The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-06-30
A DOCTORS LUCK.
A Dentist Who Cast His Bread Upon tho
Waters to Good Purpose.

J A Dentist Who Cast His Bread Upon ths
Waters to Good Purpose.
DR.. Thomas C. Stellwagen has re-
Gently been left a fortune by an aunt,
and the means that brought his good
luck about and cut other relations of
without a penny are extremely novel.
The result will probably be that the will
will be taken into the courts.
Mrs. Dickey, for that was the rich
lady's name, was the widow of the late
DR.. Dickey, and her home was in At
lanta, Georgia. One year ago, so the
story goes, after having. been lost to the
memory of her Northern relatives, she
saw that her days on this earth were not
many, and, with the wisdom of Solomon,
sat down and wrote to many of her
nearest kin in this city, Media and Bal
timore the same words-that she was
very old now; that she was very desti.
tute, too, and would SO much like to pay
them visit. One of those letters
reached DR.. Stellwagen and no one of
her relatives knew that another had re-
ceived her plea for help.
After her task was finished Mrs. DR..
Dickey folded her hands and waited.
To some of the letters no answers came.
One or two, it is said, replied curtly,
and one, lady, wrote: Really, it would
not be convenient to have you visit me,
for ut the time you name | expect to
have a house full of company" Among
the first letters she received, however,
was one from DR.. Stellwagen, and en-
closed was check for fifty dollars. He
wrote her that he hoped his small con-
tribution would help her, and that he
would be pleased to have her as an in
mate of his pretty Northern home on
the outskirts of Media.
A month or two after that another
demand for help reached the doctor,
aud his second check for fifty dollars
went South, with renewal of tho
invitation for his old aunt to visit
him. Up to three months ago he heard
nothing from her, and then he received
a letter saying: Come, l am very
sick" Dr. Stellwagen obeyed the
summons, and when he reached At
lanta was dumbfounded to find that
Mrs. Dickey was living elegantly, and
that she was wealthy. She told him
that she wouldn't live long; that she
wanted to 60 home with him, and it is
said decided everything over to him,
and made him present of all her
household furniture, silverware and
jewels. 1t took took two cars to carry
the latter, and it is said that the pro-
fessor left behind him in the Southern
city row of handsome dwelling houses.
Two days after reaching the Doctors
home in Media Mrs. Dickcy died, and
then it was found that in addition to
the deed, which gave her nephew every
thing, she had left will made before
she wrote those letters testing the affec-
ton of her relations which divided her
property among several of them. On
that ground it is claimed that the dis
appointed people will contest the case
in court. A number of pieces of Mrs.
Dickey's silverware and some Jewels
have been placed by the doctor in
trust deposit company's vault in this
city.
The relatives are all at sea as to the ex-
tent of the eccentric old lady's wealth
and it is said her heir gives them no sat
isfaction whatever. The Baltimore kin,
his cousins, of whom there are several,
are the most aggrieved and if any legal
action is taken 1t will probably start
from that direction. Another rumor is
that the doctor has promised to make
some sort of a settlement by which the
nearest blood will inherit some of the
estate. With his good fortune the doc
tor inherited an addition to his family,
dark-haired Southern girl, nm adopted
child of the late Mrs. Dickey, with
picture of face, well educated and at
tractive. Strange enough the old lady
left her pcnniless, but obtained a prom
Use from her heir on her dea.h-bed that
he would always provide for her-live
with him as one of the family-for she
said, Thomas, love her dearly" The
young lady is seventeen years old and
has made host of friends for herself in
Media. 1t is said that the story of her
own life is romance in itself. All
dreamy Media is talking about the affair
and the high standing Of the families in
volved makes it a choice morsel for Cos.
sip. Philadelphia Press.