The sun., 1888-01-29
AN INTERESTING OFFICE.
sPECTMENs OF CASES THAT 90 TO THE
PUBLIC ADMINISTRkTOR.
How the City Cares for the Money ef thess
who Die without wills or Kuewn Heirs
Tho City Hall Newswoman's story.

| Is only one OF the features OF the diversity o
| tho business Of his off1ce. Tho system OF ad
ministering Is itself varied. There arc many
cases in which many thousands OF dollars oi
stocks and bonds or money in bank, and evon
large possessions in real estate. are involved
and letters OF administration In tho usual
form arc taken out before the Surrogate by this
Official And these papers are necessary in
cases OF savings bank deposits down to very
small amount. But in many OF the cases, es-
pecially where the death is reported through
tho Coroners' office or the Commissioners OF
Charities and Correction. tho effects consist OF
n penny or two, perhaps even nickel, found In
rags OF clothing that are not worth appraising.
Another feature OF tho diversity OF the busi-
moss OF the office requires glance behind tho
statistical reports that are made In Its behalf
to the Corporation Counsel and to the Board OF
Aldermen. This is the range Of sentiment dis
closed In the stories OF the lives and fortunes
OF the clients whom death brings to the official
mill. Tho whole distance between the widest
extreme OF tragedy and pathos and the ridicu-
lous is almost daily traversed.
The purely business side Of the work OF the
office may be told in q few words. 1t Is pre-
sided over by Richard J. Morrison. the success
sor in 1884 of the late Algernon 8. Sullivan.
The executive head is Deputy Administrator
!.
small one. The appropriation for the whole
expense Of tho Office is only $10,400. and poll
tics has no OBJECT upon the tenure OF tho Office
holders or tho course of business in the depart
ment. The law gives these officials the control
and management Of the estates OF those who
die in the city leaving no Wills and no known
next ol KIN. and imposes upon them the duty
Rers az w and sosnE np thu
IL there are. In the absence OF any kin or the
probability Of any ever being found. the prop
city city treasury. It is still available to II meet a
the claims OF heirs at law should any sp-
rshsSsa s nsy ssr S all
has s25O.O00 Of such money on his books. There
tion. amounting as rule to about one;half the
usual expenses Of an administrator, which are
s aS s9sa gs + % hs sy ssms g. 5e.s f 1887 hs
reported in previous years, and final action was
delayed by the necessity of finding distant heirs
tates reported and investigated numbered s4l,
or more than one for each business day. The
sd stS rs tS s1a
estates was s5O,0s7.92, exclusive OF bonds and
stocks. The amount paid p @ out @ to creditors and
ministrator has las on hand saa9 4.ss. He He has has
three designated banks Of deposit for money
and and big vault in a safe deposit company to
taken for mention from the. reports Of this Of
one that has not some interesting TEXTURES. .e'
AS examples OF the cases where the next Of
kin cannot n be found are those Of Carrie Edel;
lived in England, and while the estate of her
husband. George r. Edslsten. was being set
road accident near London July II. 1884, Her
estate then came into tho charge OF the Public
snd In hs d city sssS is J.s xh1 Ks
oe6s M Hcsps 1ir on f feb us lss5 ef IL had BANK
have been found to inherit this wealth.
The case OF Bryan Kearns. dealer in fats,
who died in this city on Sept. Is. 1885. leayine
one to which Deputy Arnold refers as showing
the h -, necessity for great care in the management
Ireland were the only heirs that long, search
disclosed; Another sister was known to have
to this ago. and
Maine The proof Of her s death R With Without Afs issue
would mako the Irish heirs entitled to equal
have to be divided into thirds, and one of them
as NJ ster tbe or h
ance each third and await Developments. A
month later news came from Maine IN delayed
ing sister was dead. but she had left a daugh-
ter to % whom the s1,9G5 90 that had been re-
hs nesessy and
tion is little appreciated by the heirs whose
claims are lust and properly proved, but which
toe; so is !, that Of Margaret Smiths estate OF
4iss262 Il 81 g. The heirs are nephews and nieces
OF the sisters is known to have died in, this
but there is no way to prove her death
any she left The diyson aoT Of sy the este de.
ponds upon this. If there were three brothers
OF sisters tiers Of the deceased and any 9ne Of them
thirds The surviving brother or sister would
get 9ne-third and the children Of any deceased
third, But II all Of, the brothers and sisters
were dead. the division would no longer be by
mould the mbes
other two, and sister four, the property would
be divided into nine parts and distributed
kow S 90 Ssmts ss
et Ia this fqhantry h the share Of the heirs In
are in need thoy cannot get stan anything. 'l''
!or the office was that Of Ellen Conway. or
Toman. She lived ali alone in a house In
Frankf9rt q street that disappeared to make way
anything about her or relatons O. or conn connsctions ions
y y bank s6799slii Then there weEs hosts q
r wrote from ali oysrthis country and ireland.
Her life story was finally developed by the infor-
ps Rs naS S hsp aars s
Did country She was married there and became !
involved IN scandal. Her husband was mur-
Tered. and she. with the man alleged to be her
over, was SUSPECTED Of the crime. She was ar !
'ested, and one OF the children to whom her |
money went was born In jail during her i'm !
1risonment. She WAS not convicted. and after ,
, while she drifted over here leaving her chill
Mary Ellen Feyh whose estate was worth |
moro than 100000. furnished one OF the most |
peculiar life stories to this departments |
'ecords. She. was Mt ono time prominently |
in the papers on account of q mys- |
erious missing" case that she reported at |
Police Headquarters A girl who bore her'name, |
'ut Of whom It could not be ascertained wheth.
\ great deal OF interest was attracted to the |
'ase. which was intensified by the reappear-
.nGo Of the girl and greet deal Of mysterious
What became OF the girl afterward was never
inoWn. d Mrs. Feyh died In May. 1885. leaving
10000 In personal property. many diamonds,
md valuable house and lot. No Elm could be
onnd. the story being that her husband had
'orco out West. He was also known to have
married fgain. He was supposed to be dead
'ome attorneys became Interested in the case
md their Investigations led to the discovery
nat tho husband was really dead. but that he
"a not die until month after the death Of
drs. Feyh., They also found that the divorce
10 procured so many years before In Ohio was
vorthless The summons and notice were
tha fha IA