Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1866-08-30
THE MODERN MONTE CHRISTIE.

The Heirto S35,O0O,OOO Uncovered
How Hartford Family Lost n For
tune-A Curious story of Life's Nicis-
situdes.
For some weeks past. says the Buffalo
Express, the interest OF the whole country
has been excited by paragraphs i'm the pa
perS. relating to a fortune OF 80. 00o.0oO in
England. said to have fallen to Mr.. llalSey
Church. of Stockbrid.e, Massachusetts.
and bv him turned over to his daughter
and her husband. a mechanic named Eli
Walker. residing in Hartford. Connecticut.
We shall probably astonish our readers
this morning bv informing Them that the
claims of Mr. Halsey Church and Of his
daughter. Mrs Eli Walker have been COM
pletely overturned and the real heir to this
vast piece of property is an old resident Of
Erie county who for tliTty years has been
living upon a modest firm within sixteen
miles of Buffalo. The Monte Christie thus
suddenly Iiccss-aated to rank among The
Rothscliilds and .AsJor>." is Nr. John
Church. of Westphalls. Aurora township.
a week ago Saturday last. "a Nr. Church
was reading the Christian Advocate. 10
which he piouSly subscribes, his eve fell
upon one Of The paragrapfs to Which we
have alluded, and his system. we suppose
must have been slowly electrified by the
intelligence it bore him. In the name of
Mr.. UalSey Church he recognized that of
a younger brother. for forty years neither
seen nor heard from. Forty years ago. il
seems. this John Church, now yearly 50
years of age. left his family relatives at East
Haddam. Massachusetts,. under some cir
cumstapces of disagreement. which pre-
vented any communications. sndsthcn emil
grated to the far West OF Western New
York. Never afterwartl heard from by his
younger brother, Halscy, the latter long
ago resigned himself to the conviction that
death had left him (IIalSey) alone the then
solitary representative OF the family of
Church.
For thirty years. as we have said. Mr.
John Church has been living at Westpllalls
on little farm of twenty-five or thirty
acres, worth. at the utmost. not more than
$1,000 or $4,000. contcnted, no doubt. )
with his possessions. and never dreaming
of wealth, beyond the little to be gathered
from his scanty acres. His first glimpse of
the Gorgeous vision which such figure as
S3j, 100000 summon up. was caught, as we
have said. week ago last SATURDAY.. The
Monday following. advised and prompted
by some of his neighbOrs. Mr. Church came
upon the cars, bound for massachusetts,
FOur. daysagO his family received letters
from him, announcing the complete sue
cess of his mission. Mr.. IIalSey Church
had recognized him as his elder brother,
and the rightful heir To these thirtv-fve
millions, and the Walker family had ADAM
doned their proposed visit to England. after
a fruiuess attempt, thnonsh .Goxerio Selz
mour, to obtain power of attorney from
linn.
What his next step will be we cannot
say. The age of Mr.. Church will un-
doubleday prevent his visiting England in
person. but some of his family may be
expected to- max the Journey soon
The great fortune of Mr.. Church consists
in the main, we understand. of British Gov
eminent securities, but includes two large
estates ON the Thames not very f;p-distant
from london. 1t deScends from grand
father of Mr.. Church, and has been held
for many years past by an elder brother of
Thomas Church, hfs father. who came TO
this country some time in the last century
The late poSSessor died without heirs.
and his S35,OOO,O00 have been patiently
waiting for several months for the Ameri-
can descendants of Thomas Church to pre-
sent themselves.