The morning call., 1893-05-15


1918, and presumed il must be OF interest 10
you. Ii is as follows:
Nav 49, Killed In action at the Siege of
Malegaum. in Eendeish, Lieutenant Thomas
Davies. lale commanding engin' er OF lie Army
OF The Deckan.
This brave officers career was short but
brilliant lie had taken the front post IN
services of danger since his arrival II India
IN 1908 He had the honor OF dtsmantling the
French and hosting the BRUSH coloTs undtr
The fire of all the batteries IN the capture OF
Buuib bon. lie was a volunteer In tie attack
upon The Isle of DepaSs-, at Mauiliius. ana
while conveying an order In an open boat TO
the Nerad from Captain sym she was sunk
On that occasion he fell into the hands Of the
enemy. and was only released on the reduction
of the Maur tius.
always been in the field. He was desperately
wounded at Nagpore while leading stormlnS
party 10 the breach, and received his death
wound While repelnS sally IN TIE trenches
with covering party aud while personally en-
gagged win the enemy.
Hts remains were attended 10 the grave oy
his brother officers, who, in paying tie last sad
tribute 10 his memory, bedewed his grave with
tears, and his death-k kneIl was tolled by ihe
artillery on the foIt walls. II IS melancholy
consolation 10 his fri .ndS 10 know that he
would have preferred the glorious fate he has
met TO any other at a future period. His mill
tary talents and requirements as an engineer
were OF stamp that place HIM IN the hishest
class In BIS profession, and his excellent ahd
sound Judgment aided naturally quick anu
inventive geniu..
Then follows the copy of record from
the Indian army list Of his death:
"'Davies, Thomas. Engineers. Lieuten-
ant. April. 1910 Killen IS Nav, 1878, at
the siege Of Malegaum. Madras.
Davies con tinue d to correspond with va
rious attorneys and bankers until he slowly
but surely learned OF clews which ena bled
him 10 trace several smaller sums remltted
by his ancestor to certain banks. 1t is by
ffar hat ha n flfas
to eventually realize his golden dream OF
wealth.
Through his Madras (India) attorneys he
secured a copy of a letter from the Ac-
countant-General to the secretary Of the
Government Military Department, No. L.
B. G., IA. dated Fort ST. George, Septem-
Der 10. 1889, in reference to his claim. 1t
cnnclusiyely shows that Lieutenant
Thomas Davies was in aifiuent circum-
stances and had considerable funds IN his
possession while in India.
Following is literal COPY:
In returning the enclosed correspondence
received with your Endorsement, 21O L, dated
18th OF July, 1889.
Regarding tie late Lieutenant Thomas
Dawes estate, have the honor TO stale that
the Administrator General 10 whom the mat
Ter was referred, reports that from his own ac-
cOunt-5ooks and those of the late Ecclesiastl-
cal Registrar, 1t has been asceriained that The
accounts OF this estate were closed on The 4th
Of December, 1921, anG lie balance Rs.
3S sol. s. 624, with several other small sums
amounting 10 lis. 739 !. s, subsequently re-
ceiyed BY him. was paid over 10 MeSsrs. Ar
buthuOt < Co. as attorneys TO the heirs Of kin
of tue deceased IN Europe, and that further
sum OF Rs. 1913. 7. 8. WAS on tile 24tb Septem-
ber 1855 paid over to The Government under
for fifteen years. After this payment the ac-
counts OF The estate we're finally closed. This
sum RS 120. :. 81 is consequently Oh my
books as credit of this estate.
(True couyA II. Il. SHELLEY. Colonel
For Secretary 10 Government
The receipt of this letter convinced Mr..
Davies that he was not pursuing phan-
tom, and that there was some foundation
for his belief.
This fact stimulated him in his search
for further evidence.
Mind YOU" continued Mr.. Davies, "the
sums referred TO in The foregoing letter
were only those remitted from India
alone Nothing is said as yet in regard 10
the property my uncle surely Inherited
from his father, and which he left behind
him in England whel he went away to
East India.
"These sums are comparatively speak
ing Insignificant. l think they were only
prize money which he was paid by tie
English Government for particular SER
vices. They constitute remittances made
by his Madras bankers after his death OF
what property he died possessed of In
India.
That he, during his life. remitted other
sums to his English bankers l have no
doubt. The difficulty is to trace them. for
by them alone can the original sum be
located, as the funds were probably all
dispensed of through the same channel.
But even those sums, though small.
would by this time amount to considere-
BILE fortune. The estate was closed in In
da in 1921, and at compound interest.
however small the rate, has doubled itself
many times. So | know must get some
thing, to say the least.
Now" continued Mr.. Davies enthusi-
astlcdlly, II will show you some of my
correspondence with my attorneys of a
late date. and which generally bears out
my theories.
II wrote 20 my English representatives,
and among other things they found that as
late as 1850 there appeared an advertise
ment in the London Gazette in reference TO
the estate"
Mr.. Davies produced legally certified
copy of the advertisement.
1t notified the absent heirs and the pub
lie that William A. Searle. Esq. as Eccle-
siastical Registrar of the honorable court,
. had received certain funds from the estate
of the late Lieutenant Thomas Davies In
addition to those previously mentioned.
and that certain payments had been made
on account of same. This document was
also certified by the Deputy Registrar.
Don't you think" continued Mr.. Da-
vies, That that document bears out my
statement that none Of my uncles sue
ceeded in getting the property mp TO 1850.
l also know that my uncle John and my
father received nothing after that date.
Il then instructed my solicitors to ind
out who the persons referred to by Arbuth-
not d Co. in the letter from the Account
ant-General of india were.
They were Madras bankers, ascertained
the firm.
81 consequently wrote to them, and they
replied that they knew nothing of the es-
tate with the exception that they had real
lied the estate in India only, and forward
ed the proceeds 10 Coutts & Co., London.
That they thought the remittances were
made in 1921, but could give no further
information.
when | wrote to Coutts & Co. that
firm could not at first trace any sums
Later they found that they had received
sums amounting to e370O in 1922 and said
the money had been withdrawn, but could
not tell by whom or how.
THAI" continued Mr.. Davies, "proves
conclusiyely thatet least some remittances,
il small, reached England.
II have again written Arbuthnot & Co.,
the Madras bankers. and hope soon to
learn further particulars regarding the
estate from them.
Now" concluded Mr. Davies, summing
up his case, ''yon have the whole story.
"My Uncle Thomas had told all his
brothers Of the deposit Of e13O,O00 He
also told them OF different remttances
amounting to 100000 more some years be-
fore his death. That is what l base my
hopes upon of learning where the money
is now.
Referring to the letter from the ac-
countant-general of the army. you find that
as late as September "a. 1885. small sum
had still been unclaimed by the heirs and
was appropriated by the Government as
unclaimed money. That proves that il
was never received or claimed by the legal
heirs.
II think have good case. For some
reason the people | have appealed to do not
appear willing to give me much important
information. but l shall take legal steps to
get what | know exists"
Mr.. Davies had the original correspon-
dence in his possession, which he showed
to CALL reporter. The letters in all re-
spects substantiate his statements.
lie is at present having certified copies
of the more important documents bearing
on the case made which will be sent TO
England.
lie says that he has engaged the services
o1 capable attorney. who will shortly
leave lor England to push his claims, and
tnat some OF the best-known legal talent