The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-07
AN IRISH HEIRESS.
Ill and in Want While Fortune
Awaits Her


New York March Elm a poor little
fiat in Harlem. penniless. i'll. almost
starving. lives Mrs. Mary Ann Ebel. the
heiress of a handsome fortune. WHICH
friends. acquaintance. and even lawyers
are striving TO get hold of. apparently
more for their own benefit than for hers
Mrs. Ebers story is one Of those reaIi-
ties which sometimes come up TO prove
that truth is stranger than fiction Her
father. Michael Cooke. youngest son Of
Cooke of the Forest Dublin, eloped with
Susan Henderson. daughter of Admiral
Henderson. of the English navy. They
We're married in Swords Parish. Dublin
nearly fifty years ago. where Mary Ann
was born and her mother died. about a
year later, and as little or no effort was
made BY the mothers family to claim
the child. she grew uD in almost tot-,t
ignorance of her wealthy relations
though she can remember the remarks OF
the neighbOrs about the little heireSS'
and the curious looks given her when
she went into the street.
Nevertheless when. as a young girl
she wished to come TO America. because
her life with her fathers second wife and
family was not a pleasant one nothing
more was said to her about her mothers
people. her father merely giving her the
/ day she sailed q big bundle OF papers. AT
which she hardly looked
And so this girl, descended from the
Irish nobility on her fathers side and
from the Scottish StuaTts the family OF
kings on her mothers. came alone TO this
country and bravely began to work her
own way in the world. Her life was
hard, but il was DleaSInter than that
with her stepmother had been and in u
year or so she was married 10 George
Gustave EbeI, in St. Nicholas Church. on
Second Avenue.
They lived happily and children were
born 10 them, but finally she was all
alone in the world and then through 4
friend learned that she was presumably
the heiresS to an immense estate. She
determined to make an effort to secure
it and sought legal assistance.
These lawyers thought so we'll OF the
case that they undertook it Immediately
getting Mrs. Ebels signature then and
there to a power of attorney in the case
and also 10 two other papers. in which
she says. she signed away at least three
fourths Of the money to them in ease il
came 10 her. So now she believes in the
wealth.
She is almost destitute being entirely
dependent on a friend Mrs. Sarah II.
+ MedarH, of NO. 80 West One Hundred
and Twenty-fifth Street, who is also a
poor woman with two little children. but
who gives what help she can To the I'M
fortunate heiress. and is as much inter-
ested as she in the latter's strange story.
Mr.. Cohen, of Cohen & Matthews. says
the money is unuestionahly there tied
up in the Scottish banks and courts. and
that just as certainly Mrs. Ebel is the
person she claims to be, and the rightfuI
owner of it all. The only thing now is.
can they get it? Nobody seems to quite
know the exact extent of this fortune.
but it is said to have originally amounted
To about two thousand pounds Il year.
and by interest had undoubtedly almost
doubled.
There is plenty for all. said Mr.
Cohen; plenty for all. and nobody can
cheat the woman out of it. as long as
she's herself. OF course, | believe in it.
or wouldn't have started the inquiry at
all. or spent n cent of money looking up
the thing in the Scottish records. She
mustn't think because II doesn't come ali
at once that il never will.
But Mrs. Ethel sick and cold and
ragged, wishes something would come be-
fore very long, either her fortune or
work by which she can make money
enough to feed and clOthe herself.