The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-09-14

VAST FOREIGN FORTUNE.
Part of it is Claimed by the We. Der
Family Of Salem.

farC OF II is Claimed by the We Der
Family Of Salem.
The Washington Post has the following
which will he of interest to Wright ans:
This cstnte is partly claimed by the
Webber family of Salem and they are
t1FiDg steps to establish their claims To
the vast fortune.
IN an unpretentious little red brick
house ut 324 Tenth street s. C., William
Frederick Weber, II we'll. known orrhes-
ira leader of this city, last night mod
esty told n Post reporter AN interesting
history of $40, 600, 900 now in The Dutch
treasury ut The Hague, in Holland, that
will eventually he divided among his
brnthers. sisters, aud first cousins, share
and share alike.
"A little more than century ago John
Christian Weber WAS millionaire rner
chant of Antwerp, Belgium. During the
Dutch English war he was a privateers-
man in the employ of his own govern
ment. His prizes paid him well, and
formed the necleus of the vast fortune
subsequently Accumulated by the pro-
verbal Teutonic thrift and economy.
Dear to the old fathers heart was his
only son, named like himself, John Chris.
tian Weber John Christian .Jr., was
OF an independent spirit, and when he set
his heart on fair daughter of Belgium
he would brook no parental interference
lie married the woman of his choice and
was disinherited. when the elder We
Der died it WAS found that he had willed
his entire estate to the Holland govern.
ment, with the proviso that the money.
With interest, should be returned to his
heirs of the third generation when they
became OF age. This unique trust was
accepted by the Dutch government
m Ip 81 ,., u -.
went to Hesse Darmstadt. Here were
born three sons. Christian, Just and
Frederick William, and Il daughter, who
died at the age Of II years. Frederick
william never married, rs did his two
brothers, who subsequently emigrated TO
this country about 1928, and settled in
Baltimore. y few years later they came
to Was hington, where each raised fami
lies. The children of Christian Weber
who ara among the direct he,s to this
vast wealth, nre Prof. William Frederick.
mentioned above, and who lives. as
stated, near the navy yard; Louis f. w.
Weber. also n musician, living at 727
seventh street s. e.; Mrs Jennie MELON
AID the wife of Joseph Mcdonald, n re.
tired boatswain of the United States
Navy, and whose home is i'm the same TO-
cality rs that of Mr5. Anne Cook. whose
husband. Hamilton Cook. now employed
in the Washington Navy Yard: Mr.. Bar
bara 5. Clark, boatswain mt the Amman
oils Naval Academy; Mrs Mary Rector.
widow of Thomas b Rector, living near
Warrenton Springs, Va. and Mrs. Amc-
Tia Forcht, also widow. who resides IN
Louisville, Ky. The other heirs chill
dren of Just Weber, and first cousins of
those named, are Frederick William
Weber, of Harrisburg, Pa, AMI his three
sisters, OF WHOM it is supposed two are
dead.
"Judse Jere NJ Wilson. one of the
most prominent ATTORNEYS OF Washington.
has been retained in the case, aud through
the cablegrams That have passed between
the Dutch government and the heirs the
existence of The beuIes has been fully
established
Prof Weber said last night that
about twenty-five years ago lawyer
from Holland came to this country and
offered to secure the money, but while
some of the heirs felt that the matter was
worth investigating, the others were sus
Dicious of the legal gentleman and came
to no arrangement This spring \. II.
Weber, of Schuylkill, Haven, Pa. who
claims an interest in the estate. called a
meeting of some of his kin ut the Penn
syivania town and asked permission to
push the case mt his own expense. This
he was authorized to do, and early in
June last he went TO Holland He re.
Gently returned with proofs of the exist
ence of the estate and full knowledge
OF the course that must be pursued to
prove right to the millions. Prot Weber
says he knows all that has heen done by
~. IL. Weber hut IA the latter il n de
scendant Of a brother of the Original John
Christian Weber he is entitled TO no part
Of the $40, 000.0OH."