The morning call., 1893-04-16
TRAMPs NO MORE.
Jacob Wilson Will Leave
the "Profesh.
HEIR TO A BIG FORTUNE.
After Years of Varied Buffetings the
Wauderer Gets Word That
$4,000 Awaits Him.

An impecunious tramp named Jacob Will
son, who has been travelling in a quiet and
unostentatlous manner in Southern Cali
foCnia for the past twelve months has just
come into a fortune of some S5l,0OO At
least popular surmise has fixed the amount
at those figures, but there is much more
probability that the sum runs up into the
hundreds of thousands.
Lawyer Davis, who has the matter in
charge, told CALL reporter yesterday that
he Gldn't know himself how much money
Wilson has fallen heir to. but it looked as if
there was more in it than was supposed.
Il am going East in fortnight" said Mr..
Davis, ITO attend personally to the case,
and have no idea how long it Will be before
the affair can be settled. There are chances
III new appeals and all sorts of legal delays,
YOU know, but I think Wilson has a good
hance OF becoming owner of good round
-um.
He first got news of the windfall few
lays ago at Redlands and Immediately
nastened TO Los Angeles, where he intro
duced himself to Attorney Tam and came
into telephone communication with us
here in Frisco.
Il recognized him by his speech and tile
description given of him, aud was very suOn
CuuNiHCtu tuaL ne was the man was look
ing for and that the Modesto person calling
himself Henry Wilson, who has lately been
laying claim TO the fortune, is an impostOr.
Il have written 10 my cousin, Luther w.
Emerson, who has charge OF the New York
branch of our affairs, concerning Wilson's
appearance, and l expect an answer from
him next week some time.
Jacob Emerson was the son of a rich
New York real estate dealer, whose fortune
was somewhere up in the hundred thou
a la hafn in ha
fell In love with a pretty hoasekeeper, whom
he had engaged TO run his establishment
after his wife's demise. and secretly mar
Iied her.
"During the progress of the paternal
courtshtp young jacob attempted on several
occasions to cut out the old man. but his
callow charms did not prove effective.
The favnred one was nevertheless very
Jealous Of his young rival, and when Jacob
grew partlcu larly pressing in his attentions
was Oh tie point of disinherittng him IN
retaliation.
'But Jacobs suit was not agreeable to
the young lady, Miss Ellen Shea, and so
she informed her youthful admirer. adding
that he might relinquish all hope, as her
heart was RnothePs. This he resented by
shooting her in a fir of passionate deSpond-
ency with 22-callber revolver. The shot
had the effect of settling matters tor time
and quieting the fathers feelings.
Jacob soon after fell in love with a
saloon-keeper's daughter, but that siren
laughed in his face and scoffed al his bar
rem prospects.
Wilson pere, however, hearing Of the in-
cldent was immensely delighted to rid
himself forever of his obnoxious rival and
offered the young lady Sl5000 as a dowry
and an assured income OF $500. TIE offer
was accepted and general reconciliation Of
the family ensued.
''The OLD man, dying soon after his sons
marriage, lett an estate Of half million, all
of which would in the natural course of
things have reverted 10 his only son Jacob
But Just then the fact of the secret
marriage to the pretty housekeeper was
sprung on the expeetant children, and a
legal row Of frightfGl PROPORTIONS resulted.
Also Mrs. Jacob was tiring of her young
spouse, and IN order to free herself of him
and at tile same time double her chances
for a share in the contested will. got the
conviyial Jacob, while under the influence OF
liquor, 10 Sign a deed transferring his share
in the property to her, and then sne divorced
him.
"Ex-Seeretary Of the Navy Tracy was
one OF the lawyers employed by the bellige-
rent Mrs. Jacob 10 contest Ellen Shea's
right to the estate of the lamented Wilson
Sr. The fight still goes on.
After his wife had divorced Jacob she
made him sn offer OF 5000 down and $50
a month allowance on consideration Of his
taking himself away somewhere out Of
sight. the farther the better.
''He chose Australia and went there in
80. The ingenious and thoroughly prac-
tical female, when she heard that her ex-
husband was safe in Australia and without
available funds to get back, decided that it
would be more econ nomieal and Just as much
10 the point to let him shift for himself and
keep the promised allowance for better pur-
poses.
Therefore, after Jacob had cooled his
heels in Australia for some months and be-
came persuaded that he would be likely to
keep on doing so forever for all any one else
would interfere, he managed to smuggle
himself aboard a ship and work his way to
San Francisco.
He arrived here in August Of 80. and
after going TO his lawyer, Mr.. Davis. to
borrow a dollar and talk over his future
prospects, he secured a clerks position with
lumber firm.
''At this business he worked for the
better part OF two years, and then, becom-
ing discouraged and having completely ex-
bausted his credit he took to tramping. For
the last year he has been almost lost to the
world, turning up now and then in a rail-
road accident. During one occasion of the
sort he had bis nose broken and his figure
spnilt generally while acting, 1t is said. as
mall clerk.
'Once he was locked up In boxcar for two
days without food or drink ana carried
several hundred miles out Of his destined
course.
Meanwhile the legal fight was going
bravely on in the East and frequent ad-
ftItlSeiEeD Is were inserted IN California
papers by Attorney Davis with requests for
the wanderers address.
Not till last Saturday did one of these
notices. CALL ad-strike Wilson's eye,
and then he speedily came out Of his pro-
tracted seclusiOn."
Wilson has taken up bis old position
again with a lumber firm, and, by the aid of
frequent dollars borrowed from his at-
teTney' is living comfortably, surrounded
and cheered by bright anticipations.
Mr.. Davis has taken the precautiou to
have certain local banking company made
trustees OF Wilson's fortune, thus prevent
Ing his being 1eeced by designing boarding
house keepers and other land sharks
So far Wilson has not replenished his
wardrobe to any great extent and In copse-
quence it Is hard TO identify him as one of
the moneyed class. his general appearance
being that Of an unyarnished and uuassum-
Ing tramp. Wilson was never beautiful
and his misunderstanding experience did
not serve TO add in any degree to his
charms.
He talks with stutter and has a general
appearance of dlsreputBbility despite the
fact that he is a full-fedged graduate of
Columbia College.
A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE.