The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-04-05
ESTATES IN EUROPE.
A NEW YORK CONCERN WHICH COL
lEcTS LeoAclEs ABROAD.

Most of the Lcgacies Are smaii-The Large
Ones Usually Turn Out to BE Myths-one
Case where Servant Impersonated His
Employer
There is fourishing on down town
cast side street Legacy Advance com
pany with counselor at French ano
German law as general manager Inc
offices arc handsomely appointed ano
apparently tho business is prohtaoie'
Most of the clients of this company ars
of French or German birth, and II they
can satisfy tho general manager tha'
they have an inheritance coming "
them from Europe they may oota'n
from him an advance on It, Inc cum
papy will either buy the inheritance
outright or it will collect it ON commls'
sion. New York's foreign population is
large, and many OF its members are
living a hand to mouth existence walt.
ing for relatives at home TO ale ana
leave them money The Legacy Advance
company will not discount the claims OF
nrosnectiyo heirs because the laws III
this country will not permit In Eng
land this sort of discounting is recog'
nized business. ;,
"If it were only permitted here
said the manager of tho company, There
would be millions in it, but 1t Ism T.
and we don t do any of that kind OF pusl'
. ness. l know of one company i'll Lon
don that has made over 81, 900, 900 ID
these discounts.
This New York company finds thai
there is business enough in collectlne
inheritances, and some OF the men anu
women who ask it for aid give it phan.
tom chases This is particularly true OF
the French claimants. They are always
and on general principles expecting
something from somebody. Every time
the French papers announce the deatn
of n wealthy man without heirs there Il
co be found some one in this city VINO
Is ready to claim relationship and par'
of the estate. The Legacy Advance com
pany takes no chances. When claim
ant satisfies the manager that he mas
reasonable claim to an inheritance
abroad and is willing to give power
of attorney to collect 1T, the manager
cables for information to his agent II
the town where the estate happens u
he. If he receives satisfactory evidences
that the claim is good one, he make
an advance to the heir here and sets II
motion his machinery for collecting TN
legacy.
1t is easier to collect legacies IN Ger
many than in France, and it is easier
collect them in either country tnan y
the United States. Moreover, IL
cheaper. An estate may be settled L
from six weeks to three months in Gel
many. whereas in this country 1t woul
take year to bring about the same SCI
Element.
"Most of the legaoies that we hav
for collection, said the manager, al
small ones ranging from 2, 600 to 10, W
marks. Occasionally we have big ie!
acy for collection, but generally o.
legacies prove to be myths, For II
stance here is letter that l have Ju
received from a man in the west, WI
claims that the city Of Amsterdam ow
him S15, 900, 900. An ancestor or n
settled Their in 1895, he says, and dle
leaving a big fortune, which the CT
appropriated, as there were apparent
no heirs to claim it. This man writ
that he has absolute proof that ne Is
heir to this estate. Unfortunately
him. all such claims were declared vo
nv law passed in 1885. Perhaps we
it not for that law he might be able
collect something. Who knows? AS
is. however, he is wasting his time, al
shall have to write and tell him So
do you have many bogus claims pr
sented to your"
ayes, there are good many sue
Sometimes the claimant himself IS fo'
ed Not long ago we'll dressed m
called at our office and asked US to q
lect claim for 80, 900 marks from an
tate that had been left in Switzerlan
The man showed US his papers identil
ing him, and gave US description
the property there and complete h
tory of it. We communicated with
agent in Switzerland and found that
estate had been left just as this man n
described, and that he was one of
heirs. We were taking the neoesss
steps to collect it when tramp ca
into our office. He was shabbily dress
and looked as if he had been kiokl
around the streets for months.
"'Are you collecting legacy
Switzerland for BlankP he asked.
"We are l answered, surpri
that this man should know anythi
about it.
"Well, you are on the wrong trae
he said, because l am Blank, and
other man for whom You are acting
fraud
His appearance didn't tend to
roborate his claim, but he told suost
TALLY the same story about the es'
that the other man had told. and
curiosity was aroused. He said that
man whom we supposed to be the
Mr.. Blank was, or rather had been,
servant He had waited for an oppo
nifty and had then robbed his maste
all his money and his papers. Arr
Nth thu r,aners no had been pass