Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1837-10-05

| witnesses, ana duplicate OF II was sen
to England and deposited in the hands Of
one oil the legatees, on condition he should
not open it before he obtained positive
information ofthe testator's death. Short
ly afterwards Matters left the u. States
Tor Europe, with view 10 find out some
solitary abode where he might conceal
himself aud his riches from mankind, fol
he had become complete misanthrope
He avoided going TO England, and sought
refuge in France and afterwards il
Switzerland. He lived long time re-
tired near Yverdon. and then removed
| 10 Goldenberg, remote country seat Of
the district of Andel6ngen, ia Zurich.
where he at last found and enjoyed the
solitude he had been SO long in quest Of.
Matters, although a man hater. was, ne
vertheless, charitable to prodigality. He
lavished his fortune indiscriminately on
every body around him, aud his munifi-
cence was attended with such deplorabIe
consequences. that the authorities of Zu-
rich were at last obliged to require him
to confine his benevolence within limits
which would render it truly beneficial.
Matters acced.d to their invitation, and
from that day he placed yearly at the
disposal Of Government, u considerable
sum 70 be divided, in proportion TO their
wants, among the public establishments
Of Zurich, such as the libraries, the deaf
and dumb and blind institutions, sc.
On arriving in the canton of Zurich.
in 1923 he dropped the name Of Matters,
and took that Of Van Mater. In No
vember. 1928, however he addressed a
letter TO the Government, in which he
declared that lis real name was not ia
cob Van Mater, but Thomas Matters. and
expressed desire that the indentity OF
those two names should be recognized
by the authorities of the country in
which he had fixed his residence. This
demand was readily asseDted to, and the
Government. TO recompense his unboun-
ded charity, conferred OH him by very
fattering letter, dated the 18th of March
1881, the right of naturalization, with
all the privileges and immuni.ies arising
out oil it. Matters received with pleasure
this mark of esteem, and testified his gra.
titude TO the Executive Council by gifts
still more considerable. On the other
hand. the authorities of the district of
Goldenberg, not to remain behind the
Government in that respect. offered ~
Matters the right of citizenship. which
he declined accepting. The year follow
ing, he for the first and only time Quilted
the country seat of Goldenberg, and un.
dertook journey to Hayre. Before his
departure, he carefully burnt, in pres
ence Of two witnesses, the draught Of
codicil. Whilst in Hsyre he sent 10
Goldenberg for his American will, but it
does not appear that he had made any
alteration in it and on his return to Swift
erland, in 1888. he concealed il in port
manteau, locked up in closet next to
his bed room, into which be allowed nos
body TO enter. A few days after his
death the authorities, in taking the in
ventory Of his property, discovered The
will in that room.-it was read on the
2Sth of October, 1886, before twelve
witnesses. and the moment official intel.
ligence of his death reached England, the
duplicate thereof was opened with the
usual fermalities. when it was discover
ed that he had constituted 6Ir. William
Mather his universal legatee.