The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-01-01
FORTUNES UNCLAIMED.
Millions Of Dollars Awaiting Their
Owners.
How Money Which Belongs to Undiscov-
cred Heirs Accumuiatcs In the
Hands of state Treas
urere.

HOW money WnlCn bcl0uSB 10 OhuASCOvs I
cred Heirs AccumuIatcs In the
Hands of state Treas 1
urers.
Speaking roughly there is at the pres
ent time over So, 600, 600 in hard cash in
the hands of the various State Treasur-
ers i'll this country awaiting the claim
of legal heirs. This large amount says
the New York Telegram, has been de-
posted with the treasurers from time
to time by public administrators. OF
this $5,0O0 600 the New York State
Treasurer has about $250,000, and
although he pays out now and then cer-
tilted claims from the administrative
fund it keeps steadily increasing in a
ratio with the population. of the State
The public administrator of Brooklyn
furnishes the following cases from his
record books:
Thomas Wilson sold newspapers in
Brooklyn's Twentieth ward for gen.
Grafton. His route was an aristocratic
one, comprising such streets as Clinton
and Clermont avenues, in which are the
homes Of millionaires. He peddlcd his
wares IN all sorts of weather, appeared
on the streets in rain and shine every
day and far into the night, and even
made feeble attempt to brave the fury
of the big blizzard of March IL, 1888.
He had no friends, no corffidants, no as
sociations, and he lodged in the attic vt
. miserable tenement house. One day
in the spring, last year, his legs refused
to carry him along his route, and he
went for succor and shelter to the
Brooklyn hospital. Here he was warned
that he had but short time 70 live and
was told to communicate with his
friends If he had any. Old Tom shook
his head negatively and died that night
without making sign. Five bank
books were found under his pillow,
showing s, 200 or $4,000 to his credit in
different institutions. Tho admins
traitor could learn nothing about him in
the banks, where he had told differ
ent stories about himself. It is thought
he was of Swedish origin and that his
real name was Nilsen, not Wilson.
Then, there was Joseph Langler, q
name common enough in the south OF
France, in Marseilles, especially. Lang
ler was also solitary man, living-or,
rather, grubbing-in an Atlantic avenue
garret. He paid the ianitor 81 month
for his miserable room. He went out
and came in, spoke to nobody and an
swered questions by shaking or nodding
his head. One day he went forth for
the last time-staggered and fell at the
next corner. was taken into saloon,
thence conveyed in an ambulance to
Long Island College hospital, where he
died after few hours. In the pockets
OF his coat were found, bonds, mortgages
and bank books, worth $4,000 to the
owner; also will drawn up in excellent
legal phraseology and written in beau
tiful hand. His signature was affixed
to the will, but 1t lacked the names Of
witnesses. So careful had he been In
preparing the instrument that he added
an explanatory paragraph, underlined
in red ink. In q codicil he revokes the
will, so that he really died intestate
Rumor says Langler's heir is a nephew
hvingin Mar seilles, a sisters son, whom
if the administrator could locate, would
inherit 817, 900, with one years interest
. William Cato is another Of the grea
? intestates for whose heirs the admins
: traitor is looking. Cato was no tramp o.
news-vender. He was marine in the
, service Of the United States, and hat
, been one for such length Of time tina
he had only a vague memory Of wha
, he had been before. His comrades
, had an idea that he was Scotch
and that is all they could tel
: about him. He died suddenly las
: spring, while still in the service
doll h.
, had saved out Of his small pay. 1t i
, probable that an old woman living II
, Wigtonshire, Scotland, may be foun'
with valid claims to this one THOUSAND
q dollars.
Patrick Gresham lived on Third ave
4 nue., near Forty-sixth street, Soutl
, Brooklyn, and was in good circum
|, stances. His wife died in the spring O
, 1889, and the loss drove him crazy.
week later he committed suicide. 81
a left good deal of property, to which hi
i little four-year-old daughter was heiress
= His father, well-to-do New York Cal
! riage builder, was the legal guardian @
a the little girl, but there happened jus
4 then to be in the house sister Of tn
!. child's mother. She was on visit fror
p lrclduu, duu ldu hIE1NcO Juoo III pAhhO
!. see her sister die. The night of the da
a Gresham committed suicide the aun
y took the little girl stealthily out of he
q bed and out of the house, went over
a New York, and on the morning follow
i ing sailed for Queenstown in the Um
j, bria. Mr.. Gresham, the uncle and legs
q guardian, reported the theft to th
+ police and they cabled to Queenstown
have the aunt arrested on her arrival
a that port Now, it happened that, ov
\ ing to a great storm, tho Umbria coul
not put III at Queenstown, and so wer
a directly on to Liverpool, where no polio
y were waiting for handsome lady of th
q name of Grove and her four-year-ol
niece. Misc Grove and the child al
still in Europe, and the legal fight hi
not yet been decided.
p Opals from American Mines.
:. The discOvarv of having ODal mines