The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-07-22
DR.. A. \. LEETE'S FORTUNE
It Never Existed, Say the Attorneys,
Save In Somebody's Mind.
MOST EXTRAORDINARY CASE
No Such Person as Carey Ever Lived In
Los Augeics-Dr. Lecto's Son Says
ON Effort Is being Made to
Defrsud His Mother.

Slrce Feb. II of this year when pub
liz announcement was made that nr
Allen Norton Leete had been left SO.
900 by Henry IL. Carey. a deceased mil
honaire of Los Angeles. Cal. spaclit
ton has been rife as to whether thu
beluest would ever be paid to the Doc
| tor.
After his sudden death ON June 1
speculation and conjecture were re
sumed, but his son. Edward A. Leete
expressed himself as confident that tn,
first instalment of the legacy would b.
paid on or about July 10.
The will OF DR.. Leete was admitted t.
probate and In 1t he NAMED his wifi,
and Colonel i. j. Fitzsimmons as hi:
executors. MIR. Fitzsimmons was DIR
Leete's legal adviser and Is part owner
OF the Sunday News, OF which the Doc
tor was editor at the time of his death
Yesterdays Sunday News contained
four column story writtem by Edward
a. Leete. In which he declares that hi
believes AN effort is being made to rot
his mother of the legacy which he say:
she Is justly entitled to receive. The
article contains all of the corresponds
ence relating to the legacy, details the
circumstances under which DIR. Leetf
gave Henry B. Carey the $500 in pay
ment for which Mr.. Carey remembered
his old-time benefactor by leaving him
$4,000. and also contains the glowing
letters written by DIR. Leete to his wife
while he was in Los Angeles proving
n ri, 20 h., lart IA, hx
Mr.. Carey. 1t altogether makes up a
remarkable story and is prefaced by a
description of the arrival of the letter
which first informed Dr. Leete of his
good fortune. 1t was addressed to DR.
Leete at Newark. N. j.. because he
lived there at the time he 'befriended
Mr.. Carey, and read as follows:
Letter from. Wells n Lee.
Los Angeles. Cal, Feb. l, 1895.
Allen N. Leet. esq,
Newark, N. j.
Dear Sir:-Henry b. Carey, who
died In California recently left prop
erty amounting in the aggregate (over
and above all liabilities) from $750,OOO
to $,O0O.O00. The property consists of
cattle, lands. mortgages, stocks, bonds
est ranch owner in California. He left
will. The following clause copied
from 1t was chiefly Of interest to you.
We quote: "And l further bequeath
and devise unto Allen N. Leet (who in
the city of Newark, N. j.. over a quar-
ter of a century ago loaned me the
money which enabled me to come west,
and which was the foundation Of my
fortune) $4,000; deeming that sum said
Leet's fair and just proportion Of the
revenues derived from the $500 he ad-
vanced me when In sore Striats. If the
said Leet shall not survive me, then
I bequeath the $4,000 referred to to
his legal heirs. II none such shall be
living at the time of my demise, then
the said sum shall be given to such
charitable institutions In California as
my executors shall deem most worthy
and in need Of It," AS the attorneys
and executors Of Mr.. Carey's estate we
inform you regarding the will, and re-
spectfully suggest that Immediately
upon the receipt of this letter you shall
come here and establish your identity.
Wire US when you will arrive so that
the will may be probated and the es-
tate distributed according to the wishes
Of the testatOr. Yours very truly,
Wells & Lee,
Attorneys at law.
This letter was received by DR.. Leete
on Feb. II, and he at once had proofs
of his identity prepared here and IN
Newark, and ON Feb. Is started for Los
Angeles. He remained there several
weeks and his letters to his wife said
that he had established his right to the
legacy and would receive the first In
stalment OF 1t In July and the remain
der in instalments every four months
thereafter.
No Estate in Los Angeles.
After DR.. IIeete's death Colonel
as executor, telegraphed
as follows to Attorneys Wells & Lee.
Los Angeles: "a. N. Leete, dead. Left
wife and som Telegraph instructions"
To this the answer received was:
Don't underst stand what Instructions
are wanted. No estate here" Upon
this Colonel Fitzsimmons wrote a let
ter to the lawyers, to which, on Fri
day. he received the following re-
Hponse:
Los Angeles. Cal, June 2S. 1895.
y. J. Fitzsimmons, Esq, Scranton, Pa.
Dear Strive are in receipt Of your
esteemed favor of the Goth inst, in ref
'rence to the late DR.. Allen N. Leete.
We received the telegram from you
which you refererd to In your letter.
md replied, in substance. that we did
lot know what instructions you de-
sired, and Mr. Leete had left no prop
'rty here that we are aware of. or
N1.x.
o you, but will now explain the stu
LtiOn.
Some time In February last we re-
'eived a telegram from Mr.. Leete, ask
ng us what steps were necessary to
IDENTIFY an heir to an estate under the
avs OF California. Treating this as an
distract question. not knowing of
curse, to what It referred. we answered
The dispatch by wire, Indicating the ne
essary credentials and papers for that
purpose. A few days afterward Mr..
-eete called personally at our office.
Ind had an interview with both Mr..
Wells and Mr.. Lee. and stated hat he |
lad come In response to our telegram.
We asked him what we could do for |
Inn. and he looked at us In utter amaze
nent, and stated that he had come on |
BUSINESS connected with the estate of |
Henry Il. Carey. In connection with the |
tatements contained In q letter from |
IL addressed to him. II was our turn |
o appear astonished. and he thereupon
rev from his pocket a letter purpOrt- |
ng to have been written by the firm Of |
Wells & Lee. Informing him that ne had |
een left a legacy of $4,000 by the will |
( Henry B. Carey, then deceased.
Letter Was Forgery.
Upon examining the letter, we at once
aw that It was a base forgery. In the
rst place the letter head was n cheap
rinted affair. such an one as we have
ever used. as we have always used the
,tter head upon which this letter is
,ritten. Tho letter head also desig-
ated our office as being in the First
'atlonal bank building, whereas we
ever had our Office there, and have al