The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1895-05-03
MYTHICAL FORT UNES.
improbable Stories of Great Eng
lish Legacies.
An Old Letter That Reveals the scurriI-
Gus scheme Employed 10y Sharks In
This Country for DupinE Cred
uIous Americans

Some recent romantic tales about inn
mense English estates which belong 10
American heirs suggest republication
of an opinion written by Judah T. Ben
iamin twentv-siX years ago. says the
Chicago Herald Following il the great
lawyers letter:
Lamb Building, Temple, London.
Feb. :. Is69.-Editor New Orleans
Times: VIII You permit me through
your columns to send = word Of warning
To the public against a scheme Of
swindling which i now extensively
practiced in the United States?
Since my call To the English bar
hundreds of letters have reached me
from Louisiana and other parts of the
union. written by persons. many OF
whom are educated and Intelligent.
making inquiries relative to estates
represented as existing in this country
unclaimed and awaiting the appear
ance of heirs residing IN America.
In every Instance that has come 10 my
knowledge the statements are false,
and evidently made for the purpose of
defrauding parties out of sums large
or small, under preteXt of paving the
costs of records. copies, etc. SAID To be
necessary for the assertion Of the pre-
tended claim.
'-One claim may be selected as an eX
ample y banker by the name of
James Wood died in Gloucester in the
year 1896. leaving n fortune of about
$500. 1000 His Will was the subject Of
much litigation. but finally decided To
be valid, and the estate was ordered To
Toe divided among the legatees under a
decision of the house of lords in ISiT.
L L.
of the litigation can trace IL through
the different charts. as follows: l. In
the prerogative court of Canterbury
Canterbury reported in Curteiss,
p. -. =. On appeal to the privy coun-
ell in 'Moore's Privy Council Cases,
at p. s:i5: and 3. In the house Of lords.
in the case entitled The Corporation of
Gloucester vs.. Osborne / House of
Lords Cases. p 2T3. Although his eS-
tate has thus been finally settled and
distributed for more than twenty years.
| do not at all eNaggeratc in stating
that not a month passes without my re-
ceiving one or more letters from per
sons who are approached by some pre-
tended agent Of some INA gjuary great
firm of London solicitors engaged IN
seeking heirs of the great inIc~tatc
banker. James Wood. whose fortune.
amounting To- e1O.OOO. 600. Il lying in the
Bank of England awaiting a claimant
The usual mode Of proceeding adopt
eel Is to propose to undertake the bust
ness free of expense. the propOScr To
receiver only q share of what may be
recovered. This seems 81 reasonable
that in most cases the dUpe readily
swallows the bait. \ short time after
ward he l. informed that all inquiries
and researches have resulted favorably.
and that nothing i wanted To insure
success except the cost of a few copies
of records and other papers. and that
the propoSer, having already incurred
great expense in conducting the ucccS-
sary inquiries and researches, Il left
without resources at the very moment
when few pounds would suffice 10
secure the fruits of his laborS and cNpen-
diture. Many are the victims from " hom
sums varying from E2O to $500 have
been thus extracted. and the number Of
persons engaged in this system must hc
very great. and the sums received 10y
them very considerable. if At all in pro
portion to the number of letters re
ceived here on the subject. Many
thousands of pounds are known to have
been expended by those who could i'll
afford To bear the loss in the pursuit of
the great Jennings estate; and some of
those who have spent money in this
way have actually been dcluded into
writing to me their convictions that
they were entitled to diSlodge the pres
ent duke Of Marlborough from the
Blenheim castle. 10y virtue of their de
scent from the famous Duchess Sarah
Jennings. Most of the persons who are
uuped are ignorant on two points.
which, in nearly every instance. would
satisfy them at once of the utter folly
of the hopes they indulge. The first Is
that an alien cannot toe an heir in Eng
| land when there is no Will and that he
cannot take real estate even If left Il
him by Will. The second Is that in
| England estates dcvolve upon the eld-
| est son alone. and on his eldest son in
| succession. and are not divided in shares
! among all children aS in Louisiana and
| other states Yet nothing i more com
mon than for persons to assert heirShiT
| To the supposed shares of younger
] brothers and sisters. or to claim as ma
tives Of the United States heirship tc
| Englishmen who had left no wills.
In the hope that this exposure viii
be of some use to my fellow citizens. il
| whose welfare | retain the deepest in
terest, and may protect them to some
1 extent from the sharpers who are plum
dering them. | remain, very respectful
| ly, your obedient servant,
y. p. BENJAMIN"
|