New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-07-17
THE ALEXANDER BONDS.
Value of His Securities.

The New York San in reporting the fact
that the Surrogate had directed the bonds
amounting to little over $4,000, which are
now deposited with the Union Trust Com
pany, appends the Surrogate's opinion:
1t appears by the testimony that the de-
cedent, John Alexander, had in his posses
sion, about the time Of his death, bonds and
other securities of the valve of from So, 0OO
to 100000.
A memorandum of the securities was
taken a short time previous to his death by
his intimate friend, William j. Dewey, who
counted them at the request and in the
presence of the decedent, and then returned
them to one of the two bags in which Cap
tain Alexander was accustomed to keep
them, and which was suspended from his
neck. The decedent was almost blind, and
was therefore obliged to ask his friends to
count the securities, and to cut off the cou-
pons which were due. The memorandum of
Mr.. Dewey shows that the securities in the
possession of John Alexander, short time
previous to his DEATH and while residing as
a bOarder in the house of the GARDENERS,
amounted to $27 $3.50.
Henry Feeds, another friend of the de-
ceased, testified that Captain Alexander
was in the habit of coming to him to have
bonds counted; that he frequently counted
them: and that in December, before his
death, he counted for him 900 in bonds,
that he carried in two bags around his neck,
and that he had counted for Captain Alex
ander in all about $50, 900 worth of bonds
James H. Winchester testified that he
was present when Mr.. Leeds counted Cap
tain Alexander's bonds in December, 1868,
and heard Mr.. Leeds tell the Captain that
there were $4,000 in the two bags
Mr.. Richard Swain, who had known Cap
tain Alexander about forty years, and had
formerly been his agent, testified: II knew,
in 1860, that he had about $4,000 in prop
erty, for he told me-"
This corroborates Mr. Leeds testimony,
that he was worth about $4,000, for, in
nine years, a man with the careful and even
penuriOus habits of Captain Alexander,
starting with a capital of $4,000, would be
very likely to add $4,000 to his accumula-
tons.
Of this large amount of property, which,
by the last will of the decedent, was be-
4ueathed to his only child, Mrs. Virginia C..
Burke, formerly OF New Orleans, only a
small amount has been clearly traced during
this prolonged examination.
The GARDENERS and the other members of
the family at first denied that Mr.. Alexan-
der left any property. 1t was, however,
subsequently admitted that he had in his
possession about the time of his death GER
tain securities, which were in bag that
Mrs. Gardiner cut from his neck while dy-
ing, amounting to $500.
1t has been claimed by Mr.. and Mrs. Gar
diner that these securities were gift to the
latter by the decedent. 1t is, however, in
evidence by the physicians who attended
him, and one Of whom resided in the house
of the GARDENERS, that the decedent was in
lethargic state, speechless, unconscious
and incapable of transacting any business
for days before his death, and that he died
of sOftening of the brain.
The New York Standard says, editorially,
on the subject:
No one will be prepared to dispute the
justice of this decision. But there is a
strong moral warning to be drawn from this
case. 1t is too common thing among us to
leave an old semi-imbecile man to shift for
himself, simply because the taking care of
nun ~ m would entail extra trouble. But surely
IL the cry of nature had no good influence,
common gratitude, even though anticipa-
tory' might, when handsome beguest is
expected, lead children and other relatives
70 De more careful of an old man in his de-
Ginning years. We can not, however, but
achho"iedge the courage and perseverance
Wmch mrs. Burke has displayed in the
prosecution OF her case, even when warned
by her lawyers that she must not expect
success.