Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-12-27
FABULOUS FORTUNES
In England That Make the Mouths
of Alleged American
Heirs Water and Their P~OcketbOoks
Bleed.
F~lourishing Frauds PraCtiCsd Upon
the Credulous.

'S'' ~fS'
the CreduI0us.
WASHINGTON, d. C., December ga
paper on the subject Of unclaimed estate
in England, prepared under the direction
of Minister Lowell, by Mr.. Henry White.
one of the American Secretaries of L.ega
ton, 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 believe them
selves heir TO vast estates in Great Britain
by designing persons on both sides OF the
ocean, who, with a view to personal gain,
insert notices in local newspapers in the
United States to the effect that large prop
erty Left By a person Of the same name
with that Of some we'll known family OF
the district or Of some exceedingly COM
mon name likely 10 occur anywhere, such
as Smith or Jones, or who distribute, far
and vide. lists of unclaimed estates, which
do not exist. Large sums Of money are
annually thrown away by the dupes of these
advertisements and fictitious lists, and a
handsome revenue is made By the agents,
as they call themselves, for the discovery
OF lost heirs and the recovery OF unclaimed
estates.
TEE MoDUS OPERANDl
usually adoped By these agents 10 to ask
frst for a remittance OF two or three
pounds 10 cover the cost Of copyiog the will
upon which the claim purports to be based,
then q large sum for the expense Of insti.
tuting inquiries, aud at each successive
stage more blackmail is levied, the cores.
poudence being so c~leverly conducted that
several years frequently elspse before the
fraud Is discovered. None should con.
tribute a dollar to unknown agents
especially toward any expenses connected
with establishing claims 10 estates in this
country uu!i! inquiry has been made Of
counsel here first, as to the existence of
the estate and then as TO the chances Of
its recovery. | AN told by reputable so
licitors that
o OSt CLAIM Is \ THOUSAND
OF all kere referred 10 them By the lega-
ton has had any validity whatever, and
very few duciHg their long experiences of
claims from America have been success.
tul.
The paper is q long one and the subject
is treated eA haustivelv. Mr.. White says
the archives OF the legation show that a
considerable proportion OF its foreign cor
respOndence is composed Of letters upon
this subject. Mr.. White describes the re-
suits of inquiry relating 10 the 'Jennins es
tate to which there were many American
claimants, showing that the property went
to the heirs long before the American
claimants were ever heard Of and that the
latter never had the shadow OF a title.
Moreover, had the title been q good one it
would have long since been worthless By the
operation OF
I'll STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS.
Any attempts, therefore, continued
DR.. White, ito recover real estate from
the Grown, or individuals, after q lapse OF
twelve years, (which may be extended to
thirty under certain circumstances and
personal property after 4 lapse of twenty
years, however valid the claim may have
been originally, ia certain 10 end in fail.
ure." All the members consequently Of
the "Jennins AS ISOLATION Of the United
States of America, may rest assured tina;
their subscriptions are simply
MONEY THROWS AWAY
if their object be the recovery OF the Jen.
niu's estate. Recently 4 letter was received
from the members Of the aforesaid Jen-
nin's Association, who had Just been mott
fed that a general assessment Of - had
been levied for the year ending June 30,
1884, and who, before paying The same, in.
quired whether the legation could furnish
any information regarding the Jennin's
estate said to be pending before the Court
Of Chancery in England. The letter
enclosed sundry interesting documents
~emanating from the association, in one Of
which it is stated that the finance com
mittee are fully satisfied with our agents
progress in the case ard further on, that
it becomes necessary for each and every
member of this association 10 respond with
cash as literally as their mesns will afford,
to carry our case to a final issue, which we
have every reason TO believe will be sue.
c~essful, provided the funds be furnished.
Similar to this case are the Hedges es.
tate the Bradford estate the Hyde
estate the Horne estate, 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 SUN SUPPOSED To b AWAITING
American claimants in the Bank Of Eng.
land, Mr.. White quotes from a letter
written By the chief accountant Of that in
stitution as follows.
There are no large amounts Of IN
claimed stock or dividends standing in our
books. Speaking generally, without hsy-
ing made an exhaustive research which
would involve some considerable labor,
there are very few mounts of one thous.
and pounds and probably none that ex
Cetu luis sun W MObo tuoh OuC nEuuiCa
or two hundred pounds" And
IL REGARD TO II FABULOUS FORTUNES
locked up in chaucery, he says: ITO Judge
from the letters received at this legation
from the United States in reference TO un.
claimed funds in chsucery, many OF our
countrymen must imagine tuat institution
to be a depository Of incalculable millions
a goodly share Of which can be Withdrawn
upon the mere institution Of a claim to
the same by the American Minister
and without requirement by the court
Of any particulars az TO the name Of tae
suit, the relationship Of the claimant to
the parties mentioned therein or TO the
original owner OF the estste claimed. 1t
is very rarely that IN any communication
sent US on this suhjsct, a smaller sum is
mentioned than several millions, and fire.
q%uently our correspondents sts'e that they
are entitled TO twenty-five, fifty and even