The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1869-05-05

t+olS69, and in the ninety.third
year, of the independence. of
!, the United States o: America.
~ +. i. CARDOZA,
80 Secretary of State OF s. @.
English Estates and American Heira
In the New Orleans Times we
find the following letter from Hon.
j. p. Benjamin .....
: LAME BUiLDINa, TEMrIE, e't2
LONDON, February 5, 1869.
To the Editor of tie Neso Os-
leans IsmeS: Will you permit
me, through your columns, to send
q word OF warning to the public
against O scheme of swindling
which is'now extensively practiced
in the United States2 - has g,ss.
Since my call to the English
bar hundreds of letters have reach
ed me from louisiana and other
parts of the Union, written by per-
sons, many of whom ere educated
and intelligent, making inquiries
relative to estates represented as
existing in this country unclaim.
ed, and awaiting the appearance
of heirs residing in America. In
every instance that has come to
my knowledge the statements are
false, and evidently made for the
purpose of deffauding parties out
Of sums, large or small, under pre-
text of paying the costs of records,
copies, &c, said to be necessary
for the assertion of the pretended
claim. - 'sa ~ fs9sf2assN -,a-
One case may be selected as an
example A banker by the name
Of james Wood died in Glouces-
ter in the year 1886, leaving
fortune of about eS00,0OO. His
will was the subject of much liti.
cation, but was finally decided to
be valid, and the estate was order.
ed to be divided among the lega-
tees, under q decision Of the Honse
of Lords, in 1S47. Any one do
sirous of having particulars Of the
litigation can trace it through the
different courts as follows: /. In
the Prerogative Court of Cantcr-
bury, reported in Q Curteiss, p.
80. 3. On appeal to the Privy
Council, in Q Moore's Priyy Coun-
Gil Gases, at p. 355. And 3. In
the House Of Lords, in the case
entitled "The Corporation Of
Gloucester Us. Osborne" 1. House
Of Lords Cases, p. 272. Although
his estate has thus been finally
settled aud stlibuted for more
than twenty years, I do not at all
exaageraie in stating that not a
month passes without my receiving
one or more letters from persons
who are approached by some pre-
tended agent of some imaginary
great firm Of London solicitors, en-.
gagged i'm seeking for the heirs of
the great intcstate banker, James
Wood, whose fortune, amounting
to 100000 sterling, is lying in
the Bank Of England awaiting a
| claimant. ie ss-I,,. 7-ss - - -
The usual mode Of proceeding
adopted is to propose to undertake
the business tree of expense, the
proposer to receive only a share OF
what may be recovered. This
seems so reasonable that in most
cases the dupe readily swailows
the bait. A short time afterwards
he is informed that all inqniries
and researches have resulted IA
vorably, and that nothing is want
ed to insure success except the
cost of few copies of records and
other papers, and that the pro.
poser having already incurred
great expense in conducting the
necessary inquiries and research
es, is left without resources at the
very moment when, a few pounds
would suffice to secure the fruits
of his labor and expenditure
Many are The victims from whom
sums, varying from 90 to R5OO,
have been TINS extracted, and the
number of persons engaged in this
system must be very great, and
the sums received by them very
considerable, IL alta In proportion
to the number OF letters received
here on the subject. Many thou.
sands Of pounds are known tohave