The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-08-10
UNCLAIMED ESTATES.

!
One of the industries which has been
followed for many years in England
and in the United States, but which
has landed some of its most energetic
and enterprising promoters in the pen
itentiary, is that of the manufacture
and sale Of unclaimed estates" It
has fiourished so extensively that
books have been published with names
arranged in alphabetical order of per-
sons who have, as alleged, departed
this life leaving large estates, the
heirs to which have not come forward
to claim their inheritances.
Persons in America who are sup
posed to be entitled to "a share in
these undistributed estates are in
vited ito communicate with certain
attorneys" who will, for a small con-
sideration, obtain for them the
property which they are supposed to
inherit without difficulty to the in
dividuals. When they once start in to
pay money for this purpose, the prob
ability is that they will be led along,
from one pretext to another, until
they are drained of every dollar they
/ can raise or borrow and they are left
| Inundated as we'll as penniless.
People in this country who have
come from the old world or whose pro-
genitors here have descended from
European stock, should be very eau
| tious about entrusting their affairs in
the hands of unknown or irresponsible
persons, no matter with what flourish
! ing of trumpets they may make their
pretensions.
| Some Eastern papers are publishing
accounts of a large amount of prop
erty, aggregating over $75,000.00O, said
to be the estate of the late Lord An
| trim, who died not very long ago,
leaving no direct descendants, but they
are said to be scattered over Washing
ton, Philadelphia, New Jersey and In
diana. When Lord Antrim died and
whether the estate is in England or
Ireland does not appear in these ac-
counts. But it is alleged that an or
ganization is being effected to trace
up the claims of these persons, and
others who may be remotely connec-
ted with the family are invited to join
in the effort to obtain this vast amount
of money.
Another estate said to be in a SIM
liar condition is located in Germany,
and is called the Vondersmith estate,
but the amount left without heirs is
only 100000. The story is that Lud-
wig Vondersmith and his wife, who
came to America during revolution
n ho 10
century, left large tracts of land as
well as big sums of money, and that
these ''came into the possession of the
authorities and have never since been
restored to the heirs Claimants are
said to have sent attorneys to Ger
many to work on this case and when
the American heirs can prove their de-
scent from this deceased capitalist,
they will obtain the money. Many of
the alleged heirs are supposed to be
residing in the West"
People who may be reported to have
some connection with this family will
be called upon to unite with others to
prosecute their claims. Of course that
cannot be done without money, and
money is what all the so-called ''attor-
neys" engaged in this unclaimed es-
tates business are after.
1t is said that a fool and his money
are soon parted. The business in which
those harpies have embarked has been
made very profitable pecuniarily be-
cause of the number of fools there are
in the world. But some of the most
prominent of the schemers who have
engaged in these nefarious industries
are now reaping the fruits of their
evil sowing in the jails of the new and
of the old worlds. That is where they
belong.