Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-12-17
A DISCOVERY.
wHAf rAIHVs BRowH.pArxR PACK.
AGE CONTAINED.
it, transporting Custodian Opens It and
Finds Few Hundreds Of
Thousands.
New York Tlmea. 1sthI


the surrogate's Court yesterday morning
and, as counsel for John III. WardwelI. adj
dressed the court, he said one thing which
mace the events OF the day turn out TO be
u g. hume sensation. They were remarka.
bic enough in themselves, bu. Me-. Cham
berain's speech made them still more so.
Mr. WsrdweI claims that Mr.. James II.
PANE, the misery musical enthusiast who
died some time ago, made will bequeath.
ing him large part OF his estate. Tue nat.
ural heirs say there was no will, and want
the MONEY. Their attorneys accused the
opposite side OF n conspiracy to get posses
sion Of the estate. Vest, rday morning Mr..
Chamberlain said he would Try to show thu
the other side was guilty Of conspiracy IN
trying 10 keep some $4,000 left by the
dead man and now In charge Of e.. +.
thckering. the administrator Of the estate.
IL was evident at the time, be said, that tho
counsel did not know the estate amounted
20 far Iorgef sum.
The mornings proceedings dragged
along duly enough, and no one supposed
the day would finally prove TO be 80 alb.
sorb,ng. The interest OF the day began
when Richard b. ID. Wood was called. He
1. clerk IN the Metropolitan National Bunk,
now suspended. He produced four certif-
Gates OF deposit OF $4,000 each. and told
how they were procured at the Metropoli-
tan State Bank, the predecessor OF the
present institution. in 1861, by James Henry
Pane. The certificates were payable to e..
j. McGourkey, WHO W as then paving teller
OF the bank. Mr.. Paine had deposited the
money, however, and requested that his
name should not appear In the Transaction.
Mr.. Wood, the witness, was a young look
ing man, with rosy cheeks and dark-brown
hair. In cross-examning him Dir. Chlm-
berlan inquired how heeknew that Mr..
Paine had done as stated.
~ was there" said the witness.
All the lawyers and the surrogate looked
astonished.
"You must have been pretty young" re-
marked Surrogate Rollins, smiling.
81 have been IN that bank thirty-one
years. Pm forty.fiye years DID," said the
witness.
lie continued by saying that he remem-
bered the circumstances well, and had car.
lied the certificates from Mr.. McGourkey
to George ]. Seney, then cashier OF the bank.
Mr.. Paine had never afterward inquired
about bis deposit save once. In the sum-
mer Of 1862. when gold was up, he had
called at the bank to ask whether he could
get gold for bis deposit OF bills, and was
told that he could not. The amount OF the
certificates had been paid to the American
Exchange Bank on March 2, 1886. Mr.
Wood knew Of but one otheRinstance Of a
deposit remaining so long without being
called for. The witness identified $4,000
In one-ihousand, bvc-hundred, and one.
hundred-dollar bills as issued by the old
Metropolitan State Bank.
The interest of the days work culmi-
mated when e. F.. Cbickcrine, the plano
manufacturer. was called. He testified to
his long acquaintance with Mr.. Paine, and
then told a remarkable story. One day in
1868 or 1s60-the witness could not remem-
her the exact date-Alr. Paine came into
the business office OF Chickering IL Co.
with q package done up III brown paper.
He said that he would like to have Mr..
pickering take care OF 1t for him. He did
not exhibit any great anxiety about the
bundle, and Mr. Chickering came to the
conclusion that il was lot OF Mr.. Paine's
fayorite papers that he wanted to preserve.
"Well," said Mr.. Chlckering, "Pll put
it IN my safe" His large safe. used for
the firms business, was standing open and
be put the package In it.
Don't your clerks have access to that
saief" asked Mr. Paine.
YES" said Mr.. Chickering.
"Well," said MIR. Paine. " haven't you
private safe that YOU can put it IMP"
eyes," replied Mr.. Chickering, and he
put the package In that place, where it
stayed for eighteen years. One day. when
Hans Won Bdlow had come to this country
for the first time 10 astoDish the public with
his piano plying, Mr.. Paine met Mr..
Chickering in Fifth avenue and talked to
him about that artist. Suddenly interrupt
ing himself in sentence be said
SIS that package OF mine all right?"
dyes" was the reply.
"Is i. in your private safe where your
clerks can't have access TO 1t ?"
"ItI,," answered Mr.. Chickering.
Gan right" responded the eccentric old
man.
Mr.. Paine never again mentioned the
subject TO MIR. Chickering. After the old
mon was dead tue piano manufacturer went
10 his private safe and took ont the pack lge.
He OPENED one corner OF the brown paper
and found an inside wrapping-a green
HANDKERCHIEF, somewhat faded. lie opened
one corner OF the handkerchief. aud dis
covered not old papers, as he had expected,
hut money. He turned up the corners Of
the bills and found that they were OF large
denomination. lie saw enough 10 make
him believe that there was $4,000 or
$4,000 in the package. The next thing
lie did WIS TO take the first train
for Boston. There he went to see
Robert Treat Paine-not James Henry's
brother. Tor he was dead, but a more dis
taut relative. Mr.. Chickering told him Of
the package, and asked him to come to New
York ana open IL. On March 1st o. the
present year Robert Treat Pane, the
MessT,. Claggett, Mr.. Chickering's partner,
ana himself proceeded 10 open the package.
hey found in IL the four certificates OF de-
post aud the 81, 900 IN Metropolitan State
Rank bills. They found also 81 900 in one
hundrcd-dollar bills OF the defunct Bulls
Head Bank. and two one huudred.dOlllr
bulls Of the defunet Columbia Bank.
"was that all you fOund?" asked eX.
Attorney. General Russell.
NO, sir,' answered the witness.
"W hat else did you find!"
May | refer to some memoranda"
- Certainly"
Mr. Chicsering put on his glasses, and.
looking closely at his memoranda, slid
slowly:
ave found altogether in bills 1856,
750 TO-"
There was a dead silence for half
minute, while John ii. Wardwell opened
bis ewes very wide, and his lawyers looked
Al The witness as IL they did not quite catch
DIS meaning. The sudden increase in the
value Of the estate, which they had sup
posed was $50, 600, simply astounded them
OF The sum found Sl4, 200 was in bills OF
the deiuuct banks mentioned, but the rest
was in greenbacks worth their face value
to- day. The witness went on TO say that
several certificates Of stock In the Chicago
Lard Company were also found. He bad ney-
or had any Suspicion that the dead man was
worth any such sum. Once the dead mans
brother, Robert Treat Paine, had come TO
New York 10 lind hun, and in 1859 or 1860
they had an interview in Mr.. Chickering's
Office. each seeming very glad 20 see the
other. AT that time Robert Treat Paine
said thst his brother ought TO be worth
about $215,0C0. but he feared that he had
NJ de away with all his money. The fortune
OF Mr.. James Henry Paine was still In tle
possession Of Mr. Chckering. who had
been appointed administrator OF the estate
al the request Of Robert Treat Paine.
When he took that position he had no
knowledge Of The fact that the fortune was
more than $4,000 or 10000.
On the cross-examinstion The curious
fact cane out that Mr.. Chickering's peti.
iion for letters OF administration had named
the amou0t OF the estate as $1,000. Mr..
JhicAeIing said his attorney, Theodore h.
swift. had made out the petition and he
had signed IL without careful examination.
He had given bonds IN $1,000. He did not
~l..k ..s...... .. II Nl.Al Lon