The evening times., 1899-04-19
w1nDHALL TO A JUNK NAE.
Becomes Heir to . Fortune Of Sixty
Thousand DoAaru.

Becomes Heir to . Fortune Of sixty
Thessand Dollars.
New York, April 19.-Thomas Leggett,
junkman, Of 401 East Sixteenth Street. yes
terday became Thomas Leggett. capitalist.
Despite the fact that in the morning the
public administrator gave him stocks and
bonds supposed to be worth at least $780,
900. Leggett spent the rest of The day
weighing old rags. scrap iron, and the doz-
en- other commodities that are brought and
sold by q wideawake junk dealer.
YES" said Leggett. when asked about
receiving fortune unexpee edty after he
had spent a quarter Of century IN the
junk business, Its all settled up now.
I've got the bonds and stocks. and I'm go
ing right along with my present business
for a time any way. No; l haven't any
plans. I'm not preparing to take things
easy. What l may do by AMI by l don't
know, but the first thing will be 10 find
the present value Of these papers"
Leggett is the sole surviving rlative OF
Col. William l.. Blanchard. widely known
sporting man. whose gambling resort In
West Forty second Street was a centre OF
activity for many years. Colonel Blanch-
ard died in Oceanic. N j., in May, 1896.
and left an estate the value OF which was
placed at more than 100000. 1t was not
known at the time OF his death that Colo
mel Blanchard left any relatives. A search
was instituted and this resulted in the
discovery that he had brother. Thomas
Leggett and that his real name. instead of
being Blanchard. was Leggett. Big Bill
Leggett he was until he went into the
business of conducting a gambling house.
Few knew when he assumed the other
name. His brother, Thomas. sticking to
the modest business Of junkman, saw no
reason for changing his name, but his fall
ure to do SO nearly cost him the fortune
which came into his possession yesterday.
II was eight months after Colonel
Blanchard's death before anyone appeared
to claim the estate. Mrs. Fannie F. Bel
kaiser, a colored woman, who. with her
husband had beer in Blanchard's employ
for years, then SCI up the claim that she
was Blanchard's wife. and that she was
entitled to his property. There was a
sharp fight in court. as a result OF which
her claim was disproved, and she was ar
rested on a charge of perjury. She was
tried in 1897 convicted, and sentenced to
the Auburn State prison for five years.
With Mrs. Eelkaser's claim thus dis
posed of, and the discovery of the fact that
Blanchards real name was Leggett, the
finding of the real heir became a simple
matter. George A. Smythe readily found
Leggett. and the junk dealer yesterday at
tested to the satisfactory manner in which
his lawyer had managed the matter.
But he didn't know what he was going
| to do with the estate, which including the
stocks and bonds. is worth probably $780,
| 900. Surrounded by old overcoats. hats
| and dress skirts, with the floor OF his junk
shop Uttered with scraps or many old
things Leggett glanced over his securities
| in bewildered manner. He had shares
I in mining companies. electric companies.
and in various other enterprises, none oi
| which he ever had heard of before. He
seemed pretty sure. however. that the Sc
curities were good, and after he had look
ed them over a bit he placed them in mis-
coat. which was hanging on the wall. and
which only an expert in clothing could
distinguish from the dozens of Tast-on
garments that were hanging all about.
Leggett has received several thousand
dollars in cash from his brothers estate
and he has his $500 gold watch. fine dia-
mond pin. and his clothing. But he Is
fighting on the temptation to build air
castles until. as he expressed it, he can
find out whether these things are worth
par" He declined to say what he would
do if the securities proved to be all right,
excepting that he would scrutinize pros
pective sons-in- law most carefully. Leg
gett's wife died many years ago, and his
only relative is a daughter, who married,
but whose husband died. leaving her no
children. This daughter will get Leggett' 5
property when the iunkman dies. He is
sixty-fou years old. and has been In the
junk business a quarter of a century.