Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-03-09
GIFT OF A DREAM.
An Irish Lad Falls Heir to Property in
:, Strange Manner.

A young Irish lad, living 5000 miles
away in poor and humble circumstances,
was made the heir Of quite snug little
sum by a decree of the superior court
of this city, and it all came about
through dream-nothing but dream.
The facts and circumstances which led
to the extraordinary inheritance are as
follows:
There died in this city on April 6
1890, an honest, hard working machin-
list. by the name of Patrick Shine, who.
having accumulated some little wealth
and knowing that his end was near, a
few weeks previous to his death decided
all of his property to his faithful wife,
Ellen, their union never having been
blessed with children. The loss of her
life companion Frustrated the widow,
and her grief was SO great that just two
months later-on June 6, 1S90-Ellen
Shine, no longer able to bear up under
the load of sorrow breathed, her last, to
rejoin her beloved husband in another
world.
Ellen Shine died interstate and her
property was taken charge Of by Public
Administrator James G. Pennie, who at
once advertised and otherwise searched
existed they could have an opportunity
to present their claims. The statutory
time expired. however, and no person
appeared who on the ground OF rela-
tionship with Ellen Shine laid claim to
her estate.
In the meantime, however, Daniel
Shine, a brother OF the late Patrick
Shine, and Mary Madigan and Ellen
Carey, his two sisters, filed petition
for a distribution of The estate on the
ground that it was community proper
ty, and that Ellen Shine having left no
heirs, they were the nearest relatives.
The case was set for hearing, and on
August 26, 1891, in department - of the
superior court, the petition of the
brother and sister of Patrick Shine was
granted.
The court issued decree of distribu-
ton, but the public administrator, still
hopeful that Ellen Shine might have
had some relatives living who might be
found. delayed the filing of this decree
for some weeks TO gain time. This de-
lay proved of the greatest Importance,
as was proved by the subsequent events.
Among the people who knew Ellen
Shine was Mrs NJ. A Johnson, of No.
740 Fell Street, the wife of a mechanic.
Mrs. Shine and Mrs. Johnson were
both natives of County Cork, Ireland,
and whenever they met they used to
exchange "reminiscences of the days OF
their youth. When Mrs. Johnson
learned through the newspapers that
her old friend had died, and that the
public administrator had charge Of her
property for the lack of legal claimants,
she was greatly distressed, and the mat
ter worried her for many weeks. In
vain the good woman cudgeled her
brains in an endeavOr TO remember
whether she had ever heard Of anyone
related to Ellen Shine. She could rec
Ollect no one.
The matter occupied her mind so
much that it IS not at all surprising that
one night-August so, 1S9l-after re-
firing, still much perturbed over the
fact that all that money should go to
strangers, Mrs. johnson had her peace
full slumbers disturbed by dream.
She dreamed of Ellen Shine as young
girl, home in Ireland, surrounded by
host OF relatives, and conspicuous in
was the figure of the old parish priest,
the Rev. Father James, Well-known to
the dreamer
When Mrs. Johnson awoke next
morning she remembered her dream,
and thought 1t strange that in it Father
James should be mixed up with the
youthful days of her late friend. The
more she pondered over this to her in
eXplicable fact the more she become
convinced that the proper person to
apply to for information concerning the
relatives of Ellen Shine was the old
parish priest, and she resolved at once
to write to him.
Her surmise proved correct. In due
oh
Father James, known now as Canon
Hegarty in which he said he knew FL
len Shine we'll, when she was still at
her Irish home, and her maiden name
was Ellen DOoley, and that her nearest
relative living was nephew by the
name Of Joseph COtter, residing in
village near Cork, called Carrignaver
The Canon also advised Mrs. Johnson
to turn the case over to some attorney
at once.
Overioyed at the result of her dream,
she fastened to the office of Attorney
Alexander I. Nogelsang and placed the
whole matter in his hands. Inquiries
made resultedin the confederation ofthe
facts as stated, and glad that the decree
giving the property to the brother and
sister Of Patrick Shine had not been
filed, Mr.. Nogelsang repaired to the Of
fee of the public administrator, Freese,
whom he informed that he was the rep
resentative of direct heir to Ellen
Shines estate.
Mr.. PennIe. whose precaution in not
filing the decree when it was issued
now became SO unexpectedly justified
was pleased to hear that so much good
had resulted from it, and assisted Mr.
Nogelsang in bringing an action to have
the former decree set aside, and at the
same time in fling a petition to have
the estate distributed to Joseph Cotter
Judge Levy gave satisfactory judg-
ment without more than the delay
necessary for the purpose Of obtaining
the proofs of Cotter's claim from Ire
land, and few days ago the young
Irish lad was officially notified that he
was the sole owner Of a house and lot
on Garden Street and another lot III the
O'Neill & Healy tract, all left to him by
an aunt whorl he had never known by
the assistance OF the benefcent fairies
of dreamland -,SnI FrnnciscO CHT0uicIp