Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-11-21
VILSACK FINDS A SISTER.
What an Old Record Revealed-A Story oil
Suffering and Abuse Told-The Brother
and Sister May Fall Heir to Immense

What an Old Record Revealed-A STORY oi
Suffering and Abuse Told-The Brother
and Sister May Fall Heir to Immense
Wealth.
Thursday THE DISPATCH published the
story of the young man who went by the
name of Henry Vilsack and was making in
quiries at the Department of Charities for
lost sister and family in general. Yesterday
the following additional light was thrown
on the story:
Mrs. Fanny Orris, who resides at Hite's
station, on the West Penn Railroad, called
on Examiner Hoffman, showed him the
newspaper item, and asked for some more
light on the matter. Examiner Hoffman
could not tell her ANYTHING additional. and
she said that it had occurred to her that
Vilsack might be her brother as she had
often heard of Henry Beresford and Father
Richards. The only difference in her story
was that she had been at the Pittsburg Poor
Farm instead of the Allegheny City Poor
Farm. She said she had been under the
care of the old Guardians of the Poor as
Fannie Kammerer. On looking through the
old records history of her life was found,
which reads as follows:
JUNE q, 1881.
FANNIE KAMMERER-
A child who was indentured by the Ale
gheny CITY Poor Farm to Henry Beresford.
on December 10. 1875, and is the daughter of
Mrs. Mary Kammerer. Mrs. Kammerer was
married to man named Adam kammererin in
August. 1870 They kept house i'll Allegheny,
about one year after which they quarreled
and separated for short time. A settle
ment was affected and they lived together
and parted a number OF times. After a
final separation Mrs. Kammerer went to
while. and on May 10, 1877, she
with her four children were sent to the
County Home. They were then transferred
Mrs. kamnerer left the City Home April 5,
1878, since which time we know nothing of
her. The child Fannie was born February
- ls79 She was indentured to Henry Beres-
ford December 10, 1878, who then lived in
Millva!e borough but who has gone to Pitts
burg and lives some place in the East End.
She was returned to the farm and in
street, now living at 2H Market street, Allie
gheny. She was with Pell only a short time.
and was returned to the farm again, to be
finally discharged August 6, 1881.
Here the record of her life so far as the
Department of Charities is concerned ends
After leaving the farm for the last time she
went to live with family named Brown
residing in Homestead.
In speaking of this she said she was
dDuScu ny CtTtdlu mcHDeIS Ol Inc
Brown family and ran off, They then
moved to Grafton and she returned to them
few weeks later. The abuse, she says,
was continued until one day num-
Der of the members of the family
were poisoned and she was suspected of
doing the WORK. She soon left the family
and was married to Phillip Orris, coal
merchants son, and they now live at Hite's
station.
Vilsack afterward learned that he and
his three sisters were taken charge of by
Catholic priest and given out to different
families for adoption. A few other little
points of his life corresponded with some of
those of Mrs. Orris and it was then decided
that this would settle the question as far as
Vilsack is concerned.
1t has since been learned that Mrs. Kam-
merer's mother owned large tract of land
near Tarentum which she willed to her
daughters children at her death. This land
is still in the. hands of the administrator and
is said to be worth thousands of dollars
Mrs. Orris was given Vilsack's address
yesterday but on going to his home he was
not there and at late hour last evening she
was still waiting for his return. The
brother and sister will now go to work and
endeavor to locate each member of the
family for the purpose of proving their
identity and claiming the land that has
been willed them