The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-11
LOOKING FOR A LOST HEIR.
SUPPOSED To HAVE BEEN IN SA-
VANNAH NINETEEN YEARS AGO.


If Living Fred y. Robinson Has a
Million waiting For Him at Chiea-
EO--J. j. RisdOn, II Chicago Lawyer,
Here on a STRAIGHTFORWARD Will BE
Paid for Information About the
Man-Was Last Heard of in Savan-
nah in 1870.
Nearly nineteen years ago Fred N. Rob
inson was in Savannah. If there is any
one in the city who remembers the young
man and can give any Information about
him, living or dead, he will be richer by
nice sum.
Mr. j. J. Risdon, an attorney of Chica-
CO. is here and he is very anxious to find
some trace of Robinson. He says that he
will pay almost an informants own price
for any information about the man. He
is being looked for as the heir to a large
property in Chicago. 1t is the next heirs
who are looking him up. as they want to
know that they are legally in possession
of the property when they take charge,
and this they know can only be by the
discovery that Robinson is no longer in
the land of the living.
The last heard of Robinson was in July
of 1879. He was in Savannah at the time.
A letter was then written to his aunt, Mrs.
Eames, in South birmingham, Mass This
letter is now in the possession of Mr.. Ris-
don. 1t states that the writer was out of
work and wanted his aunt to secure en-
ployment for him near her home. Robin
hat he I'M 1aax in "a
nah in a few days to return to Massachu-
sets. Ii the letter may be taken as an
indication, the summers in Savannah at
that time We're very warm. 1t states that
the writer was disguised with the place,
that il was "as hot as hi"
Robinson was a sailor. He was only 10
years of age when he was here. He left
his home at Holyoke in 1875 to take up
seafaring life. He sailed from Fairhaven,
Conn, aboard the Heman Smith, vessel
owned in Boston. He was at sea for some
time, and then returned to his home. His
mother died, and he set out for Chicago to
visit his father. He had heard little of
his father, Curtis E. Robinson, for years.
The man had deserted his wife and child,
when the latter was of tender age, and
gone to the great city of the West.
w HCu young ItODluSOIl arrived llGiG llc
found a state of affairs for which he had
not bargained. His father was running
bar room and living life of shame with
a dissolute woman. A rupture between
the father and son occurred al once, the
latter administering a whipping to the
former. The son left and returned TO his
aunt for a short time in Massachusetts.
He did not stay long, but again took 10
the sea, turning up on this trip at SaVan-
nah.
In 1892 Curtis E. Robinson died In Chi
cago, leaving a fortune that will run above
$4,000 in valuation. The man died in
testate, and the son, if he can be found,
will come into the fortune. This fortune
was ii-gotten. Robinson made money
with his saloon, ana the woman, with
whom he was living, reaped a harvest
from the conduct of a house of ill-repute.
The two kept up their relations until the
death of the woman. All of her property
then went to the man. Investments in
real estate had been made judiciously, and
with the rapid enhancement of values in
this, the property increased greatly.
Fred N. Robinson is the sole heir in the
event he can be found. If it is learned
that he is dead or if no trace Of him can
be discovered, the fortune will go to the
four brothers and sisters of the elder
Robinson. 1t is these brothers and sisters
who are making the effort to find their
nephew There are some eighteen attor-
neys engaged in the case, Mr.. Risdon
says, with the whole thing in the hands
of Senator John c.. Spooner of Wisconsin.
Mr.. Risdon expects to be in Savannah
for some ten days in the prosecution of
his search for evidence. He will be at
the Pulaski, where the bearer of any It'd
ings of the young sailor who was last
heard from at Savannah will be well paid
for the trouble of calling. To-day the at
torney will examine the records of the
coroner's Office to find if any one answer
ing the description of Robinson may have
been buried here after meeting a violent
death. He has already gone through the
records of the health office that were
made about that time, but found nothing
to encourage him. The manifests in the
custom house have also been examined,
but the attorney was not able to find any,
thing about his man.
1t is Mr.. Risdon's belief that the young
man died or was killed here. He was al
most giant in strength, and was afraid
of nothing, report has it. When drinking.
as he did at times, he was something of
brawler and it is thought for this reason
one. The attorney thinks there should be
some one in the city able to place the
young man. He has had advertisements
inserted descriptive of him as he is re.
membered at the time he was here He
believes that the name of Robinson was
borne, as he had never done anything
that might induce him TO discard it FOR
seine other. Mr. Risdon hopes that some
of the keepers of sailors boarding houses
may be able to recall something about
Robinson that may lead to some positive
proof of his death or result in his dis
covery.