The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-03-28
UNCLAIMED ESTATES.

One OF the most hopeless delusiens prev
alent in the United States, as alluring as
the search for the philosopher stone of the
Middle Ages, and not confined to the illit
crate classes, is the belief that there are in
Europe estates innumerable and of unlim-
tied value, awaiting rightful heirs and
claimants. In the meantime these estates
are supposed to be locked up in Probate or
Chancery courts, in the Bank of England
and similar institutions, or in the occu-
pancy Of fraudulent, or wrongful, if inno-
cent tenants.
Most of the claimants of these estates are
probably ignorant how we'll founded their
claims may be; the idea of their having any
claim having been first suggested to them
by the advertisements, catalogues, or circu-
lars of fraudulent and INSCRIPTIONS claim
agents The latter sometimes compile
list OF names purporting to be those of
persons who had been advertised for in
proceedings in the Courts of Chancery, and
otherwise, to claim money and property;
also the names of testators in cases in which
heirs are not known, and of persons adver-
tised for in respect to unclaimed dividends.
The agents also state that on the receipt of
one guinea they will search records and
documents relating to any name in the list,
which in one publication extends over 22s
pages, col tanning four columns of sixty
seven names each, making grand total of
over GO, 1000, after allowing over 1000 for
repititions, which seems to be numerous.
Out OF this prodigious number of lost
estates and heirs, the agents are sure to
attract goodly number of persons who
will forward n guinea on the chance, par
ticularly when it is stated that "if by any
chance name should not be connected
with money or property are at once re-
turned. The INSCRIPTIONS agent not
only does not waste any time in investi
eating the claim after the guinea is re.
ceived but from time to time sends in II
bill of charges for sums professedly ex
pended in searches and legal proceedings,
and pleads delays and obstacles of all kinds
in getting possession of the estate sought
for 1t would be interesting to know how
many guinea fees are ever returned There
are doutless some bona fide cases of claims
to estates being brought to trial, though no
successful ones are known.
Claims of this class which generally are
imaginary and delusive, differ in this re
spect from the celebrated Tichborne case,
which occurred in England in 1874, where
there was an actual estate and really lost
heir, and where the claimant was the only
fraudulent feature. Whether the idea OF
personifying the lost Roger Tichborne orig
mated in the claimants own brain, or was
suggested to him by designing persons who
hoped to live on him when he came into
possession, will probably never be known.
1t is stated that the claimant, after serving
out his sentence of Imprisonment at hard
labor, confessed that he was butcher Of
the name of Orion, and that his whole
claim was fraudulent, as had been con-
clusively proved at the trial. The costs to
the rightful owners were enormous, and
hampered the estate for some years, though,
fortunately, the affair happened during the
minority of the heir. 1t was astonishing
that large number of intelligent persons
could he found to subscribe to the fund in
aid of the false claimant. Had he been
successful, he would have been the coun
terpart of Tittlebat Titmouse, the claimant
in the wel-known story ten Thousand
Year. which was written many yeas
before the Tichborne case occurred.
The Department of State at Washington
and our legations and embassies abroad are
inundated with inquiries concerning Gun
claimed estates, indicating in every case
that there is a fraudulent estate agent in
the background as prime mover in the
matter. In reply to the writer's the De
partmcnt of State has prepared printed
circulars, based ON the reports of our diplo-
matte officials in Europe, exposing the
designs Of claim agents, and indicating the
though at the same time pointing out the
futility of doing so. AS our officials are
aware, after the most careful inquiries, not
single so-caled "unclaimed estate has
ever been found, nor has any occupant of Il
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