Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-10-13
MYTHICAL FORT UNES.
improbable Stories Of Great Eng
lish LegacieS
An old Letter That Reveals the 1currn-
Gus Scheme Employed by Sharks In
This Country for Duping Crcd-
ulous Americans.

Some recent romantic tales about Inn
mense English estates which belong 10
American heirs suggest republication
Of an opinion written by Judah +. Ben
iamin twenty-six years ago, says the
Chicago Herald. Following is the great
LAWYERS letter:
Lamb Building, Temple, Lcndon,
Feb 8, 1s6o.-Editor New Orleans
Times: Will,syou permit me through
vour columns to send word of warning
to the public against scheme OF
swindling which is now extensively
practiced in the United States?
'Since my call to the English bar
hundreds of letters have reached me
from Louisiana and other parts OF the
union. written by persons, many OF
whom are educated and intelligent,
making inquiries relative to estates
represented as existing in this country
unclaimed and awaiting the appear.
ance of heirs residing in America.
In every instance that has come to my
knowledge the statements are false,
and evidently made for the purpose OF
defrauding parties out OF sums, large
or small, under pretext OF paying the
costs of records, copies, ETC., said to be
necessary for the assertion OF the pre-
tended claim.
Zone claim may be selected as an ex-
ample. A banker by the name OF
James Wood died in Gloucester in the
year 1886, leaving fortune OF about
$500, 900. His will was the subject OF
"a. hut Eno W dnOidnd
be valid, and the estate was ordered to
be divided among the legatees under q
decision Of the house of lords in 1S47
Anyone DESTROYS of having particulars
of the litigation can trace it through
| the different charts, as follows: l. In
the prerogative court of Canterbury
| Canterbury reported in Curteiss,
p. 50. 2. On appeal to the privy coun.
ell in 'Moore's Privy Council Cases,
at d. 1856; and 8. In the house of lords
in the case entitled The Corporation Of
Gloucester VS.. Osborne 1 House Of
Lords Cases. p. 272. Although his es
tate has thus been finally settled and
distributed for more than twenty years
l do not at all exaggerate in stating
that not month passes without my re
ceiving one or more letters from per
sons who are approached by some pre-
tended agent of some imaginary grea'
firm of London solicitors engaged ii
seeking heirs of the great intestatt
banker, James Wood, whose fortune
amounting to e10, OOO, 900, is lying in thu
Bank of England awaiting claimant
1.-THE usual mode of proceeding adopt
ed is to propose to undertake the bust
ness free of expense, the proposer t.
receiver only share OF what may b.
recovered. This seems SO REASONABLE,
that in most cases the dupe readil,
swallows the bait. A short time after
ward he is informed that all inquire
and researches have resulted favorably
and that nothing is wanted to insur
success except the cost of few copie
of records and other papers, and tina
the proposer, having already INQUIRE,
great expense in conducting the neces
sary inquiries and researches, is LEI
without resources atthe very momen
when a few pounds would suffice t
secure the fruits of his labors and exper
diturc. Many are the victims from whor
sums varying from $40 to $500 hav
been thus extracted, and the number G
persons engaged in this system must b
very great, and the sums received b
them very considerable, if at all in pre-
portion to the number of letters RI
ceived here on the SUBJECT. Man
thousands of pounds are known to hav
been expended by those who could il
afford to bear the loss in the pursuit G
the great Jennings estate; and some c
those who have spent money in thi
way have actually been deluded int
writing to me their convictions tha
they were entitled to dislodge the pre-
ent duke of Marlborough from tn
Blenheim castle, by virtue Of their d,
scent from the famous Duchess Sara
Jennings. Most of the persons who al
duped are ignorant on two point
which, in nearly every instance, woul
satisfy them at once of the utter foil
of the hopes they indulge. The first
that an alien cannot be an heir in Enl
land when there is no will and that
cannot take real estate even If left I
him by will. The second is that |
England estates devolve upon the Ell,
est son alone, and on his eldest son |
succession, and are not divided in share
among oil children as in Louisiana an
other states. Yet nothing is more con
mon than for persons to assert heirshi
to the supposed shares of youngt
brothers and sisters, or to claim as n,
tives of the United States heirship 1
Englishmen who had left no wills.
I'm the hope that this exposure wi
be of some use to my fellow citizens,
whose welfare 1 retain the deepest il
terest, and may protect them to SON
extent from tho SI nc,