Los Angeles herald. [volume] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1890-1893, 1892-03-08
The Good Turn the Herald"
Did for Brown.
He Will Gain a Big Fortune
Through This Paper.
Further Details About the Curious
Features of His Story.
The Attorney Who Has Been Long
Searching for Him Finds Him In
Oakland-What lie Said
to a Reporter.

The HERALD published, come time
ago the story OF the search being made
by Attorney Robert Shearer for Sher-
man r. Brown, a, lost heir to a large
legacy. The HERALD found the young
man in Oakland. The San Francisco
Chronicle OF Sunday contains the fol-
lowing about the matter:l
II think know how to take care of
it," said Sherman r. Brown, at the
Baldwin hotel last evening. He has
just received information that ne is the
heir to upward of $220,000.
"Yes, you ought to if any body does"
smilingly replied Robert M. Shearer,
the attorney who had come all the way
from Cincinnati to California to find the
missing heir.
Cant you give the Chronicle an
account OF your movements for the past
few years? ' asked the reporter who had
discovered Brown in this city.
"Mr. Shearer can give you all the in
formation he has," was the reply, and
the heir dropped his head in thought
and would say no more.
The attorney was 10th to enter into de-
tails, but after inviting the reporter to
his room he stated that in justice to
Brown brief statement OF facts as they
exist could be given, this being the first
time that either he or Brown has made
public any direct information through
the newspapers.
SIN the first place." said the attorney,
81 wish to correct few printed state
ments. When the Oakland papers
stated that Brown was under arrest for
some alleged act the man was sick in
bed at his lodging house. His landlady
and others in the house will corroborate
this statement, which 1 have found to
be true after careful inquiry. He has
had his ups and downs in the west like
hundreds of other bright young men
who left good positions in the east to
try their fortunes in the states west of
the Rockies.
Browns father is a wealthy banker
of Parsons, Kan. His mother died
when he was six months old, and he
was raised by his grandparents. The
young man grew upwith steady habits,
and when last seen in the east he held a
position of trust with q loan and security
company in Kansas City. He had heard
30 much of the Pacific coast and the
fortunes to be quickly made here that
he suddenly came to the conclusion to
venture further west and see for him.
self some of the romantic and poetic
life as we'll as to lay up gold by his in
dividual efforts. He left Kansas with
out apprasing soul Of his destination
or his plans. Some months afterward
letter was received by his relatives,
written by him in Texas, but replies to
that letter never brought an answer in
return. All trace ofIhim from that time
on was lost, and his friends mourned for
him as though he were dead.
"During mis- absence an aunt died at
Glen Falls, N. Y. and in her will be-
queathed him sum of money which
you have stated was 5000, 1000. l wish to
say that this is not the exact sum, but
it is near enough for all practical pur-
poses. Diligent search was made for
him, but without avail. At last took
up the matter in person and started
west, determined to find him if he was
on this coast, came slowly and
finally made a temporary stop in Los
Angeles.
II want to Say good word for the
newspapers. 1t was through them that
found the missing heir. While in Los
Angeles deemed it best to make public
as many of the facts of gold seeking an
owner as would cause the true heir to
communicate with me should his eye or
attention be called to them. The item
was telegraphed to San Francisco, and
one day young Brown, while sitting in
free reading room in Oakland, CHANGED
to see the dispatch from Los Angeles.
Judging from what he tells me his eyes
grew bigger and bigger as he read on,
and in a few minutes more he was on
his way to telegraph office, and here is
the dispatch received:
1 am here. Isitem as telegraphed from HER
AID correct? If so ! think l am the man,
and can give particulars. Answer,
81 wired reply asking him to write
me fully where he had been for the past
six or eight years, and also to give me a
history of his life before leaving home.
became assured from the letter that
he was the long-lost son. For you must
know that he is his fathers only
child. then came to San Francisco,
arriving here on Thursday afternoon. 1
went that evening to his, home in Oak
land, and within few minutes was
certain my man had been found"