The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1886-01-22
Threw Her Money AWAY.

An appralsement of the art pronertvN
of the late Mrs. Mary S. Morgan reveal.
the most astounding frauds perpetratadF
upon that monomaniac purchaser Of
pictures. china, jewels, and other decor.
alive objects. The executors find tia,
she expended total sum of ouite
: 100000 for ornamental things. in
GLIDING great extravaganza in orchids.
and the careful estimate by experts ~
the amount likely to bereaiized THROUGH
auction sales is only 500. 200. Taking
into account the difference. naturally 10
be expected between auction prices and
those fairly charged by retail dealers
the calculation is that Mrs. Morgan
fooled away not less than $1,000, 600.
The disclosures are wonderful She
seems to have been crazed by her pas
sion for beautiful articles, and to have
exalted her desire in proportion to the
sums demanded for them, quite regard
less of intrinsic worth. Agents took
advantage of her weakness to impose
upon her Suits to recover some of the &
money thus obtained from her are to bed
instituted in the instances where falsd
representations can be clearly saawlI
and the sellers are financially rnsf -
sible. A method of d. ping her was -
represent that ceramic, Of fine VET u
unique character. had been bDu9h Y
enormous trouble and eNlsIsee xN
private collection of Hurcp X si4
attic aristocrats. In that way Was
induced to pay 5000 to Slps9zD apiece
for china not worth moro than as many
hundreds For one small vase she gave
$4,000. Another vase, figuring at
$1,000, is scarcely worth $500 in the
market She spent round million for
paintings which possess only fraction
Of that salable value Sometimes the
gamers by her gullibility as to pictures
were the artists, and sometimes dealers
But it was in precious stones that she
suffered the heaviest losses On the av-
erage she paid double prices, for, while
some were regularly purchased at the
counters of honorable merchants. many
were fosted upon her by rascally opera
tors. Still certain Broadway firms are
inculpatedl The executors are willing
to sell the entire collection of jewelry at
one-third the sum that Mrs. Morgan
paid out. Instances of downright
swindling have come to light. A gam
bier reduced to his last diamonds big
one worth about 81, 000-had it curious
" set in an original manner, took it to
her, related how the gem had been
brought by him from Brazil, where il
had been the property of Dom Pedro.
and thereby sold it to her for $4,000. A
hoop of gold set with three diamonds is
offered for sale at $4,000 less than she
paid for it.
Mrs Morgan had an incurable NAL
ady and was aware that she would in
evitably die soon. She aimed to get as
much pleasure as possible ". her
remaining days, ar X
lying Se'i in +, .Illr she would v, ,'iii
have pi~.ifc, piece of pottery, or
some other beautiful thing placed before
her for contemplation; and they were
usually changed every hour as long as
she found diversion in gazing at them.
When her disease arrived at a stage
that threatened to confine her to her
bed she gave orders for sumptuous
decoration of chamber and q couch,
with furniture and walls set with Jewels
and painted with the fineness of
Meissonier canvas; and this work,
which would have cost 100000, was
barely begun when she died more sud
denly than she had expected. She was
the widow of the founder of the Nor
gan Line of steamers, who left $1,000
600 to her. The estate is not now ex-
pected to yield more than S3,000,000 in
money.