The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-12-01
REFUSING Il FORTUNE.
AN FRESHMAN wBo REFUSES S25 0G0 BECAUSE
HIS UNCLEs WILL NOT APOLOGIZE.


The following story is told by corres bond
ent at Honesdale, Pennsylvania:
For fifteen years Thomas Coproy has earned
| livelihood for himself and family IN the Ii ttlt
| village of Tanners Falls, six miles from Hon.
esdaie, by making and repairing the boots and
| shoes OF tanners barkeepers and lum bermen
yet during all that time fo.tope of S25 OOC
has been waiting faF l+iF44 4eiftstrrI frUfHud
| The only condition required of him is that he
! shall go to that county and cain the morey.
But he stubbCrnly refuses . do tn Is, and ham
mers away on his lapstone from day break until
dark, earning just enough to keep the wolf
| from the door.
Conroy is an educat d IrIst IN N. His father
was Michael Con-oy, of Conroy Brothers, Leiu-
ster. Tnis firm had for years q monopoly of
furnishing bread and liquors to 900 soldiers
in the barracks arocnd Dublin. The brothers
were Michael, Thomas and Patrick Conroy. In
1857 Michael ConFoy died. He was widower
and left one eon, named after his brother
Thomas. This son was then nineteen years of
age, graduate of Dublin college. His
fathers fortune, 1000, was to remain invest
ed in the business, and was so left that if the
con took his fathers place in tie firm, the
money should be controlled by him. If not.
the uncles wero tD have the use of it for such
time as they chose, or until the death OF either
of them, or the dissolution of the firm, and
then it was to revert TO young Thos. Conroy.
The heir was to make his home in the family
of bis uncle Thomas.
Patrick Conroy, the other uncle had married
into family of lower social grade than that
OF OrOtner OF Dis Wlfe q linen
draper named Corooran, had a daughter two
years the janior of young Thoma as Conroy. The
Corcoraps were wealthy. 1t occurred to Pat
rick Conroy that it would be a good stroke of
policy further to unite the Conroy and Corco-
ran fortunes by bringing about a marriage be-
tween his nephew and his niece. Thomas
Conroy. the elder, fell in with the scheme.
Young Thomas, however, positively refus I'd to |
consider the subject for q moment. His uncle |
Thomas was content to let the matter drop. |
Not 80 lis uncle Patrick. The refusal of his |
nephew incensed him. and he determined to |
revenge what he called the insult to his wife'e |
family. About that time the order of Molly |
Msguires was strong in that part OF Ireland.
One day Patrick Conroy laid before bis brother
that their nephew was not only member of
the detested order, but that he was Secretary
and bookeeper of a lodge, and leading spirit
in all its doinRs. The elder Th omas Conroy
his nephew to him, and taxed him
with his connection with the secret society.
The nephew Indignantly repelled the charge,
and demanded the source of his uncle Thomas
Information. This was given him
Then Uncle Patrick is perjured villain |"
7oung Conroy exclaimed; "And you are another
f you reiterste the CHARGE"
His uncle Thomas demanded that the nep-
lew at once apologize to both him and his
brother Patrick for such Language, or quit the
IOnroy roof Young Conroy chose to do the
after, With twelve guineag in his pocket he
ook passage for New York. He found his way i
O the village of Pleasant Mount, Wayne coun- ,
y, and there learned the trade CT shoemAkiug !
mo married MoIle DeIaney, tne oRuRnteI ora
farmer. Then he moved to Tan
er's Falls and established himself in bus sness
onIe time sfterwsrd he received official notice
rom his uncle's attorney that they were ready I
o pay him the GJ000 left by bis father at any l
ime he would appear in Leinster and claim 1t. I
his notification Is repeated annually, and an /
ually, on receipt of the notice, Thomas Con- c
oy writes back that Whenever this notifoa- ]
ion is accompanied by o confession his uncle q
'atrick that he had made o false accusation \
gainst his nephew, and with an apology from /
is uncle Thomas for repeating the false [
harges then he would gladly return to Ireland, z