The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-10-10
A VERY LUCKY LEGACY.
Remarkable WiRdlall Of a PittSbuT6
Woman.
It Reads Like Romance-Dess rtsd
When Young by a Father, Who Was
Supposed to Have Died.
From the New York Advertiser.

Supposed to Have Died.
From the New York Advertiser
Pittsburg, Oct. "a remarkable story
has just come to light in this city, and as
all the facts are attested, it may be called
a substantial romance. Mrs. Susan Gun
ningham, the mother of Richard Armstrong,
who was recently convicted of trying to
bride an Allegheny councilman, has fallen
heir to legacy of 100000, left by John
McCaffrey, one of Chicago's wealthiest res
idents, who died some time ago.
The story connected with this fortune
reads something like a romance, but it is
no mythical fortune, such as unfortunately
sometimes happens, but bona fde legacy,
with all the necessary papers ard figures,
and having as its custodian Chicago
bank, and as its legal trustee, Hon. c. E.
Craft, speaker of the Illinois House, to
prove its reliability. Mr.. Armstrong,
when asked about the matter, was at first
reluctant to give any information, but on
finding that the writer had already learned
sufficient facts TO tell the story in mea-
ger way, consented to give in detail all he
knew.
Mrs. Susan Cunningham, his mother-in-
law, whose maiden name was Susan Nc
Cahrey, was one of seven children Of John
Mccartney. Five of these children were
by a first wife, who died when they were
but of tender age. The father married
again at Hancock. Mich, and by this union
there were two children, one boy and a girl
The second wife died shortly after the
birth of her second child, her death being
caused by a lamp explosion. At this time
the father, who was the owner of two canal
boats that hauled grain tetween Washing
ton and Baltimore, took his orphaned chill
dred and placed them in care of a family
named Creighton, at Alexandria, Md, who
was TO bring them up and educate them
and for which he was to pay stipulated
sum.
The children had not been with this
family long when there came heavy storm
that swelled all the streams to twice their
natural size ald created considerable dis
aster. Just previous to this storm their
father had paid them a visit and left for
Baltimore to take load of grain to Wash
ington, and this was the last they ever
heard or seen of him, although every effort
possible was made TO find him. Searching
parties went out along the line of the canal,
and though fragments of his boats were
| found, no trace OF the missing father was
| discovered, and il was at last concluded
that he had been drowned, and further
search was given up.
About this time the Creighton family
with whom the children had been placed
decided to move to Illinois, and the keeping
OF the children was given up. The little
ones were then taken in charge by an uncle
who lived in Baltimore, and they were
parceled out among relatives, who brought
them up as best they could. Years rolled
by, and three of the children died, leaving
only three of the first wifes children and
only one to the second wife, all of whom
Grill livipU
different parts of the country.
In the meantime, according to Mr.. Arm
strong, whose authority is the attorney, c.
! +. Craft, Mccartney, who had not been
drowned, made his way TO Chicago, where
| by thrift and industry he managed to
amass sum Of money which he invested
in real estate. AS Chicago grew in i'm
| portance MIR. McCaffrey's property grew
| in value, and his fortune reached nearly
| 81 100000. About ten years ago MIR. Nc
| Caffrey, who had been too busy making
money to think Of his family, finally found
time 10 give them thought, and, calling
on his attorney, &. K. Graft, he related
to him his story, and his desire to again
find his children and care for them as they
should be cared tor. The two men then
Journeyeu to Maryland, and. while they con-
cealed their identity, made careful search
for the children, but could find no trace Of
| them.
This search was repeated again some
years later with the same success. and the
father never succeeded in finding his chill
dren. Last June he died leaving carefully
prepared will in which it was specified his
attorney, G. +. Craft, who knew of the ex-
istence of his children, was instructed to
hunt them out, and his money, which con-
sisted of S350,000 in personal estate and
$450,000 in real estate, should be divided
equally among them, in case they were
living, and If not the money should go to
their children, provided they had any, or
their legal heirs. The Illinois Trust and
Saving Fund, of which the deceased was a
director, was made executor of the estate,
and in whose possession the money now is
Mr.. Craft true to his trust, at once be-
gan the work of hunting out the heirs, and
succeeded in locating Mrs. Cunningham,
who had beenmarrled and moved to this city
and whose only child is the wife of Mr.
Armstrong, her husband having died many
years ago. 1t was then an easy matter to
trace the other children, one of whom is
nurse in hospital at Hagerstown, Md,