Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-08-07
THE TROrrER HEIRS.
q TTOtter Convention in Indianap.
oils 20 Talk About that S2OO,OOO,-
900 Estate.

a TFOtter Convention in Indianap.
oils 90 Talk About that S2OO,OO0,-
900 Estate.
indianapolis Journal 3d.
On Monday next a convention Of
the heirs of the Trotter estate will
be held at the Grand Hotel in this
city. This estate is located in Eng
land, Scotland, Ireland and the
East Indies, and is variously esti-
mated to be worth from 100000
to 4O,000,00O pounds sterling.
Nearly fifty years ago DR.. Thomas
Trotter, surgeon of the East India
Company, and his cousin, William
Trotter, of London, England, died,
leaving large and exceedinglyvalu-
able estates. 1t so happened that
all of the heirs, excepting one, had !
emigrated to America and scattered
all over the land. Owing to the
difficulty that is experienced in set
ting estates in the absence Of any
of the living heirs, the English
members of the Trotter family, now
numbering three or four persons,
have never been able to realize on
the possessions which were so near
their grasp aud yet so exasperating-
ly far. Many of the members of
the American branch Of the family
have for years been aware of the
fortune that has awaited them on
the other side Of the waters, but,
until the close Of the war of the
rebellion, never made any decided
move toward recovering. The ter.
mination of the war found a great
majority of the Trotters, who had
settled in Virginia and other slave
holding States, reduced from wealth
TO abjtct poverty, completely bro
ken up financially. Then they
thought they would like to have a
slice Of the English millions, They
accordingly employed a London
lawyer to work up the case for them
at the other end Of the line. Not
satisfied with his conduct of the
case the American heirs dispensed
with this lawyer, and on the recon-
mendation of United States Minis
ter Motley, Schenck'S predecessor,
@. NJ. Fisher, a distinguished Lon
don barrister, was employed to look
after their interests. A year OF
two later Mr.. Fisher reported that
the estate, which he represented as
very valuable, really existed, and
was recoverable, but that the Amer.
lean heirs muIt take some concert
of action. Every heir, dead OF
alive, must be represented or &C.
counted for. Ten years ago, DIR. ].
NJ. Trotter, then u resident of Vir-
ginia, undertook to gather together
the necessary data to establish Their
claims to the estate. In the prose.
cution of this work the doctor trav.
ersed nearly every State in the
Union, Canada, and portions o.
South America. In this way he
obtained a great mass of informa.
ton, but at this iuncture an I'M
pleasant and embarrassing circum
stances arose which put stop t.
all operations for the time. Undel
the belief that they were in som,
way being kept in the dark, or be
ing cheated, or something the,
didn't know what or couldn't guess
several of the heirs began putting
obstacles in the path Of the rnoV
ers. Finding that he could no
harmonic the discordant element
that had arisen, the doctor abandon
ed the project, and for half dozcl
years the matter was dropped en-
tirely. The heirs, however, becam
restive a year or two ago, and an
other movement was organized t
obtain a concord of action. In th
furtherance of that end a conven
tion of heirs was held on the fourtl
day Of last July, in Clarksville
Tennessee. On account of the in
suffieiency of the notice given of th
meeting only about thirty heads Q
families representing the America
heirs were present, and it was foun
impossible to make much headwa'
AS a result of his genealogical rC
searches, the doctor disoovere
ninety-two families Of heirs j
America, numbering about tw
hundred persons, all tcld. AccorC
ingly it was decided to hold anotl
er convention, and at the sOliciti
ton Of ]. GEL. McOlosky of Vii
cennes, Indianapolis was fixed upc
MS the place, and August 9Th Il
time for holding the meeting.
notice of the convention was pu
lished about three weeks ago and
copy sent to every known heir.
Dr.. Trotter arrived in the oi
Yesterday and registered at Il
Grand Hotel. lie was interview,
last night by Journal reporter,
wAom be communicated the abo
iacts. The doctor expects that six