Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-07
A G II FOR A FORTUNE.
Two women CoatendtBg for h Proper
" aud Money of = Defunct
German RaroD, who. After a Fast Life
Was Buried In Potters6eid. -

NEW York, March 6.-The body Of
Joseph Mangersdorf, a wealthy German
who died at Roosevelt Hospital May
20, 1880, is resting az PoIter'sheld, while his
claimants, who have Just succeeded in
tracing him Up, are about coutesting their
respective titles 10 his fortune on the
grounds Of legal marriage. The aristocraiic
family Of the count, at the same time, turn a
deaf ear 10 both claimants, and will proba-
bly, interpose all obstacles possible to pre-
vent a speedy settlement of the estate. The
young counts parents placed him at Heidel-
berg for the purpose of fitting him for a pro-
f~essionai career, but before receiving all his
degrees he became addicted to fast living,
and, like most gay young bloods, he was
soon deeply involved in love Intrigues.
Among his fair enslavers was one in particn.
lara pretty peasant girl, who lived
beside the Necksr under the shades
of the Geisberg. He took her 10 the old
baronial mansion, and asked the consent and
blessing of his parents, but they opposed the
match to the bitter end, and the discounted
young mau gathered up his available FUNDS
and left nome 10 wander over the coalinent.
After a few years of extreme u~nhappiness, he
reioined his Heidelberg lass and sailed for
America. They arrived in New York early
in 1877, and were soon sitter married by the
DAs ~ - - IA
Sixth street. They went to housekeeping in
Nineteenth street, and lived in first class
style, moving in the best German society and
making many warm friends. With all the
characteristics of the industrious German,
the count, being now settled, looked about
for business, aud with his recommendations
he had no trouble in securing a position.
He was employed some months at a whole
sale chemical house, aud at another time
he was the American agent for a large
German cloth house. He did good business
and added TO his bank account. His taste
for fast life returned 10 him, however, and
he left his steady, thrifty peasant wife, and
rented rooms in West Thirtieth street and
boarded at the Gilsey House. He enter
tanned his new acquaintance in fine style,
| and wss reticent about his past life. 1t ia
/ said that he ran through $4,000 in three
/ months. As he was now moving in an en-
! tirely different class of society, his old
| friends were effectually cut of, and accident
never threw them in his way. They thought
he had fled the country or committed suicide
under temporary insanity. He fell in love
with 1 Washington lady, who was a promis-
ing candidate for stale honors. They were
married before a notary public in New York,
and the certificate was sen, TO the Board Of
Health for record. II was submitted 10 the
counsel for the Board OF Health and re-
spectfuIly returned, with the memorandum
that the statutes did not recognize a marriage
by q notary. After several months the count
turned up at Roosevelt Hospital, Fifty
ninth street and Central Park, without a
trace as 10 his identity, and died May 20,
1880, and was sent to the morgue May I'D.
His photograph was taken by Mr.. o. q.
Mason, photographer Of the morgue, and the
body Of the count wss buried in The potlers
field. His first wife employed q man TO look
for him. The second wife also had a detec-
tive out on the same mission. About two
weeks since several parties applied TO Mr..
White, keeper Of the morgue, and Identified
q photograph as that Of the missing count
His effects and the record OF the case were
in a cabinet locked up and the key had been
lost. A locksmith was brought last week,
and the rusty lock forced. The morgue pho
tograph showed a face apparently City year.
old. while the friends claimed that the counI
was only thirty-eight. The other evidence
however, Tailed with the statements OF tht
claim ants, and the body and effects wer'
placed subjsc. to their order. Mrs. Man
eersdorf has retained a lawyer TO present be
case before the surrogate. Wife No. 2 wit
be represented by another Lawyer. Tnt
counts fortune il estimated AT $4,000.