The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1886-12-24

THE STORY OF A HIDrEN FORTUNE WHICH
READS LIKE PURE FICTION.

The contest over the missing will of
the miser James Henry Paine, who
died one year ago in miseral lie little
attic in New York, was resumed be-
fore Surrogate Rollins last Wednesday
morning The same listless faces
which have been present at the bearing
of the hum-drnm'testimony as the case
has dragged along were suddenly beam
ing with the livellest interest when
during the day it became known that
the stakes in the race were to be count.
ed by hundreds Of thousands instead of
thousands. and the winning man would
be enriched for life. The secreted
money bags of the miser had at last
been found and property of one half
a million hing, on the contest.
1t is rarely that more romantic
story is heard than that which wa,
told before the Surrogate. "Old Mser
Paine's" history aud the story of his
miserable end have been told before
and readers well remember t at Paine
was granddaughter of Robert Treat
Paine, who signed the Declaration of
Independence member of one of
Massachusetts Oldest families, well
bred and educated On the 23d of
December 1885 he died in an attic on
Blocker sire ct, half starved, half cloth
ed and half crazy. He had been es-
tranged from his family for years and
was buried almost by charity. He
had lived nearly quarter of century
by begging what he ate and what he
wore, yet not very long before his
death his brother, Robert Treat Paine,
of Boston, had said james ought
to be worth S250,000 at the least in
his own right. What has become of
it? This question has puzzled many
head since, and that is what Charles
F. Chickering, the piano manufacturer,
answered at the hea,ing.
Ex-Attornry General Leslie Russell,
who, with Theodore Swift, is conduct
ing the case for the heirs at law, Gun
ningly asked his opponent, Ex. Cover
nor Chambeilain, Of South Carolina,
if he had any objections to the witness
he was about to call, and was answer
ed in the negative. Chickering then
lifted up big bundle, which he had
been jealously guarding on his kness,
and walked up to he sworn. Putting
the bundle down beside him, in re-
sponse to Russels bidding to tell what
he had he began his tale as follows
81 knew James Henry Paine for years
before he died. l was brought into
communication with him through his
love for music. He was an expert
musical critic and this old miser had at
his tongues end wealth of mex
haustible information. But though |
had heard that he was popularity sup
posed TO have money hidden away. !
never really knew anything about it
One day be came into my office with a
bundle in his hand. This is the bun.
die" pointing to the package beside
him. at was about a foot lorg and
six or eight inches wide. 1t was wrap.
ded up in an ordinary brown paper and
tied with an ordinary string. On the
outside was carefully bound an old
green handkerchief. He asked if he
could leave it in my possession and
answered, yes told him l would put
1t in my safe. He objected to this
and asked me if l had a private safe
at home which none of my employee.
ever opened, l said 'yes, again, aut
he carelessly replied that he would lik,
me to place it there.
81 took the bundle and locked it up
scarcely ever giving the matter &
thought again. Once, years afterward
| met him in the street, and we were
talking about Won Bulow, the pianist
who had recently arrived in the coun
try. Suddenly he interrupted me ant
asked me if that bundle was all right
said 'yes;' and he didn't allude to i
again. In fact, think he never spoke
of it again during his life
| The little old green bundle remain eC
hidden in the safe gathering dust anc
forgotten for years. After the old
mans death Mr.. Chickerlng remember
ed the package, and took it out of it
place one day to see if it contained
anything worth keeping 81 had sup
posed it contained nothing more thar
some old musical papers," continued
| he, "and careessl y united the string
Tearing open one corner caught sigh
of roll of bank bills. 1t seemed t.
me in the hasty glimpse | caught tina
they must amount to many thousand
of dollars. tied the handkerchie
together quickly and took the mex
train for Boston TO see Robert Treat
Paine, whom | thought was the near
est living relative. He said that ther
were nearer heirs at law than he, anG
he named the Claggetls. On the Is
of March, In the presence Of Sumne
and Charlie Claggett, and my attor
ney, we opened the packet. Gold anC
silver dollars, bank notes by the thous
and, certificates of stock and scrip
rolled ont upon the table. The littl
old green handkerchief for nearl,
twenty years had closely guarde,
treasures amounting to over 100000
About $4,000 has become outlawed
The $4,000 which the certificates rep
resented had been paid up to me as ad
ministrator by the Metropolitan Bank
The remainder of the property is wort
, its full face value. There is more pre-
: perty which is not yet collected"
Much more testimony was take
during the day, including that of r. L
I. Wood, who for thirty years was EN-
ployed in the Metropolitan Bank. II
; remembered, he said, as far back a
1861, when Paine had made a specis
deposit in the bank of $4,000 and ha
I received the certificates that wer
afterwards foud in the handkerchiei
They had been made payable to one O
! the officers of the bank, as Paine di
not wish his name to appear Z,
+ Governor Chamberlain then said tina
: in view of the days disclosure
would apply to the court for an il
creased bond on the part of the admir-
istrators commensurate with the estat
itself The a1minisi sailors have oiva