting for Robert Collier,
publisher of Collier's Weekly.43 Three notes were executed
1 Transcript of Ghegan's deposition. A. W. Linforth, Trustee, vs. David Crear,
A. W. Dennett and The Christian and Missionary Alliance, Larue County Circuit
Court, Hodgenville, Kentucky.
"Ibid., Davenport's deposition.
0 The account of this court step sale, in the Louisville Courier-journal, August
29, 1905, states that a large crowd of local people were present but none of them
bid on the farm. In addition to Jones (managing editor of Collier's Weekly), bids
were made by E. J. McDermott, who represented The Christian and Missionary
Alliance, and by John E. Burton, of Milwaukee, "who owns the largest library of
Lincoln histories in the world."