The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-03-13
BREAD CAST UPON THE WATERS,
A Typo Falls Heir to Seven Hundred and
Fifty Thousand Dollars-Singular Story
Of the Mysterious and Dissipated An

A Typo Falls Heir to Seven Hundred and
Fifty Thousand Dollars-Singular Story
Of the Mysterious and Dissipated An
tome.
from the New York Herald
NEW HAVEN, Conn.,, Feb. "a
| strange story has just come to light in
this city. Ten years ago dark-skinned
young man came to Port Jefferson,
L. L., who seemed to be something diff
ferent from common wanderer. He
had winning speech and manner, but
sad face, and although given to drink
seemed desirous of earning an honest
livelihood. He had learned to set type,
and obtained a situation as compositor
in the office of the Independent Press at
salary of Sc per week.
There seemed q settled melancholy
about him, and to kind friends who
evinced a desire to learn his history, he
impaired the information that his name
was Antoine Mercer, and that he had
come from the island of St. Thomas.
There he had been in the service of
wealthy uncle, the owner of vast estates,
who expressed the intention of making
him his heir. But in an unluckv mo-
ment he fell in love with beautiful
mulatto girl. whose charms captivated
him, and he had pledged her his hearts
tenderest affections. The attachment
OF Antoine for the dusky beauty became
known to the uncle, and in anger he
forbade his nephew to pursue the mat
ter any further.
Persisting in his love affair, the stern
and inexorable uncle drove his nephew
from his doors, and since that time he
had been wanderer, almost broken in
spirit and in strange land. He roved
from place to place, and had at last
reached the sequestered spot on Long
Island where this narrative finds him.
But his propensity for drink overcame
his resolution, and it soon became un-
derstood that he was drinking again,
for he came to his work frequently in
state of intoxication. The kind en-
ployer who had given him work bore
with him until he felt that forbearance
had ceased to be virtue, and after
many useless remonstrances discharged
Antoine.
At this time there was working in the
same establishment a STRIPPING of Is.
Antoine, in his distress, without money
and without a home, appealed to his
young companion to afford him succor.
The young friend appealed to his par
ents and they took the stranger in and
fed him. His young friend, now Mr..
John E. Skinner, of No. II Ward
Street, in this city, was warmly second
ed in his efforts in behalf of the stranger
by his mother, who was touched by the
appearance of the stranger and the story
of his life, told with pathos and evi-
dent honesty which carried it home to
her heart. But Antoine behaved so
badly that at last he was sent away as
incorrigible. The wanderer carried
away with him the best suit of clothes
belonging to Mr.. Skinner, Sr. Days,
weeks, months, years rolled away, and
no tidings of Antoine came, and his
name was almost forgotten. Three or
four years after Antoine's departure
they split up an old trunk which he had
left with them containing pile of let
ters, which were burned to get them
out of the way.
Recently paper came to Mr.. Skin
ner with marked article from the home
of his wife, Patchogue, L. l. It was
copied from a West India paper, and
announced that Antoine Mercer, of st.
Thomas, had died and left his large for
tune, amounting to $750,000 in Ameri-
can money, to his old friend, John E.
Skinner, who had befriended him at
Port Jefferson, L. L., as mark of re-
gard and appreciation of his kind acts
toward him. The first two years. inter-
est of the money was to be devoted to
the benefit of MERGERS town, then the
principal to his friend Skinner. The
article stated that Mercer's money fell
to him from deceased uncle. Mr..
Skinner is taking steps to secure what
seems to be a splendid fortune, and has
written to the American Consul at St.
Thomas. Mr.. Skinner is q compositor
in the Office of the Journal and Courier
of this city, and continues work as
usual.