Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-06-20
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NINE YEARS OF EFFORT TO DEFRAUD "A,
LEGATEE-THE TRUE HEIR TURNS UP
AT LAST.

AT LAST.
&C., &C., &C.
The records of fraud hardly show an
equal to persistent effort to defraud a
legatee out of his share of an estate than
was finally exposed in Staunton on We'd
nesday last About nine years ago Miss
Sallie Ryan, an aged lady, who was for
many years the head of the clothing de-
partment at the W. L. Asylum died. She
left very comfortable little property and
among her heirs were two nephews, VIM.
A. and John +. Hix. The former appeare d,
received his share or the estate from VIM.
A. Burnett, the Clerk of the County Court,
the administrator in whose hands it was,
and gave a receipt for it. The latter, John
F. Xix, had disappeared in 1864, having
made his way through the Confederate
lines in West Virginia and gotten into
Ohio. 1t was reported however and be-
lieved here, that. in making the trip he had
been drowned in the Ohio Liver. For his
share of the estate, some $346, no claimant
appeared and 1t remained in the hands of
Mr.. Burnett. Shortly after the distribu-
tion Of the fund excepting Of course John
F. Hix's share) Mr.. Burnett received a
letter from party writing from Lewis
CO.. W. Va, writing as John F. Hix and
sending whole list of legal documents
duly authenticated, asking to have his le-
gacy sent him. Some Of the writing bore
a strong resemblance to that in which
Wm. A. Xix had signed for his share Of
theestate and MI. Burnett suspecting some
fraud de:liiel to send the money, I'M
less John f. came in person. The writer
became persistent, writing from various
post offices to have the money sent and
telegraphing to inquire when it would
come. The bogus legatee then went to
Mr.. - Bennett of W. Va, former State
Auditor of Virginia, and deceived that
gentleman about his identity sufficiently
to induce him to write to MI. Burnett
pointing out the wrong which he was doing
in Withholding the money after having
received sufficient proof of identity,
and the illegality of such a course. Mr..
B. still refused unless the legatee came in
person. The writer then sent power of
Attorney to Mr.. B. to draw the money;
then an affidavit of VIM. A. Hix to the
identity of the writer as John F. Hix, but
Mr.. B. still refused. The writer then sent
to law firm in Staunton note for 1926
dated in 1864, purporting to be signed by
John F. and VIM. A. Xix payable to Au-
gustus Cuper Of Allegheny, Va. which
the writer wanted to be filed as a claim
against the legacy that was coming to
John F. Hix. The note had been rubbed
in the dirt, pasted together and bore other
evidence of attempts to make it look old
and no steps were taken by the firm with
regard to it.
So the case stood until tits year when,
seven years having expired, the court, as
is the procedure under Virginia law, re-
ferred the case to Master Commissioner
Jno. M Kinney, to ascertain the facts in
relation to the whereabouts of Jno. E.
Hix, and give him legal notice that unless
he appeared to claim his share of the es-
tate it would be distributed among the
other heirs. Mr.. Kinney published the
usual notice. On Tuesday last man.
about fifty-two years of age, who proved
to be the real John F. Hix, living in Iron
ton, Ohio, came to the Office Of Capt. Jas.
Bumgardner. He said that lately man
from Augusta had passed through Iron
ton, and in inquiry of the stranger about
DR.. Stribling, be had learned that he was
dead, and that DIR. Baldwin was now tbs
Superintendent. He had written to DR..
B.. lDquiring about his Aunt Sallie, and
had received letter in reply from MI. S.
s lie was dead, but that her niece, Miss
Annie Ryan, was living in Staunton. He
then entered into correspondence with
Miss Annie Ryan, who gave him the in
formation that he had a married sister
living in Huntington, and he had been
living only twenty miles from her for six
years, and didn't know it. Capt. Bum
gardner referred Hix to Commissioner
Kinney, and Mr.. FL. carried Miss Annie
Ryan with him to the commissioner to
identify him. AS twenty-five years had
passed since she saw him her identitica-
tion could not at first be positive, so Hix
telegraphed to Harrisonburg for Mr..
Holmes, his brother-in-law, to come to
Staunton and identify him. On Wednes-
day morning Mr.. Holmes arrived, and
promptly recognized and identified Hix as
the veritable John F., who left in 1864. In
the meantime, Judge Mclaughlin happen
ing to meet Hix in a lawyers Office, and
hearing him say he had worked and
married in Rockbridge, questioned him
closely and his answers fully proved his
identity.
He says he knew nothing whatever
about the various efforts made in his
name, and says all the signatures purport-
ing to be his are forgeries. And so finally
fails enc of the boldest and mostperslstent
efforts at fraud that has come within our
knowledge.
DEATHs.-On Saturday morning las t,
Mrs. VIM. B. johnson, Matron of the W
J. Asylum, died after an illness OF only a
week. She was daughter OF the late
John B Breckenridge and sister OF Capt
A N Breckenridge. She was the possessor
of a mind of great vigor and kind
and gentle heart, and in her official POSI-
ton, to which she had only been elected in
November last, she had made many friends.
She leaves three children, Carter ? john
son who is in the U S Army, W Boswell
Johnson who is engaged on a railroad in
Texas, and Natalie, a little daughter. Her
brother, Capt A N Breckenridge, and her
sisters Mrs N P Catlett and Mrs. Anthony
Wren are the remaining members of he1
family. A very large congregation assem-
bed at Trinity church Sunday evening to
testify at her funeral rites, their apprecia-
ton of the strong character. replete witt
W1felY and motherly devotion which hae