Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-06
MYTHICAL MILLIONS. :
Something for Deluded American
Claimants Of English Estates
6ulndling Schemes for the Benefit of Un-
scrupul0us Agents-The Jcnnens and
Other Properties That Exist
Only in the Imagination.
WASHINGTON Capitall


A paper On the subject of unclaimed es.
tates in England, prepared under the de
rection of Minister Lowell by Mr.. Henry
White, one Of the American Secretaries Of
Legation, has been sent by the President
to Congress with other State papers.
"There seems to be no doubt" Mr.. White
says, "that many are led to believe them
selves heirs to vast estates in Great Britain
by designing persons on both sides of the
ocean, who insert notices in newspapers in
the United States that large property
left by person Of the same name with that
of some well known family Of tho same
district, or Of some exceedingly common
name likely to occur anywhere, such as
Brown or Jones, or to distribute far and
wide lists of unclaimed estates which do
not exist. Large sums of money are an.
nually thrown away by the dupes of these
advertisements and fictitious lists, and
handsome revenue made by the agents, as
they call themselves, for the dis
covery of lost heirs and the recovery Of
unclaimed estates. The modus oper.
andi usually adopted by these agents is
to ask first for q remittance of ten
or fifteen dollars, to cover the cost of
copying the will upon which the claim
purports to be based; then larger sum
for the expenses of instituting inquiries;
and at each successive stage more black
mail is levied, the correspondence being
80 cleverly conducted that several years
frequently elapse before the fraud is dis
covered. None should contribute dollar
to unknown agents, especially toward any
fa1 rrtk oh ;eh;r
claims to estates in this country, until
inquiry has been made of counsel here,
first, as to the existence of the estate, and
then as to the chances Of its recovery. I
am told by reputable solicitors that not
one claim in a thousand Of all those re-
ferred to them by the Legation has had
any validity whatever, and very few, dur
ing their long experience of claims from
America, have been successful"
MIR. White describes the results of in
quires relating to the clemens Estate" to
which there were many American claim
ant, showing that the property went to
the heirs at-law long before American
claimants were ever heard of, and that the
latter never had the shadow Of a title to
it." Moreover, had the title once been a
good one it would long since have become
worthless by the operation of the statute Of
limitations.
ANY attempt, therefore," continues Mr..
White, ito recover real estate from the
Crown or individuals after lapse of twelve
years (Which may be extended to thirty
under certain circumstances), and per.
sOnal property after lapse of twenty
years, however valid the claim of the per-
son making the attempt may have been
originally, is certain to end in failure9
"AH members, consequently, of the 'Jen-
mems Association of the United States of
America may rest assured that their sub
scriptions are simply money thrown away,
if their object be the recovery of the Jen-
mems estate. Recently a letter was re-
ceived here from member of the afore-
said 'Jennens Association who had just
been notified that general assessment of
five dollars had been levied for the year
ending June 80, 1884, and who, before pay.
ing the same, inquired whether the Lega-
ton could furnish any information re-
garding the Jennens estate, said to be
pending before the Court of Cbancery
in England"
Similar to this are the "Hedges estate"
the Bradford estate" the clyde estate"
the "Horne estate" and many others which
ere described as among "the ordinary
myths by which so many Of our country
men have been beguiled"
With regard to large sums supposed to
be awaiting American claimants in the |
Bank of England MIR. White quotes from |
letter written by the chief accountant of |
that institution as follows: "There are no |
large amounts of unclaimed stock or divi- |
dends standing in our books. Speaking |
generally, without having made an ex-
haustive research, which would involve |
some considerable labor, there are very |
few amounts Of $500, and probably none
that exceed this sum by more than $500 or
81 ,000."
In regard to the fabulous fortunes locked
up in chancery, he says: ITO Judge from
the letters received at this Legation from
the United States in reference to the I'M
claimed funds in chancery, many of our
must imagine that institution
to be depository of incalculable millions,
a goodly share of which can be
easily withdrawn upon the mere institu-
ton of a claim to the same by the Ameri- i
can Minister and without requirement by
the court Of any particulars as to the name
of the suit, the relationship of the clsim-
ant to the parties mentioned therein or to
the original owner OF the estate claimed.
1t is very rarely that in any communica-
ton sent US on this subject smaller sum
is mentioned than several millions, and fire.
4uently our correspondents state that they
sre entitled to twenty, fifty, and even
more, millions. 1t will doubtless cause
some surprise and disapp TO such
as these to be informed that the whole
amount of money in the custody of the
Court OF Chancery at the present time is
'bout S42o, oo0, 600, of which Sis, 900 be-
cng to owners who are known, leaving
about one million only of unclaimed or
dormant funds"
A sLo.In the dark-the Brooklyn gas ex-