The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-14
A CHEST or GOLD.
Wealthy Pension Agent Forgot To
Mention 1t In His VIII.

Washington Cor St Louis Republic
you may talk about the wonderful dis
coveries of gold in the Klondlke Region"
said prominent lawyer to the Republic
correspondent, but one Of the richest gold
finds of the year occurred right here in
Washington. will not mention names,
but the gentleman referred TO was known
all over the country as one of the wealth.
lest pension agents and publishers of the
present day.
"A short time after he died his executors
were engaged in making an examination
of his effects. His will had been drawn
carefully and all his real and personal
property was supposed to be distributed
among his relatives and friends, accord
ing to his last wishes. One day in clearing
out the safe in the building which still
bears the captains name an old chest was
discovered in one of the dark corners of
the vault. 1t had been there for years, and
was supposed to contain only some plates
and drawings of war pictures used in
connection with a book of war stories. The
executors had passed the old chest by
without examining its contents, supposing,
of course that IL contained nothing but
the plates and drawings, as indicated by
the marking on the outside. One of the
clerks engaged In the work had curiosity
enough to take peep into the chest When
the loose drawings were removed a sight
met his gaze that fairly took his breath
away. There, nesting among the sheets
of war pictures at the bottom of the chest,
was an immense pile of gold COIN which
amounted TO something more than $4,000
There were gold pieces of every de-
.Ea4..f H.. T. Ffta.-
was so unexpected that the executors were
at a loss for some time TO account for the
pile of treasure. The latest win was care
fully scrutinzed, but nothing In IL could
be found relative to the unlooked-for gold
deposit. Various theories were advanced
to explain the accumulation of coin, and It
finally was concluded that the captain had
followed the example of other cautious
capitalists during the last raid on the
treasury gold reserve and had boarded the
amount found in the chest. The coin look
ed as though 1t might have been dropped
into the chest careessly, for the various
denominations were in confusion. The ex-
ecutors were unable to account for the
omission of the gold pile in. the will, for
although the captain was a great spender
he usually kept a clear account of his Sc
curities. II is possible that he may have
been engaged I'm boarding gold pieces for
a number OF years prior 10 his death, and
when his fatal Illness came on he may
have forgotten the gold lining to the old
chest containing the war pictures. OF
course, the gold was carefully counted and
entered up as a very desirable part of the
estate"
The pension agent referred to will DO
recognized readily as the late Capt.
George f. Lemon. His pension cases were
allowed by the Harrison administration at
the rate of hundreds daily, and on each
he got fee Of $40 The gold was only
small portion Of his personal property.
He had in his possession note Tor S25, 600
signed by the republican commissioner of
pensions, for money loaned to the com
missioner.