Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-11
HEIRS TO MANY MILLIONS.
The Colored Family that Has . Claim
on the City Of Logansport.


The Colored Family that Has . Claim
on the City Of Logansport.
Dispatches TO TEE EVENING SrAs Monday
gave an account Of the claim made by colored
family named Talbot, the descendants Of an
old slave who settled years ago in Indiana, to
square mile Of land in the center Of the city
OF Logansport, worth millions Of dollars. This
claim 1t 10 said has been 20 well established
that large railroad corporations interested have
already agreed to pay e5,000,00 for quit
claims. The Cincinnati Commercial Gozets Of
Monday gives the following details of the case:
Some ffty-three years ago Benjamin Talbot, .
colored man, left Yellow Springs, KY, with
Squire McBane and his family. as they had
planned to make settlement at some point in
Indiana. The country at that time was wild
wilderness, and the entire journey was made in
covered wagon. 1t took them several weeks to
reach the place, where they finally bought land
at government sale and built their log cabins
on the identical spot where the fourishing city
OF Logansport is now situated. Talbot was
"bound out" by his master until he was of age
and during that period he learned the trade Of
blacksmith. When the time of his service
expired he decided to embrace the opportunity
an u emigrate to some northern state, where he
.
Squire McBane aided him in his fight, and
when Indiana was reached he lent him assist
ance in providing for himself q home. In the
course OF few years Talbot had secured pos
session OF some six hundred acres of land which
at that time was covered with dense woods He
reared family of seven children and occupied
the land for more than twenty years. In 1857
the fugitive slave law was passed, and fearing
that he might be taken back again into bondage
he left his worldly possessions and fed with his
&c. L.. ..A- n l. 4
people who were at the time in northern states.
He remained across the border until the eman-
cipation proclamation afforded him an oppor-
tunity to return unmolested to the states. He
was still afraid to venture back to his home in
Indiana and for several years he was located
ne died some seventeen years ago. His family,
which had been reduced to six children four
boys and two girls), soon became separated,
but two OF the sons located at Rochester, Ind
THE CHILDREN
knew that their father had owned property in
Indiana, as he had often told them Of his ex-
perience and the manner in which he had Sc
cured possession Of the land but still they
never dreamed that it could be recovered in
any way. David Talbot was one Of the family
who made his home at Rochester, and his wife
frequently made visits to this city, where she
had relatives and friends. While returning to
her home from one of her trips to Cincinnati
she, by the merest accident, met q colored
minister who had known her father-in-law init
mately when he lived at Logansport. He con-
veyed to her the information that the land
which Talbot had purchased more than half
century ago was now in the center of flourish
ing town and also intersected by various lines
of railroads. She was advised by her newly
found friend to notify her husband of this
astonishing fact, and it was further suggested
by him that they institute proceedings to es-
tablish their claim to that which was undoubt-
eddy their own. Mrs. Talbot acted promptly
on this advice, and the result was the employ
ment Of Congressman Hill Of Defiance, Ohio,
and MIR. Holland, an attorney of Paulding.
Ohio, to take charge Of the matter. These
gentlemen went quietly to Logansport and in
stituted a thorough examination Of the record.
The result exceeded their most sanguine ex-
pectation. The fact was readily developed
that the Talbot heirs were the legal owners Of
THE PROPERTY.
The Wabash and the. Eel River railroads cross
the property. which is also occupied by their
buildings and numerous side tracks. These
companies were the first to be informed of the
developments that had been made by the in
vestigation Of the Talbot claims. The legal
advisers for the two companies went over the
records with the attorneys for the Talbot es-
tate, and proofs of the claim were found to be
indisputable. This resulted in a comprom Use,
by which the Talbot heirs were to receive
S. 900 from the two railroad companies
alone, exclusive of other property, the total
settlement is to be made on September Is by
mutual agreement.
The whereabouts of all the members of the
scattered family have been discovered with the
exception Of one Henry, the oldest son, and for
whom diligent search has been instituted For
number OF years it is known that he was To-
Gated in Cincinnati, and on last Thursday one
of the daughters, Mrs. Lucinda Lanthan, came
TO this city, accompanied by her husband, to
learn, If possible, something Of his where
abouts. She has been stopping with q MIR.
Howard Black, at 245 Plum street.
AN INTERVIEW WITH MRS. LANTHAx.
A Commercial Gazetts reporter called upon
her last night. She was neatly dressed and is
q colored woman Of unusual intelligence. At
first she manifested some reluctance in speak
ing of the matter, but was finally induced to
detail the story Of the hunt for the missing
brother, and also related the incidents relative
to the history Of the property and its recovery.
She said that they had been making q long
hunt for her brother, but that she was afraid
that he was dead. On Saturday she learned
that there was oolored man at the city in
cation yesterday proved that he was not the
one sought for. Last night she received in
formation that he had gone to Danville, KY,
three or four years ago. 1t has been more than
fourteen years since en6 mas seen the missing
brother. 1T is very important that we should
find him." she said, "for if he is not on hand
when the settlement is made he may expert
ence some trouble in securing his share Of the
money"
Glow much do you expect to realize from
the claim?'
''The attorneys have told us that we would
each get about 100000. They said We couldn't
spend the interest on the money in year, no
matter how extravagant we might be-"
"How does it come that the matter has never
been made public?"
sour lawyers wanted the matter to be kept a
secret until everything had been properly adj
justed."
"You have been furnished money to hunt
your brother, have your
Il haven't experienced any trouble on that
score. All concerned in the case are anxious
that he should be found. My brother Henry
is forty years of age, and is the second
Oldest child in the family, my sister being his
senior by some three years. He is the only
one of the children who has never been mar
led"