Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-07-16
FORTUNE FOR 4 MISSING HEIR.
A Scion Of n Southern Family who Wa,
Cast on for Wedding = Poor Girl.


Cast on for Wedding = Poor Girl.
A romantic story OF the disinherited
scion Of one Of the most Aristocratic Of
South Carolina families, which contains
the elements Of the popular tale Of fiction,
with the thread lost In San Francisco, has
Just come to light.
The Lees Of South Carolina trace their
ancestry back for couple Of centuries
One OF their great7grandfathers planted his
cotton seed and tobacco with the pioneers
Of the Carolinas Each generation added
10 the family possessions, until thirty years
ago the possessions OF the Lee estate ex.
tended for miles on either side Of the old
family manor house and the planter count
ed his slaves with three ciphers. Then the
war came. The Lee gold was contributed
generously and the Ice blood flowed freely
in the cause Of the Confederacy
When the end came the Lees, though
their magnificent estate had been sadly di
minished, found themselves still rich, but,
crushed by the failure Of the cause for
which they had sacrificed so much, they
retired to their country boIne and lived in
the exclusiveness Of the little world en-
compassed by the boundaries of their
plantation. The years went on, and ID.
McCord Lee, tie eldest san aud the hope
of the family, grew to manhood. There
was great future intended for the hand
some boy, and money was spent lavishly in
his education
All went well until he met and loved
pretty Gretchen Flemming, young Ger
man mGiden of the neighborhood who had
nothing but her beauty and warm heart
to exchange for the pntrcian name and
wealth of her suitor. Young McCord told
his father Of his attachment for the lowly
child of the people and there was II scene
The elder Lee stormed, but to no purpose
The son was obstinate aud refused to yield
to family prejudice. There were stolen
meetings and delicious ramblcs for months
until McCord, finding he could never gain
his fathers consent, boldly married the
girl in the little village church. The mes
alliance was the last straw to the family
pride of the Lees. The son was disin-
herited by his father, and the doors of his
Childhood home were closed upon him for
ever.
Young Lee determined to make start
in the world for himself, and, with his
young wife, came to San Francisco. That
was twelve years ago. Finely educated
but totally unsuited to the ordinary ways
of gaining livelihood, the struggle for ex-
istence was hard. Then domestic troubles
began, and the home of the young couple
was far from happy. Four years ago
separation was agreed upon, Mrs. Lee re-
turning to Germany, where she soon after
died.
During all of these years not a word had
passed between the estranged son and any
member of his family. The father kept
we'll his word, and the san was too proud
to seek reconciliation.
After the separation from his wife Lee
disappeared, leaving no clew by which his
future could be traced. A few days ago a
lady of this city, who has been intimate
with the family since her childhood, re-
ceived letter from the missing mans
brother in South Carolina stating that the
father and mother had died, leaving the
estate to the children, and asking that the
lady should make every effort to ascertain
the whereabouts of D. McCord Lee.-San
Francisco Chronicle.