The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-27
ADMINISTERING ON ESTATES.
The Office Of Public Administrator in New
York City-0ld Cases of Trust.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
New YORK, Sept. 26.-Mr. Algernon Sydney
Sullivan, who has just resigned the post Of pub
lie administrator. gives up very interesting
Office which he has occupied for ten years past
Yet comparatively few people know anything
about it, or ever reflect what the functions of
the public administrator are. MIR. Sullivan him.
self is tall gentleman, of graceful port and
elastic STEP with rudy face, smooth-shaven.
except for the brief white mustache that forms
an effective contrast to his complexion. His
eyes are brown, bright and warm, and full OF
youthfulness. The taste for stereotyped fgura-
tive titles prevalent in American communities
has caused him to be called 'the silver-tongued
orator of the New York barr" and, indeed, he is
most attractive speaker, unfailingly charged
with enthusiastic fire. No public dinner
is quite complete without few remarks from
him, and one of his principal charms resides in
his unaffected cordially ard sincerity good
deal of regret is felt here at the withdrawal from
public office of gentlemen so polished, cult
waited and high minded We do not often geb
such men to serve us. Once year certain news
papers publish long iedger-like account of the
estates left in the public administrators charge.
One sees there the names Of list of almost UNI
known people, who have died under all possible
imaginable circumstances. Sometimes they
are found drowned" off pier in the Hudson
river or the North river. They are laborers,
servants or merchants The amount Of money
that they leave ranges from few cents or dol
lar to two or three thousand Occasionally it
rises to $50 900 or $780, COO No matter how OBJ
scure the person, his property is carefully taken
in charge by the public administrator. and held
until some authorized claimant appears Mr..
Sullivan once told me of the case of Russian who
died here without the slightest clew to his identi-
ty. Months afterwards there came
letter from his wife in eastern
Russia, which substantiated her claim to
his property. There was another man who had
lived sequestered from all his relatives for thirty
years in the old st. Nicholas Hotel. Finally he
died In horsecar, and it seemed impossible to
trace his heirs. But, after awhile, individuals
came forward who proved that they were enti-
tied to his wealth. In another instance
died in a sailors boarding house. Only 5000
found by the boarding house keeper among
his effects Members of his family came from
the West to New York, and declared that he had
sold his farm and brought the proceeds, Sc, 600,
with him, intending to travel The public adj
ministrator was much disturbed by their COM
plants, and at last, being unable to find the
Sc, 900, resolved to dig up the body of the man,
which had been buried in New Jersey. When
the coffin opened there was found around
the waist of the corpse (which had been inferred
in the clothes worn at the time of death a belt
containing the missing Sc, 900 in bank notes.
The notes were taken out and presentation
at the sub-treasury, where they were dis
infected, were redeemed with new bills. These
instances exempify the curious experiences that
fall to the lot of the public administrator in New
York,