Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-03-25
MILLIONS OF HONEY.
Mrs. Hummelps Vast Inheritance-A News
vender's Wife Falls Heir to S2O,OOO.-
600.

Mrs. HummeiPs Vast InherItance-A News
vender's Wife Falls Heir TO S2O,OUO.
600.
Out in Belts street Hospital, says the
Cincinnati Enquirer, lies an old lady
seventy seven years OF age, confirmed
invalid for twenty years, unable tc
care for herself. Down on Budd street
in little dingy brick building, news
store in front and tenement in the rear,
is an old man of sixty, her husband,
with passage-ticket for London in his
pocket, and his wife's good bye kiss
upon his lips, about TO sail for Europe
to obtain possession Of an immense for.
tune, estimated at $40, ,000, 900, to which
his wife has suddenly found herself en-
titled. Joseph Hummell is his name
Germany his nation, and for the past
fifteen years, since bullet at the battle
OF Duval's Bluff rendered him unable to
sit upon the tailor's bench, the vending
of newspapers and periodicals has been
his means of obtaining a livelihood.
Now he finds himself suddenly mil
lionaire, through an inheritance Of his
wife, with whom he plighted his vows
in the fatherland long years ago.
1t is a strange story-strange even
in these times Of sudden fortunes and
reyerses. Joseph Hummell is a native
OF Germany, and there he married his
wife, widow, seventeen years older than
himself. In 1843 they came to America
to seek their fortunes. They landed in
New York, remained there two years,
and in 1845 went to Boston, where
Joseph learned the tailor trade, and
spent seventeen years steadily devoted
to the goose. Then he entered in
Uncle Sans army. went South, was
wounded, discharged, and finally with
his wife went to Cincinnati. Unable by
reason of his wound to sit upon the
tailor's bench, he began peddling pic
lures. books, church papers and peri
odicals. In this occupation he made q
scanty living, living in obscurity and
comparative poverty. His wife, mean
time, had been confirmed invalid: and,
gathering together few dollars, he
invested it in little stock of papers,
books and sacred pictures, and for years
past has given his time to these and the
care Of his aged and helpless wife, hop
ing for nothing more than comfortable
living and life in conformity with the
requirements of the church of Rome, of
which he is a devout member. Two
years ago, however, his wife, in looking
over newspaper, CHANGED to notice an
advertisement asking for the where
abouts Of the heirs of Caspar Weiss,
formerly an admiral in the English
navy, deceased since 1904. "Caspar
Uoser 5eT. !, -
grandfather. Can it be that this is in
relation to him and his heirs2 He was,
too, an admiral, and died about the date
mentioned. Gan it be that I am the one
wanted to lay claim to his inheritance?"
Her husband gave the matter little
thought or attention at first, but finding
her positive in her statement of family
history, decided to write to the address
mentioned, giving the facts. The result
was letter Of inquiry rom lawyer
named Weber, in London, stating that
Oaspar Weiss, an admiral, died in Lon
don IN 1904, leaving a fortune o. 81, 000,-
900 invested in four per cent securities;
that during the long years since no
claimant had ever appeared for the for
tune; that it had by the natural process
of interest-bearing greatly increased
since that time and that he was
desirous, if possible, Of finding the
rightful owners. The claims Of Mrs.
Hummell seemed, he said, to be well
but he asked for further
information, with documentary evidence
of her identity. Then followed more
correspondence, in which the family
history and records were thoroughly
searched and ventilated; and the result
was that several months ago Mrs. Hum
nell received the informs tion that there
was no longer any doubt as to her iden--
tity, and that she was the long-sought-
for descendant, and entitled to at least
a large portion of the funds in question,
which could be obtained by herself or
her representative upon complying with
the necessary legal forms. There was,
however, a serious obstacle to remove,
and that was the lack of funds. Mr..
Hummell, the husband, was very poor,
being enabled by his very scanty income
to little more than furnish the necessi-
ties OF life for himself and his invalid
wife. Finally, however, he succeeded
in interesting his friends in the society
Of which he was member to suf
ficient extent, and they becoming con-
vinced that the claim was probably valid,
consented to advance sufficient funds to
enable him to make the journey to Lon
don and claim for his wife, who is unable
by reason of her age and inirnlities to
travel, the fortune.