The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-18
A WINDFALL.
George Hudson Inherits Estate of a
Relative He Was Ignorant OF.

The Woman Too Difident to Make Her
Self Known-Her Father and MIR. Hud-
sons Father Were Brothers in Liver
| pool-An Interesting Trial Before
Judge Peabody.
| Some years ago Elizabeth. Hudson was
employed as chambermaid at the United
States hotel. While an employe OF the
house she was married to Charles Bailey,
also employed at the States. For some
time Mr.. and Mrs. Bailey's married life
was passed apparently as smoothly as
MARI ed couples lives generally, when
one day MIR. Bailey skipped and, it is
reported, went beyond the seas. Later,
information was received of his decease.
| Owing to her husbands deser-
ton. or some other cause, EMrs. Bailey
became insane and was sent to the insane
asylum at Augusta where she was treated
and finally discharged from the institu-
| ton, cured,
After leaving Augusta Mrs. Bailey re-
turned to Portland and secured a chance
as chambermaid at the Durant house
and other places. One day she was visit
ing Mrs. Minnie f. Haley, an old friend
on the south side of Congress street, d.
rectly opposite to Mr.. George Hudson's
confectionery establishment. During her
conversation with Mrs. Haley, Mrs.
Bailey told her that she believed that MIR.
Hudson was her only surviving relative.
She said that he used to live in Deering
appeared to know the way in which he
manufactured his candy, showed famili-
arity with his household and business re-
lations, and said she wished she had the
courage to go across the street and make
herself known to him. But she did not
do it for she was an extremely diffident
person, in fact diffidence was one of her
marked characteristics. In speaking of
her relatives she said that a sister of hers
died in Halifax some time previous.
| Some time after this conversation with
| Mrs. Haley, Mrs. Bailey fell sick and was
taken to Greedy hospital as she apparent
| ly had no effects and no relatives to care
for her. There she died and the medical
authorities claimed her body for disseo-
ton. There was quite. o lively little fight
| in the Board of Mayor and Alderman over
the matter, led by Alderman Kehoe of
| Ward 2, who was public administrator.
Mr.. Kehoe was successful in his contest
and the body was not surrendered to the
surgeons, but the body and the woman's
effects were turned over to. Mr.. Kehoe.
In looking over papers left by Mrs.
Bailey, Mr.. Kehoe found savings bank
| book on one of the Portland savings
banks, with over one thousand dollars to
her credit. When this little sum of money
was discovered. as public administrator,
cured for the purpose and also paid the
expenses of administration.
Meanwhile Mrs. Haley, had
notified Mr.. Hudson and other parties.
of the conversation she had had with
Mrs. Bailey and in consequence
Mr.. Hudson and his brother William of
Lynn, Mass, appeared as claimants for
the property left by. Mrs. Bailey, having
Mr.. Calvin E. Woodside asltheir attorney.
Judge Peabody heard the petition of Mr..
Woodside, who appeared for the claimant
while Mr.. Kehoe appeared for the estate.
Advertisements were inserted in the pa
pers calling upon other heirs, if.any, to
put in their claims. Lawyers in Liver
pool were communicated with, asking
them to search the records for relatives.
Mrs. Bailey's marriage certificate stated
that her parents names were Benjamin
and Mary Hudson of Liverpool, Eng, the
same city where Mr.. Geo. Hudson was
born. the Liverpool lawyers stated that
the registration of births in that city
was not complete, prior to 1887, and that
the birth Of Elizabeth, daughter of Ben
jamin and Mary Hudson was not recorded
there.
After hearing all the evidence present
ed, and Weighing the matter carefully,
Judge Peabody yesterday decreed that a
distribution of Elizabeth Bailey's estate
should be made to George and William
Hudson, las public notice by advertisement
in the newspaper, had been given to the
world, and there had never been any 9TH
er claimants, and that all the evidence
given pointed to George and William
Hudson as Mrs. Bailey's only surviving
relatives.
|