The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-01-20
NEW ORLEANS BULLETIN
NEW ORLEANS, JANUARY 2O,sls'5.
A FIVE MILLION DOLLAR HOAX.
TROY Press, 10Th. ]

AOOuC the VI laot LOheA shCAO @
peared in the Times long article under
flaming head. stating that one John Hogan,
bachelor, had died in Pennsylvania, leavi
an estate worth five million dollars to
nephew, Michael Hogan, Of West Troy. T
article in the Times went on to state in eff
that this John Hogan had bought, about fiji
years ago, coal lands in Pennsylvania for L
price Of an old song, and during the fiji
years the lands had so enhanced in value
now to be worth five million dollars, all
which had been willed to his nephew, Il
aforesaid Michael Hogan. Strange, howeve
according to the Times, the nephew, Micha
Hogan,
WOULD NOT ACCEPT THE MONEY,
giving as his reason for so doing that he ha
already competency for himself and famil.
Furthermore, the same article told that all
would cost Michael to obtain possession {
the fortune was the modest sum of So, sum
however, that he would not invest in order
get possession of 100000.
It SO happened that an Albany paper, i
Jest, copied the article and by this means tn
story about Michaels fortune was circulated
in the newspapers of the Western States AM
Canada. The result of this latter is that Mi
chael has received about
TWO HUNDRED LETTERS
from Chicago, st. Louis, Cleveland, Detroit
Philadelphia, Boston, Montreal. Albany ant
other places, more than half Of the writer
signing themselves Hogan, and claiming kin
ship, and no distant relations either. OF thu
two hundred or more of Hogan correspond
ents the farthest removed relative is q cousin
the balance, about eighty, are nieces and
nephews. Michael is not a little astonished
at this latter circumstance. He never knew
before, he says, that his father had so many
brOthara and that thew had hean
BLESSED WITH so LARGE FAMILIES.
He thinks the writer's have mistaken their
man. 1t must be another Hogan they are
thinking of. SO say we all of us.
Amusing as it is, to decipher the few de-
cipherable letters of Michaers many relatives
as they trace their genealogy to him, as we'll
as to observe how much they all seem to be
in need Of individual assistance, by far the
most interesting letters, however, are those
written by non-relatives. The latter en-
braced lawyers, bankers, brokers, ministers,
students, young ladies' old ladies, and a host
of widows grass young, and oldD, with fami-
lies and without. The letters from the last
named, the young widows without children,
have amused Michael immensely.
After reading them he went straight out and
had his hair cropped and shampooed, his
beard trimmed and his boots shined for the
first time in years. Coming home he donned
q clean shirt, and put on his best clothes-a
suit that he had brought over the water with
him, not last year-his marriage suit in troth.
While he was dressing, Mrs. Hogan, red
checked dame Of at least forty summers, and
weighing about three hundred pounds was
perusing the letters OF the young widows.
She was also affected by them, but differ
emily from her husband. 1t was not the con-
tents OF the letters that affected her. 1t was
THE EFFECT THEY HAD UPON MICHAEL. |
She wanted to know who had creased his |
joints, for his step had suddenly become as
elastic as a young man of twenty. She
wanted further to know what be was doing
with his best clothes on; what he had
trimmed his hair and beard for; who had
his boots, and, above all, where
he was going. But before proceeding further
We must explain more particularly what
we're the grounds of Mrs. Hogans anxiety.
)f the letters Last referred to above, one was
rom a widow n Albany, another from
widow in West Troy. The West Troy widow
congratulated Michael on his good luck. She
.lso had been lucky She had married a
ickly husband with $4,000 who had only
ived year. He had left her all his money
md had now been dead for several months.
She had mourned for him since his death,
,ut thought it was now time she was casting
way her weeds. She now went on to tell
hat she was twenty-five years of age and con-
idered good-looking being of fair complex
IN, dimpled chin, regular fea.1r,s, hazel
yes, auburn hair, sweet temper, and of an
miable and loving disposition. She was so
onstituted that she could make everybody
round her happy. Finally if Michael was a
'ould be glad to join her fortune to his, and
ssured him that she could make his home
aradise on earth With view to their
ENTERING PARADISE
he proposed to meet him at time and place
Q would appoint. Or, if he had no obiec-
Ons, he might call any time during the week ,,
asst week. Mt her residence No. 20 -- |
rect. The Albany widow had Just turned !
venty. Her husband had been dead for a !
ear; but they had only been married three
eeks before She did not Icy claim to being
retty; nor had she heard any person say so. r
be was better, however, than she was borny.
be could love any man who was kind to her
Id had the wherewithal to beStow kindness.
was all nonsense, she said, to talk about
We without means. 1t was the money that :.
ade the mare 50. She was going that is :
say she was up for sale-and she would .
lief be knocked down to him as anybody /!
BE. Ii he wanted her he was to say so. No
onder Mrs. II. was anxious SO much for :
10 young widows. The letters OF II
THE OLD WIDOWS
I'd mainly reference to their large families
ID straitened circumstances OF the other
tiers, one from German, is worth noting IT
. writes from st. Louis Gin Gs rman) and
ks Michael to bestow upon him the mode
tie sum Of 81, 100000. He says: Mir hatten n
1e frau und seben kinder" He continues: q
would like to build a large lager beer ~
owery and so establish his older sons in II
s;ness. He would like, too, to be able to y, "
'e his daughters handsome marriage ~ y.
wry, and to have something left ''fnr mich :.
d meine frau. In conclusion Mr. German -
IS that las he (IichaeD had got $4,000. 600 :; Sc
nothing, he might give him $1,000, 600 -.
doing this he would have plenty left ".
ZOO. OO0-which was enough for any man. 81 {,
Another OF the letters is from a minister n
ated in Michigan. He writes that his con- -
agation only pay him 5000 year. and he "
$ wife and five children TO support on
It sum. IF the Lord would open YOUR
art, says the minister, "to assist me and -,
ne. seven people at least (the minister, his -. ~
"a md ehilIr.vN Ill