Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-09
COMES INTO HER FORTUNE
Romance in the Life Of an Bstimable
Young Lady.
GOOD LUCK OF A SEOALlA CHAMBERMAlD
Grnndniecc of John jacob Astor VIII
Soon Abandon n McninI POSI-
tion In n Missouri
Hostc1ry.

SEDALIA, Mo-. Jan. S.--Miss L. Drayton
Astor, an heiress and descendant OF the
late John Jacob Astor of New York. Is en-
ployed as a chambermaid at the Hotel Sicher
here. under the name Of "Draytie Langdon."
She is a daughter OF w. ID. Astor, who died
In st. Louis twenty-three years ago leav-
ing his only child in charge of her aunt,
wife of the late Major Langdon. Six years
later the aunt died, leaving Draytie to fight
her way in the world. She acquired a
common school education and was sent OUT
as a public speaker by the National Re-
form association. Three years ago she
suffered a severe attack OF pneumonia and
was compelled to abandon her vocation on
account of weak voice. Then she went
to live with her aunts relatives in Saline
county, Missouri.
Attorney Garresche OF st. Louis. who has
Miss Astor's interests in charge, says she
will receive a legacy OF $4,000 in June,
1897, left her by a cousin, Miss Drexel OF
Philadelphia, who recently entered con-
vent. She will also receive in October the
deeds and full title to 4S0-acre tract OF
land in Saline county, Missouri which is
in high state OF cultivation and is very
valuable. The land is part of the estate
OF Miss Astor's aunt and has been in litiga-
tion for thirteen years. Recently the case
has been decided in favor OF Miss Astor,
IL having been shown that it was purchased
with money belonging to her father. Law
yer Garresche says that by August next he
will have disposed of three wills, which
will leave Miss Astor in possession OF T0,-
600, besides which she will receive, after the
first of May next, an annual income OF $4,000
from the estate of the late j. j. Astor OF
New York.
Miss Astor is grand niece of the late John
Jacob Astor deceased Her mother was a
Drexel. Her father was connected with
Blows lead factory at St. Louis, and at
the time of his death was studying law.
Miss Astor was IL years old when her
father died. She says she prefers doing
the work of domestic to living on the
bounty of relatives until she comes into
her property.
The girls story is generally discredited
here. The first intimation OF 1t came to
newspaper in an anonymous letter, dated
jefferson City. and postmarked Sedalia. Lot
tie, Leon or Draytie Langdon-she Is known
by all of these names-tell5 the story OF
her great connections haltingly. She is not
quite certain of the initials or given names
She says she knows William Waldorf As
tor, who came to St. Louis for her when her
father died, and when she refused to go with
him he got very angry and said she should
have nothing. The anonymous letter Is re-
garded by those who received 1t as hoax.
1t was the badly disguised writing OF a
person who writes a good hand, and the
spelling is obviously the illiteracy OF an
educated person.
KANSAS CITY, Jan. S.-A special to the
Star from Sedalia says: Miss l.. Drayton
Astor who has been working in a hotel
here awaiting the time when she should
legally become heir to part OF the AstoT
estate, is greatly chagrned at the news
paper notorety accorded her here and
abroad. She says she does not wish the
idea to gain currency that she has relatives
with whom she could be living, but prefers
to work in hotel. Her father, she says
was alienated from his family by his mar
riage to a Catholic, and during her lifetime
she has had nothing to do with her relatives
Relatives with whom she resided in her
early days, she says, are all dead, and she
does not care to burden friends pending
the settlement of her fathers claims to the
Astor estate and payment of the legacy
left by her cousin. She does not think 1t q
disgrace to work, and is content to wait a
few months longer for the Inheritance.
NEW YORK, Jan. S.-Representatives OF
the Astors deny the story sent out from Sc
dalia Mo-. to the effect that Miss Drayton
Astor, chambermaid in a hotel there, was
an heiress, inheriting an annuity Of $4,000
year from the estate OF John Jacob Astor.
The estate knows no such person