Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-06
EIRS TO A FORTUNE
The Windfall That has Come to a Canal
Lock Tender.
The Romantic Story of John McCaf-
frey, Who Left This Locality More
Than Forty Years Ago.

Xne chesapeake ana Ohl0 canal has de-
veloped story teeming with romantic in
terest. The children Of the first wife of a
man who. for the past eighteen months,
has been a lock tender in Georgetown, with
a salary Of $40 a month, and who has al
ways had slender means, are said to be
heirs to an estate worth at conservative
estimate s6OO.OOO. The story as told to a
reporter this morning by the father Of the
children, Geo. W. Seaman, by the ex-man-
ager of the canal, who has been made ac-
quainted with 1t through authentic sources,
and indirectly by the attorney who has
been placed in charge of the affairs, is as
follows:
There lived in Hancock, Maryland, for
some years previous TO 1852, a man by the
name of John McCaffrey. He had two
boats on the canal, engaged in the grain
trade. He was ignorant, but shrewd.
Through his canal trade he managed to
exc out an existence. Shortly before 1852
his first wife died, leaving several children.
He married again. This wife, the story
says, was burned TO death. For the third
time he married. This wife, it is said, was
possessed of some little money One day
Mccartney borrowed enough to buy his two
boats full of grain and left for Georgetown.
The boats a few days later were found
abandoned and McCaffrey gone. After the
vile had waited a reasonable time for his
return she seemed to realize that she had
name of McCaffrey, assuming that of Ora
ham. her maiden name, which her daughter
also adopted. Soon the children of the run
away husband became scattered. 1t was
not long before the last wife died. Her
daughter Mary, who seems to have been a
girl above her stepsisters in education, etc.
was taken In by family In Alexandria,
named Creighton. who had become ac-
quainted with her. There she lived until
she had grown to nearly womanhood.
The other children went far and wide.
Sarah. the eldest of them ALL married Geo.
Seaman, a canal boatman. All of them
have as yet not been located, but it Is said
that they occupy positions of wide social
diversity. -.
After Many Years.
After forty-two years there comes from
Chicago. through a prominent law firm, the
intelligence that John Mccartney, formerly
of Hancock. Nd, who left there in 1So2,
has gently died, and left to his daughters
and their heirs his entire estate valued at
about $6DO,UO. In the event of his children
rot being found within five years, the en-
tire estate Is to go to a Chicago charity.
Mccartney. according to Mr.. Crafts, rep
reSentative OF the firm now looking up the
heirs. made his money in grain speculation.
AT one time he worth over a million
dollars. He died at the age of eighty-seven.
The S6DO.UO is invested in railroad and
bank stock.
The Seaman home was visited this MORN
ing by the reporter. 1t is a miserable
shanty on the north bank of the canal be-
tween Both and 31st streets. Poverty is
apparent everywhere. The children are
typical daughters or the canal. They re-
ferred the reporter to their father He was
found at his lock, near 18th street. He
talked senSibiy of his reported good fortune.
The matter is now in the hands of lawyers.
All the canal boatmen have caught on to
the story, and are talking of Seaman's
windfall with gasps and popping eyes.
They have. however, swelled the s60oUoo
to SD0OOOOO. Seaman is to them now an
object of great respect.
Lawyer Crafts has just left for Hancock
where he hopes to find out much about the
family.
Something About McCaNrey.
Ellen Graham IS now Mrs. Rice, the wife
of NJ. p. Rice of this city. Previous to Nc
Caffrey's marriage with Mrs. Rice's mother
he is said to have been married and to have
had two children. This has not been
proved. Five children were the results of
his second marriage. ana the second wife
was burned to death by an explosion of
coal oil.
His children by his second wife, Mary,
Susan, Sarah, Margaret and William, We're
taken to Hancock and placed in charge
of his third wife, Nancy Canoe She was
unable to provide for them and they were
distributed among the homes iii the county
roundabout Mary was reared by John
Coudy of Baltimore. Sarah is buried at
Hancock, Md, but her husband and two
children, John and Annie, are said to be
residents of Georgetown. Margaret is ma
tron of Bellevue Asylum at Hagerstown.
The whereabouts of William and Mary is
not known.
Although Mccartney died at Chicago in
June last, the testator ordered that no mon
ey should be paid oIt of the estate to heirs
for five years, and during that period the
search for them will be continued, or until
they are accounted for. McCaffrey married
at Chicago and left considerable money to
his wife and an eleven-year-old son. 1t Is
said, though, that the will leaves the bulk
of his estate to his first children. Mr.. Rice
has written to Chicago for a copy of the
will.