The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-12-24

IS error, for thus ran the document
e question
HIGHGATE, Sept, lS49.
g Having for many years been of th
e firm opinion that the English peopl
/ are too heavily and unjustly taxed
Q through the reckless maIadministrs
Il ton of the finances of the conntry, b
k selfish and corrupt Government
:, and having in my time more thai
d amply contributed my share towarl
a swelling the enormous revenue col
lected from universally large dutie
! and taxes annually levied, l am de
termined that when | die no more 0
a my property shall pass to the credi
Of the State in the shape ct probate
or legacy duties. Therefore | have
5 made no will, but by this M deed 0
, gift | make over TO my youngest anC
!. bes,-Ioved child, Alice Woodwyn, Ii,
: sum Of 81, 500, and Ike sum to ms
; mucl misguided, bat always afec-
: tionately remembered, son, Thoma.
Hickman, at present supposed 10 be
sheep farming in Australia and that
) further, when it be possible 10 convey
10 him the said sum Of $500, 1 re.
= ! quest that be may be told at the same
time that Notwithstanding the grieI
his waywagd conduct caused me, |.
| ia these my last days, heartily for
| give him, and pray that the Almighty
may do the same, and ia the future
guide bis footsteps back TO those
paths OF recii,ude and obedience
whence be has so sadly strayed.
Also, l hereby give to my little
/ granddaughter, Lillian Woodwyn,
the sum Of $1,000, TO be held by her
parents in trust for her until she be
Of age, or until she shall marry with
their fol- consent and approval.
These three sums 10 gold viii be
found, each tied up in separate bag,
and labeled with the names Of those
for wnom they are intended, in the
small iron safe at my bed-head the
kew of the safe (also labeled) is at
tached to the bunch | always carry
in my pocket. That nv children
only may understand how the main
bu-
Here the writing ceased.
The incomplete word ended with
an irregular upward stroke Of the pen,
which was partly smeared, probably
/ by the coat-cuf as the helpless
hand slid suddenly across the pa
per.
That Matthew Rickman should
have died worth no more than 81, 600
every body said. was simply absurd !;
nay, these written directions, tais
deed Of gif,-call the paper what you
piease-ciearIy indicated that the
writer was going on to say some-
thing eo5ut "tbe main bu-" Of his
properly Ail who saw the unfaisb-
led writing were unanimous 10 inter-
pretipg "bu-" as the beginning Of
the vJrd "oulk," =" and this, from the
cOateX., it was quite natural 10 con
clu 'e would have been followed BY
"Of my property Blu. at the critical
moment the summons had come.
As the momentous sentence hung up
on the pens point, the fingers guiding
it bad relaxed, aud the debating.
busy, plotting mind became as mean
iugless blank as the remainder Of
the unwritten page.
Despite the most minute search
and Inquiry, extending over two or
three years, as to what the old gen
tleman bad done with the presumed
mass Of his wealth, nothing came of
IL; not a sign, not hint could be ob-
tanned
Ii was brought to light that several
large sums at different periods mad
been secretly presented by him to
various charities Indications that be
mad constantly been doing good by
stealth in many directions cropped
up, all going to confirm the wide
spread opinion that be had large re-
sources to draw upon, but not in the
least leading to an idea to where
those resources were deposited
The G4.U00 divided, as the paper
described, into three portions, we're
in the iron safe sure enough. When
the canvas bags were emptied, four
Thousand bright new golden sover-
eigns, ia three glittering heaps, lay
upon the tsble-s amazing. dazzling
sight this, truly, 10 uHaccustomed
eyes, but to those Of the experienced
bank clerk, George Wood wvn, sug.
gesling nothing for the first moment
so much as checking by a careful
count the correctness Of the amounts;
and, Of course, they were correct to
the last sovereign.
No contemplate sum either for
humble livers" 10 content, such gs
George and his wife were; and it vas
with grateful heart that be prepar-
ed to place his wife's and his child's
portion 10, as be thought. some more
profitable place of security than an
iron safe
Sill, without any mean repiniDg
or covetous feeling with regard to
what they had naturally supposed
they would come into, was impossible
for them to bagish all sense of disap-
p0intment The ever recurring ques-
tion as to what the old man could
have done with his money would in
itself have kept this sense alive
Tue ne'er-do-weel renegade son,
Thomas Rickman, who with all his
faults was Dot bad fellow at heart,
aud very ioDd Of his sister, had never
entirely broken of communication
with home.
His father, in his anger, bad for
hidden the mention Of the lads name
from the time be quilted England to
go as q common seaman before the
mast.
Bot to his sister Alice be had from
time to time written; aud when, BY
bis last letter. he showed that be had,
after fashion, managed TO make
start in sheep farming in Australia,
with prospect Of doing well, she
had ventured TO put the letter into
her fathers hands. he read il,
bui be gave it back without any re-
mark.
Nevertheless, it seemed be had not
forgotten it. Thus means were open
for sending the g, 500 to Tom with
out much difficulty: and the loving