St. Paul daily globe., 1885-12-27
MYTHICAL MILLIONS.
An Interesting Story Of the Struggle Of
Americans to Obtain Estates Which
Do Not Exist.
Some Of the Knavish Schemes Concocted
by Designing Blackmailers Known
as Agents.
Not One Claimant in a Thousand
Receivers a Penny of the Wealth
He Seeks.
The English Court of Chancery Has
Only About 81, 900 Of Dor
mant Funds.

The English Court Of Chancery Has
Only About 81, 900 Of Dor
mant Funds.
Unclaimed English Estates.
| WASHINGTON, Dec. ga paper on the
subject of Unclaimed Estates in England,
prepared under the direction of Minister
Lowell by Mr.. Henry White, one of the
American secretaries of legation. has been
sent by the president to congress with other
state papers. ''There seems to be no doubt"
Mr.. White says, ''that many are led to be-
/ lieve themselves heirs to vast estates in
Great Britain by designing persons on both
sides of the ocean, who, with view to per-
sonal gain, insert notices in local newspapers
in the United States to the effect that
large property left by person of the same
name with that of some well-known family
of the district, or of some exceedingly COM
mon name likely to occur anywhere. such
as Smith or JONES' or who distribute far
and wide lists of unclaimed estates which
do not exist Large sums of money are an
nually thrown away by the dupes of these
advertisements and fictitious lists, and
handsome revenue is made by the agents,
as they call themselves. for the discovery of
lost heirs and the recovery of unclaimed es-
tates The modus operandi usually adopted
by these agents is to ask first for remit
tance of go or e3 to cover the cost of copy
ing the will, upon which the claim purports
to be based: then large sum for the eX-
pense of instituting inquiries in date; in the
successive stage
MORE BLACKMAIL
| is levied, the correspondence being so clev-
erly conducted that several years frequently
| aianSn haforn thn frau3 ic dico0Uprad No
one should contribute a dollar to unknown
agents, especially towards any expenses
connected with establishing claims to estates
in this country, until inquiry has been made
of counsel here, first as to the existence Of
the estate and then as to the chances of the
recovery. am told by reputable solic-
itor that not one claim in thousand of all
those referred to them by the legation has
had any validity whatever, and very few
during their long experiences of claims
from America have been successful" The
paper is long one, and the subject is
treated eXhaustively. Mr.. White says the
archives of the legation show that consid-
cradle proportion of the foreign correspond
ence is composed of letters upon this sub.
ject. Mr.. White describes the results OF
| inquiry relating to the Jennens estate,
to which there were many American claim
ants, showing that the property went to the
heirs-at-law long before the American
claimants were ever heard of, and that the
latter never had the shadow of title to it.
Moreover, had the title once been good
one, it would have long since become
worthless by the operation of the statute OF
limitations. ''Any attempts, therefore"
continues Mr.. White, Ito recover real eS-
tate from the crown or individuals after
lapse of twelve years (Which may be ex-
tended to thirty under certain circumr
stances( and personal property after
LAPSE OF TWENTY YEAHs,
however valid the claim of the person max
ing the attempt may have been originally,
is certain to end in failure. All members
consequently of the Jennens association OF
| the United States of America may rest as
sured that their subscriptions are simply
money thrown away, if their object be the
recovery of the Jennens estate. Recently
| a letter was received from member Of the
aforesaid Jennens association, who had just
been notified that general assessment OF
SIS had been levied for the year ending
June 80, 1884, and who before paying tine
same inquired whether the legation could
furnish any information regarding the Jen-
mems estate, said to be pending before the
court of chancery in England. The latter
enclosed sundry interesting letters emanat-
ing from the association, in one of which it
| is stated that the finance committee are
fully satisfied with our agents progress IN
the case, and further on that it becomes
necessary for each and every member of the
association to respond with cash as literally
as their means will afford to carry our case
to final issue, which we have every reason
to believe will be successful provided the
| funds be furnished Similar to this case
are the Hedges estate, the Bradford es-
| ~, IL IJx,Ia ofnt nd fho
tate, and many others which are described
as among the Ordinary myths by which so
many of our countrymen have been beguiled.
With regard to large sums supposed to be
awaiting American claimants in the
BANK OF ENGLAND,
Mr.. White quotes from letter written by
the Chief accountant of that institution, as
follows: ''There are no large amounts Of
unclaimed stock or dividends standing on
our books. Speaking generally. without
having made an exhaustive research, which
would involve some considerable labor,
there are very few amounts of 81, 900, and
probably none that exceed this sum by more
than e1OO or e2OO." In regard to the fabu-
lous fortunes locked up in chancery, he
says: ''To Judge from the letters received
at the legation from the United States in
reference to unclaimed funds in chancery,
many of our countrymen just imagine that
institution to be depository of incalculable
millions goodly share of which can be
easily withdrawn upon the mere institution
of claim to the same through the Amerl-
can minister and without requirement by
the court of any particulars as to the name
of the suit, the relationship of the claimant
to the parties mentioned therein, or to the
original owner of the estate claimed. 1t is
very rarely that in any communication sent
| H..
toned than several millions, and frequently
our correspondents state that they are en-
titled to twenty, fifty and even more
millions. 1t will doubtless cause surprise
and disappointment to such as these to be
| informed that the whole amount of money
in the custody of the court of chancery at
the present is about esq., 600, of which
esq, 900 belongs to owners who are known,
leaving about $1,000 only of unclaimed or
| dormant funds"
| HANDY With a Knife.