Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-08-12
An Eccentric Mans VIII.

correspondent WfltlnR IrOH vienna,
Austria, says: We all know that mil
lionaires are continually being re-
minded that there is no chance of their
millions following them beyond the
grave, but ] had never before heard of
an instance in which his millions should
rob q poor mans bones of their Justly
earned repose In the tomb. And yet
this Il the case with Martin OFT, mil
lionaire, who died year ago, and who
Is to be exhumed shortly. Martin
OFT arrived in Vienna some thirty years
ago, without so much capital as TO be-
gin a small business with. One OF the
partners in n great firm here, Mr.. Syre,
took pity upon him and helped him in
more than one instance. After some
time OFT began speculating, and all his
speculations were crowned with success.
But he was so eccentric a man that he
possessed millions before people cred
tied him with being able to support
himself decently. He lived like the
miser of romance, and scarcely any one
here knew him to be n rich man.
Among the few who were In his conf
dence was old Syre. his benefactor and
friend, to whom Martin OFT had confded
the secret of his will, by which he made
him his sole heir, thus proving that
next to avarice gratitude was his chief
Characteristic. Syres business did not
improve and the man who was once
wealthy was not in position TO settle
his son in business when the time came
for him to seek a livelihood. But. of
course. being the heirs of millionaire
the Syre family had no apprehensions for
the future, and old Michael OFT lent his
old friends son $4,000 florins when they
applied TO him for sum of money.
! Young Syre gave OFT n receipt for this
sum and told his relations that the queer
old miser laughed while he pockcted It,
and seemed to say: mo danger of my
keeping thisr' He did keep IL, however,
and when he died 1t was found among his
papers, so that young Syre Is the debtor
for 60, 900 flOrins to the heir or heirs of
old OFT, and not to his own father. rs
he had supposed. for old Syre died Just
| one month before OFT, the millionaire,
and the will provided for old Syre alone
and never mentioned his heirs. ALI
persons related TO the deceased million
aire were therefore at liberty to prove
their claims, and the rich legacy, which
is mt present still in the hands OF the
authorities, will be devided among
them. The Syres are eut OF question,
and the eldest son. with that claim of
60, 900 florins upon him, has gone mad.
! The number of persons that have al
ready applied for the heritage is inn
mense, and each branch of the family
not very illustrious one, you may be
sure-would naturally prefer being sole
heir. Old OFT had one time made a will
in which were contained legacies for ali
his friends, small or great, but of course
this was annulled when he named Syre
his sole heir. Then number of unim-
portant dispositions were found on
small slips Of paper, and among other
things was q prayer for quiet funeral
and desire for q certain dress-coat he
wished to wear in his grave. Now
some of his relations In Bavaria have
asked If at the time OF his funeral that
coat was searched thoroughly and when
the answer was in the negative, they
demanded that the grave should be re-
opened and his coat examined closely
for possible will. II certainly Is prob.
able that he made one, since be fully
knew that by old Syre's death his vii
was OF no value whatever, and he can
not have been In ignoiance that SyTe'i
heirs would not inherit when he haf
not mentioned them in his will. W.
are Of course all very eager to hear ths
last of this story, which has become
quite thrilling since It has been decided
that the repose Of the dead is 70 be dis
turbed for the benefit OF the living.