Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-28
THE McCAFFERY FORTUNE
Testimony Now Being Taken to Establish
Heirship
Romantic Stony of . Thrifty Irish Ina
mfgrnnt-Several Marriages and
Various Wanderlngs.

Inc celebrated and more or less romantic
case of John McCaffery has come up on
proceedings in Washington and Baltimore
during the past few days. Testimony is
being taken to establish the family history
and the heirship of the many children of
the several marriages. McCaffery was
born In Ireland in 1SO8, and there married.
before he was twenty. Mary Dawson.
girl fifteen years old. Three children
William, Nancy and James-were born in
Ireland. before McCafrery, when about
thirty years old, came to America, leaving
his family behind him. He found work as
n contractor on the Erie canal, and sent
for his family, who. with the exception of
the daughter Nancy. lived with him for
several years at Elmira and Corning, N.
Y. James died, and a second son was
horn. also named James. and likewise died
William became lame by the kick of
horse, and for several years was a boat
man on the Erie canal and then suddenly
disappeared. 1t has been established that
he was drowned in a storm in 1862 near
the mouth Of the Potomac while sailing
from Washington to Philadelphia.
The elder McCaffery prospered In bust
ness built several canal boats and also
took contracts on the Erie railroad. Four
more children were born while the family
were in New York. two of whom died at
Elmira- In 1913 the entire family made
journey to New York city on one of the
canal boats. There. for some reason,
quarrel arose, and Mrs. McCaffery went to
small town near Lake Seneca, in New
York. and from that time on little or
fothing was heard of her until six months
after McCaffery's death in Chicago, in
an interest in his property.
McCanery's First Disappearance,
Mccahery was lost sight of after the
separation, but 1t is now supposed that he
went to boating in the Dismal Swamp
canal. where. as in New York, he again
prcspered by merchandising, as we'll as
commerce. With his thrift he took another
wife, woman named Douglass, born in
England. by whom he had several children
one of whom was named Marian and
another Henry. A few years later he es-
tabished this family and the children of
his first marriage in small, rough dwell
Ohio canal near Alexandria. McCaffery is
remembered by old boatmen as going up and
down the Chesapeake and Ohio canal be-
tween Alexandra and Cumberland IN the
early fifties, trading and transporting I ro-
duce and manifesting in every way SUBJ
stantial thrift and excellent business sense
Some time in the winter of 1851 or 1852
Mrs. McCaffery No. was burned to death
by the explosion of an oil lamp, and the
little girl Marian received severe burns
the scars of which, fortunately for her
she bears to this day. and by which she
has been able to establish her right to a
share in the estate. The house was also
burned by this casualty. and there followed
a dispersion of the family for a time. The
children by the first wife We're sent to
school in Alexandria and Washington, and
Marian and Henry were taken to Han.
Geek Md, and sent to school, living, mean
time in two or three families whose tesu-
it has been found. died while child. Mar
Ian became the wife Of John Hooper, and
is now living in Baltimore.
Georgetown Heirs.
The daughter Sarah married in George
town a man named George Seaman. She
died, leaving two sons, John and James,
both Of whom are still living in George
town. There was also a daughter who is
now Mrs. Anna Whelan of Baltimore Su.
san became Mrs. Brown Austin. and lives
at Mckeesport, Pa. Margaret married a
man named Shipley, and lives at Hagers-
town. Md. The daughter Nancy. who had
been left in ireland at the time of the first
emigration, because she was at that time
quite sick, lived for number Of years in
Philadelphia, and died there, leaving no
children. 1t was not long after the deaf
of the second Mrs. McCaffery at Alexan-
dria that McCaffery married again, this
time selecting Nancy Canoe of Hancock
She died not long afterward childless.
A Second Disappearance.
McCaffery disappeared soon after the
Potomac flood Of 1852. and was never heard
VI again ny Ills CHiiureh untii aIter MS
death. He wandered about over the coun-
try. it seems, finally settling in Chicago,
where his Unborn thrift and quick wit again
brought him success and he amassed a
fortune estimated to be somewhat in excess
Of half a million dollars. Much of this is
in valuable real estate constantly enhanc-
ing. Some years ago he made a journey to
Washington, and visited number of towns
in the region where he thought he might
find his children and grandchildren, but
without success. In Chicago he became
prominent, was a director in the Illinois
Trust and Savings Bank, and managed his
ognized among the business men of the city
as a man of sound judgment and progress
sive ideas. He left a will, in which he
named his different sets of children as
bereflciaries, and made a complete and
careful disposition Of his estate. Most of
the heirs have been hunted up and their
claims practically established.