The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1870-05-18
NUMBER 40.
EIGHTY LUCKY PEOPLE.

A Family Of American GsransIehLIdren
Heirs tO Large Scottish EsGates-The
Old Family Bible aud Its RecOrsI..-
SS TO SSOseOOSOOO 20 be Distributed.
Some time ago an article was published
stating that a number of persons living in
Sandystone, N. j., and Port Jeryis. n.
Y, had "fallen heirs 10 an estate in Scot
land, yariously estimated at from twenty
to thirty million dollars, left TO a VIM.
Innis. The person who gave theiHforma-
hon to the "heirs" was q man named
Smith, who makes it his business to look
after and collect claims Of this kind The
parties who were reputed to have fallen
upon this streak Of luck are mostly far
mers, living IN Sandystohe, n. j., Brad
ford county, Pa, and two or three mer-
chants and railroad men in Port Jervis.
n. Y. Some of the heirs are in good cil-
cumstances, but most of them are poor.
and when the news of their vast inherit-
-ance in he old country reached their ears
they could not believe it, and for time
nothing was done, and the matter was
dropped. One of the party, however,
wrote letter to prominent member of
the House of Lords, England, making in-
qulrles as to whether any such an estate
had been left. In the course of two or
three months he received an answer, sta
ting that such an estate had been left to
VIM. Innis, and that if the heirs could
prove their claims, there would be little
difficulty in getting their money.
Since then Mr. VIM. Keyte, one of the
heirs, went to England, and found that
the statements of Smith, and also that
contained in the letter, were true. He
consulted while there with able counsel
who stated that ''if the claimants could
produce the old family Bible, with the
records, it would be the best evidence as
to their title" At this time, however,
Mr.. Keyte did not know that any such
Bible was in existence, and returned home
to consult with other members of the fam
lily.
The facts in regard to the claim are as
follows: 1t appears that George Innis, of
Edinburg, Scotland, died inestate, without
children, and his estate fell TO his only
brother, William, and his maiden sister,
Jane. William, however, had previously
sailed for America in 1872, settling in
Sandystone, N. j. AS he failed to ac-
quaint his friends of his whereabouts, Jane
his sister, entered into peaceable possess
ion Of the entire estate. Afterward she
died, and willed ii to her brother VIII
namj VINO she supposed mad gone to
America. The estates are now in the hands
of trustees, and have swelled to the enor-
nous sum stated above.
VIM. Innis was one of the founders of
the Reformed Church in Port Jervis, and
was forty years a member thereof. He
was school teacher, and widely known,
but for some reason or other he never
wrote to his brother, neither did he know
of his death. He had eight children, all
of whom are dead, and 1t is their grand
children, eighty in number, to whom the
vast Scottish inheritance rightfuIly be-
longs. A few days ago, the missing link,
the old family Bible, was found in-the
hands of an Innis, living in Bradford Co.
Pa, with the family record complete. He
He came to Port Jervis with it on Tues
day, and now the heirs intend to take the
proper measures to secure the property,
and committee will shortly sail for Eng
land for this purpose. The Bible was
printed in Edinburg in 1922, and is in
good preservation. A number of persons
named Innis, at Newburg and elsewhere
in this country, have until now laid claim
to the estates, but their claims are now
set aside by the discovery of this old relic.