The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1879-10-24
THEY HOPE TO DIVIDE FIFTY MIL
LIONS AMONG THEM.
But They Wont if They Quarrel Before
They Get It.

Montgomery said if there was any money il
New York belonging to the Webbers he hoped
they would get it. He suggested the heirs on
the one hand should not be too suspicious O.
any one, and on the other, that they shouldn''
| give themselves away.
Mr.. Scribner said some time last summer a
a meeting held in his office, gentleman men
toned to him that somewhere in the worlo
there was property coming to the Webbel
heirs He asked where the claimants lived
and was told some of them resided in Harps
WE'LL and the gentleman wanted him to go and
see the Harpswell people. Later he went tt
Harpswell and at meeting OF some doZeI
of the heirs, they all stated they were heirs Of
the Weber who settled in York, Maine
There was an interchange of visits between
these heirs and Mr.. Scribner, and finally Mr.
| Scribner told them for certain sum he would
| do three things, but before anything was done
| they must elect trustees, or somebody who
would have authority to act Understandings
He afterwards met Mr.. Wells-the secretary
of the present meeting-and told him some
thing about the matter. Since the trustees
were elected he had been told that the sum
he had suggested had been nearly raised, and
! that the treasurer had inserted notice in the
daily papers that he, the treasurer, Captain
| Weber of Harpswell, was the only one au-
thorized to act for the Weber heirs, and that
he was going ON to New York in their interest.
| Mr.. Scribner said he was not one of the heirs,
nor pledged to any one, or anything, except
the three things mentioned above.
The speaker then said it was common tradi-
ton that Wolfert Weber died in Holland and
left large sum to his heirs, which would fall
to his heirs here provided the property was left
in some special way which would take it out of
| the general law of Holland, which would cause
| it to escheat to the crown. The son OF cd
Weber received a grant of land of twelve
acres, on the island of Manhattan. now in the
very heart of New York. He decided this
property to his sister, Annette Webber, who
married a Jansen. Jansen died and Annette
Jansen was the ancestor of all the Weber
heirs in this country. This property was leased
in 1914 ON 200 year leases, and these leases
closed in 1874. The statute of limitations
could not affect these however, but it would
begin to operate in 1894. These recorded leases
therefore defeat the statute of limitations at
present. These leases also read that at their
expiration all buildings and improvements on
the property belong to the heirs. The title
of all the Weber heirs in this part of the
country can be produced from the original
Wolfert Weber to the Weber who settled in
York, and all who claim to be heirs must
prove their descent from the York Weber.
Mr.. Scrbner said he could bring attested
e fl,ac mt ba TipO of
Holland from the New York court of record
and attested copies of the leases. He agreed
also to ascertain what proof there existed of
their rights for $50, and $50 more was to be
paid after this had been done. 1t he was sue
cessful he had hopes he should be employed in
the great work that would fellow-that of Sc
curing the estate. If the treasurer OF the
Harpswel heirs had gone to New York he was
not the only one authorized to go, as the ma
iorty of the Harpswell heirs had authorized
the speaker to act for them.
Mr. Charles W Wells said the conversation
that Mr.. Scribner held with him related en-
tirely to the necessity of procuring a duplicate
seal to that on q deed of Wolfert Webber's in
Holland, and we agreed that the failure to
procure it might make secondary evidences as
to its existence valuable. 1t appeared alta meet
ing Of the Weber heirs in New York, at
the house of Richard Eels, a letter was read
stating that Wofert Weber left ten millions
of money III Holland in 1910, and this money
was dep osited lat the time this letter was writ
tenn in the Bank of Holland, oninterest at a
per cent, by the government of Holland, in
creased by accumulations to fifty millions
The minister for the Netherlands advertised
for the heirs in the New York Herald. 1t was
necessary that the proper heirs should produce
the duplicate seal to that on the envelope con-
tanning the deed, Or WILL that bestows this
money upon the heirs. The original seal
bears coat of arms, to which the duplicate
must correspond before the envelope can be
opened.
A lady present said the duplicate seal re-
quired was held by John T. Weber of Glou-
cester. There were several coats of arms of the
different Weber families, one English, an
other Scotch, and another German or Dutch,
and it was the Ia ter that was wanted The
reason why the production of the duplicate
seal was made condition was because it was
intended at the time of Webber's death that
no Catholic should inherit the property. She
said the money had been lately taken from the
Scotch Bank Of Holland and put in the
Orphans Court where it now is.
Mr.. Wells thought that if this important
business of looking up the property was to be
enstrusted to any one it should be to some
lawyer of established reputation, and before
anybody went to New York, or took any step,
some money should be raised to pay expenses.
He further thought that set Of trustees
should be appointed to represent the whole
Weber family and not any one locality, that
the TT asurer should give bonds, and that the
lawyer appointed should keep regular debt
and credit account of all moneys received.
Mr.. Charles O'Conor, the celebrated New
York lawyer was counsel for the New York
heirs, and knew more about the matter than
any one and the lawyer appointed should con-
suit him and see what the chances were.
Mr.. Scribner stated thar he would go to New
York and get the copies he spoke of, for $25
and not ask pay for his services until he had
performed his work. He offered resolution
to that effect, which was at first accepted and
then declined. Finally the meeting elected as
trustees John b. Kicker of Newfeld, John E.
Durgin of Portland, Sumner S. Merrill of Tur-
ner Capt Clark Blake Of Portland and James
Mills of North WATERFORD, and Capt. Isaac
Weber Of Portland treasurer, The new
trustees appointed Mr. G. W. Wells counsel,
and ordered him to report the result of his in
quiries Nov. %, 1879. A collection of $40 was
raised for immediate expenses.
A large number of the Weber clai INFANTS
not being satisfied with the action taken at
Arcana Hall, met last evening at the house of
Mr.. Bond, 161 York street, and appointed D.
w. Scribner, Esq, as their attorney, who goes
at once to New York to act under the power of
attorney thus given him. These people seem
to be in earnest in this matter, as ample funds
were forthcoming to aid their agent in his
work.