The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-08-28
The People who Claim Vast Estates.


We published recently an extract from
d Rochester paper. giving some details con-
corning William III. kibbe, who had es-
capped from the County Lunatic Asylum in
that city. Mr.. kibbe is described a. hay-
ing three particular manias. Those most
strongly developed are of "a sort which a
painful experience teaches us are shared
by many more people outside of asylums
than In them-manias for preaching and
writing for the press. The third eccen-
trlcity l. not quite so common, bat bids
fair To become peculiar feature in the
lunacy OF the United States. We mean the
no'Ion OF being heir To vast estate in
Great Britain. The poor gentleman. we
are told. supposes himself entitled 10 ''the
great kibbe estate in England" which he
declares has been made over To the Crown
for want of heirs, and one of these DAYS he
intends taking a "trip 10 Europe TO demand
his rights.
The most extriordi aary ideas prevail
among large class Of ignorant persons as
To the vast properties awaiting them in the
old country, if they could but get together
the missing links. The Consular aufhori-
ties of Great Britain are often worried on.
of their lives by the visits of persons who
believe or affect 10 believe. themselves en-
schild's mouth water. OF course the gen.
tleman who comes i'm for the brunt OF
these inquiries is the Consul General at
New York. Persons of both sexes are
continually looking in on that much-en-
during gentleman TO learn whether few
millions have arrived for them, and TO sng-
gest that he should prosecute inquiries in
their behalf I; suggestions which, in the
absence OF cash down, are apt TO be &C
cOmpanied by generous offer OF parti-
ton, or at least per centage. on restora-
ton TO ancestral halls, or the receipt OF a
check in five or six figures from the Bank
OF England.
There are. moreover. certain families
who periodically hold meetings, recalling
that cheerful assemblage described at the
opening of Martin Chuzzlewit, with the
view of comprising the recovery Of "their
own again, ;" but we have never been able
TO hear of single instance in which a
really satisfactory pecuniary result follow
ed. In most cases there Is not even q
shadow of foundation for the claim.
Some time ago gentleman bearing the
name of those who claimed one Of these
estates, having become bored TO distrac-
ton with the visits and letters of those
who represented themselves as his co-heirs,
exhorting him 10 assist them in their eff
forts TO recover their joint inheritance, de-
termined, with the view of bringing the
matter TO climax, to make inquiries
through the most efficient channel. He
accordingly put himself in communication
with the agents of Messrs. Barring, who,
through the London solicitors of that firm,
made the closest inquiries into the matter.
The result was 10 ascertain that the colos-
sal fortune was pure delusion. But there
was no convincing the ignorant claimants,
who are as eager as ever in the wild goose
chase. We imagine that in many cases
these decisions are fostered by roguish
lawyers. A case occurred two years ago
in England illustrative of this. IL appear
ed that in the black country Of Stat
fordshire, two sharpers, who had acquired
smattering of law a. clerks in an attor-
ney's Office, fleeoed people out Of incredi-
bly, large sums on pretext Of prosecuting
their claims. In an instance which came
before the British Consul General three
years ago. il was evident that the young
woman claiming hoped by this means TO
entrap a man In superior position in.o
marriage with her, and possibly she might
have succeeded if she had "piled on
rather more moderately; but nothing is
more remarkable in these ridiculous claims
than the amount at which the claimants
assess them. This young lady, or her
brother. was in the habit of dropping in
TO know whether the El9 900, 900 had vet
been paid to her credit" and affected 10
be quite surprised when Mr.. Archibald
was forced to confess that this trihe had
not yet come to handy y. Times.