New-York tribune., 1889-12-23
ALUCKY MIRROR TO BREAK.
ACCIDENTALLY FINDING AN OLD DEED.
yr1Rs HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR 1T FOR
vrARs-IT CONVEYED A LARGE TRACT OF
LAND IN NEw-YoRK TO A HonhANDER
RECORDED IN ALBANY OVER TWO
HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

NJ AVOs
Charles Roll, of Newark, accidentally broke an
"a mirror four weeks ago. II had been given to
~, vsars ago by his grandfather. The glass was
.a,verrd to atoms, and old age-yellowed piece
- ,orchment was disclosed TO view for the first
80 in a century and more. as was proved by
~. rature Of the document For seventy-Gve
...-s Mr.. Roll and his relatives have been en-
ssarorps to gain additional evidence with which
.h.v eoud lay claim to a wide stretch of land
- the Mohawk Valley along the banks of.the
uobawk River Mr.. Roll knew perfectly we'll
,hat his Holland Dutch ancestor. Jacob Roll, had
orned large tract of land there which had been
abandoned during the French and Indian wars.
hut he never found any papers by which he could
sy the position of the land
The document which dropped from the mirror
hack. four weeks ago was an important missing
urOof that the heirs of Jacob Roll, of whom there
arc $50. have long been seeking. Having found
!, they will press their claim to property near
Schenectady. n. Y, valued at $4,000, 600 The
niece of folded parchment deed from tho
Indians 10 Jacob Roll. giving Roll clear title
10 tract of land four miles in length along
the Mohawk River, beginning in the city Of
Schenectady, and running back from the river
nine miles The whole town OF Amsterdam is be-
Ieved TO he included in the Indian deed. arc
also valuable properties Of the New-lork Central
Railroad.
An Indian title or deed of land is almost i'm
possible 10 set aside in New-York State. The
validity of this deed is declared TO be unques-
tOnable as G. W. Manning, of Cincinnati, Ohio,
was in Albany, \. V, on Saturday. and found the
deed recorded in the old Dutch records in the
year 1858.
Mr. Manning went TO Elizabeth, ~ j., on
Sturday night as soon as he proved the genu-
peness of the title, and there joined committee
omprising representatives of over 100 heirs
Charles w Roll, of No. 20 Boliver-st., Newark.
n j.. was chairman of the committee The
other representatives present were I. W.. Man
ming Mo- 81 Elm-st., Cincinnati, Ohio; George
r Mitchell. Pennsylvania-ave., Newark, n D..
Richard Franz Newark, y. j.: Walter Roll, Lin
den. n j.: w NJ. Roll Cincinnati, Ohio, and
Maurice Statemeyer, Elizabeth y. j,
These men subscribed sum OF money with
which to push the claims of the heirs, ana as
sessed each of the heirs certain sum as re,
serve fund to draw upon. The heirs are scattered
in all parts of the United States, but each lEeal
descendant of Jacob Roll represented at
Elizabeth on Saturday night
When Jacob Roll was compelled 10 nee oWlhg 70
the Indian war, he went To Central New-Jersey;
and settled at Springfield. There he also owned
considerable property by Indian deeds, ana the
validity of these deeds has never been questioned
there The heirs are confident that at least
a large part of the land can be claimed by them
as the deed specifically explains what lahds are
transferred TO Jacob Roll.
There are several descendants and heirs OF
Jacob Roll, the Hollander, living in ana near
Painfeld They are Mrs. John Ten Eyck, Chan-
eellor Roll Mrs. William COnnett, Mrs. Cecella
ROssiter, Mrs. Austin Sturtevant, Albert Roll OF
Perth Amboy. \. J.; Mrs. William Force; Mrs.
James Force, James Lsing Mrs Sarah f. Halhgan;,
Mrs Caleb Decamp Mrs. Mary Louise Farley, OF
Euwood. n. J. Most Of these were present at
the meeting of heirs on Saturday night. at Eliza
beth, and they all declare that they are c3nhaea1
of a successful end of the proceedings apout 20
he made to gain possession of the large tracts oil
land transferred by the old Indian deed.