The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-26
LOST IN MYSTERY.

LOST IN MYSTERY.
Witnesses to the Rich ardson VIII,
Tell OF the Wealth Dlisaing.
New York Journal.
Those who stand nearest to the family
Of the hate Joseph Richardson ridicule the
statement made by HE son that his estate
amounts to only half a million, or per-
haps $s5o,ooo. Yesterday an old gentleman
called at the offices Of Messrs. Hasletsne
q Washburn, counsel for Joseph Richard
sons widow. and said with q laugh: .'why,
when I saw that affidavit Of George Rich
ardscn that his fathers estate did not
amount to more than few hundred thou
sand dollars. wondered II 1t was really
true. as had often supposed. that his own
IIsdth and kin did not know by many mil
lions how much the old gentleman left. We
were associated In several enterprises. and
from what little ons could CLEAN In that
| connection from one so sscretive, I am
positive he did not have less than Ave
millions short time before he died.
One Of the witnesses Of the will dated
April "a. 1897. said yesterday: "Is 1t rea-
sonable to suppose that a man worth only
1850, 900 would have been elected director
OF the Pacific Mail Steamship company
only month before he died, when he APP
peared at board meeting. perfectly sound
minded and as shrewd az ever? The d.
rectors Of that concern and many others
with which he was competed are men
whose wealth is usually estimated as much
more than paltry few hundred thousand
dollars. Moreover, the men who used to
call upon Mr. Richardson IN the famous
spite house were none other than the
presidents and secretaries OF big railroad
companies and other moneyed concerns.
SECURITIES SCATTERED.
Until an executor or custodian Of his
estate is selected by Surrogate Fitzgerald
no one can even approximately estimate the
amount Of the millionare's wealth. The
securities are scattered in half dozen
safe deposit companies. After his death
the widow searched everywhere for any
memoranda Of his assets, hut found MOTH
ing not even the keys to his strong boxes.
All these are probably at No Broad
street. in the offices of Biesell & Co.,
where he was silent partner, and where
about $150,000 or more OF his money lies.
Soon after MIR. Richardson died the Journal
published list OF his stock and realty
holdings, which Is about as Correct as any
Oue Gun Suts6 I'LL tue ulneIeHt SdIc ucpuSlL
companies are required to deliver up his
boxes and the conservator of the estate
makes demands on the various steamship
and railroad companies to know whether
he did not figure as q stockholder on their
books. l should say the following con-
tanned the principal companies In which ne
was interested
New Jersey Central Railroad company.
western Union Telegraph company
Ma hiatt m n
Missouri Pacific Railroad company.
NHouston and Shreveport Railroad COM
pany. a.
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad
company.
Oregon Short Line Railroad company
Gas trustee).
nickel Plate Railroad company.
Pacific Mail Steamship company.
"Pint,sch Gas Light company
bridgeport steamboat lines, CONSOLE
| dated.
Mexican Central Railroad company, 1000
shares per cent coupons.
"New York Central Railroad company.
"West Shore Railroad company.
New York and New England Railroad
company.
South Brooklyn Ferry COMPANY.
bridgeport water works;
Houston, Texas, water8orks.
Nashville, Tenn. water works.
HIS observation-disclosures.
Some OF these holdings he may have re.
hnqudshed in his latter years, notably the
New Jersey Central He received 4 large
block OF that stock thirty or more years
ago, when be did great deal Of construc-
ton work for them. But ons thing n cei
tain, OF all the stock Bissell & Co. and
others held for him none was ever hy-
pothecated.
Zone reason why this cry Of poverty Is
raised by the lawyers for his son. George.
10 perhaps due to Mr.. Richardson's absent4
mindedness occasionally and the false inn
pressions II may have engendered AS an
Illustration, on one occasion he gave his
wife check on the Union Trust company
for only 800. She deposited 1t in the ORR
entail bank 1t was returned stamped
"No funds" Now the old gentleman had
forgotten to tell Biesell & Co. 10 keep up
his balance at the Union Trust company,
but that did not indicate that he did not
have 500 to his credit"