Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-05-15
IN A HANDKERCHIEF.
Charles Chickering's Unconscious Custo-
dianship OF s4OO, 900.

Charles Chickering's Unconscious Custo-
dianship OF $500, 900.
The death of Charles +. Chiclsering,
the piano manufacturer, recalled one
OF the most remarkable incidents on
record, says the New York Recorder
James Henry Paine who died in De-
cember, 1885, in an attic in this city,
was known as "Old Miser Paine" He
was the granddaughter of Robert Treat
Paine, one OF the signers OF the Dec
laration Of Independence. He received,
on reaching his majority, large prop
erty from his fathers estate and began
then to loaning money on the streets
at high rates of interest He soon
gained on the streets most unenviable
notoriety for his practice of loaning
money on stocks and then bearing the
stocks through the columns of the
newspapers on which he was employed
as financial reporter, so rs to keep his
securities as long as possible while
vigorously collecting his monthly per
cents. Z
For nearly thirty years prior TO his
death Paine was estranged from his
family and lived absolutely on charity.
But he was a mine OF wealth in music
al knowledge, possessing a'fund OF
almost inexhaustible character. This
trait attracted the attention OF Mr..
Chickering and he aided Paine in
many ways. At that time every one
supposed him to be penniless, as he
lived by begging what he ate and what
he wore. But few years before his
death his brother, Robert Treat Paine
OF Boston, said: james ought to DO
worth $3.50, 900 in his own right.
What has become OF ftp"
The question puzzled many n head
after its utterance, for there was no
answer given nor any explanation
from the miser James Henry Paine
was buried by the same charitable peo-
pie who donated to him his means OF
precarious existence, and scarcely had
he been placed in his grave when a
contest was begun in this county on
the missing will of the deceased. The
case dragged on nearly year, when
Attorney Genera, Russell, who was
conducting the case for the heirs-at-
law, asked his opponent Gen. Cham
berlain of South Carolina, if he had
any objection to a witness he was about
TO call. This was December Is, 1887.
Mr.. Chamberlain replying in the neg
alive, counsel for the heirs called up
on Charles Chickcring, who was seat
ed in the court. Mr.. Chickering rose
quickly from his chair, and lifting q
big bundle that he had been carefully
guarding. walked to the witness-chair.
After answering n few questions he
was asked to tell what he had to say.
Quietly and without the slightest sign
OF excitement he said:
II knew James Henry Paine for
years before he died | was brought
into communication with him often
through his love for music. Though l
had heard that he was supposed TO
have some money hidden away some
where, really knew nothing about it.
Ono day near the close of the COS he
came 10 me with this bundle in his
hand. This is the bundle. He asked
me il he could leave 1t in my possess
sion, and / told him yes told him
] would put it in my safe. He objected
to this and asked me if had private
safe at home which none OF my en-
ployes ever opened. said yes again,
and he said he would like me TO place
ii there. l took the bundle and locked
it up, scarcely ever again giving the
matter a thought. Once. years after
ward, he asked me If that bundle was
all right. said certainly, and he
did not allude TO it again during his
life. After the old mans death / re-
membered the package and took it out
of its hiding-place one day to see il 1t
contained anything worth keeping. I
supposed it held nothing more than
some old musical papers. Tearing open
one corner l caught sight OF n roll
OF bank bills. 1t seemed 20 me in the
hasty glimpse I caught of them that
they must amount to many thousands
of dollars. l tied the bundle again
quickly and took the train for Boston
TO see Robert Treat Paine, who, !
thought, was the nearest relative. He
said that there were nearer heirs-at
law than he and he named tho Clag-
gets of that city. March 1, in the
presence OF Sumner and Charles Clag-
gett and my attorney, Mr.. Swift, we
opened the package. Gold and silver
dollars, bank notes by the thousands,
certificates of stock. and scrip rolled
upon the table. The little cid green
handkerchief with which the handle
was wrapped for nearly twenty years
had closely guarded the treasure,
amounting to something over 800, 600.
About $140, 900 has become outlawed. p"
The heirs-at-law subsequently OBJ
tanned the money, bank notes, scrip,
ETC., surrendered by Mr.. Chickering.