Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1899-08-05
UNKNOWN HEIRESS
TO OLD SLAVES
FORTUNE.
"A Romance That Goes Back
to the Days in the South
Before the Civil War.
AUNTIE'S STORY OF
DEVOTION.
Gave Her All to the Daughter
of Her Old Master, and
Who is Now Missing.
OVER $4,000 AWAITING THE OWNER
Beneficiary Of the Estate, and She Will
Be Found.
OVER $4,000 AWAITING THE OWNER
Beneficiary Of the Estate, and She Will
Be Found.
Especial to the World )

NCpCCtuA W VIC w OkiO
ATLANTA, July ga quiet search is
being made here for certain cultured
and refined young woman, who is the
heiress to an estate. The search is
embarrassed by the fact that the name
of the young woman is unknown. and
nothing is known of her present place
Of residence.
Yet the searchers are not in despair
of finding the young heiress, for the
circumstances attending her inherit
ance are SO peculiar that the public a
tien of the story is pretty sure to at
tract the attention either of the young
woman herself or of some one who may
know the singular story OF her life.
%he story of which tbs disposition of
the little fortune in question is the
climax gees back many years into the
past and bridges the dark and bloody
chasm of the civil war. 1t is q story of
the Lore and devotion which slaves in
the old days sometimes had for their
masters, and IS such it goes even be-
yond the prettiest pictures of the sort
that are to be found in any of slave
holding epoch fiction.
HISTORY OF SIMPLE LIFE.
Old Auntie Adams, hardworking
Negro woman, is the heroine OF the lit
tie romance, and the history OF her
simple life is the history of years of
aelf-sAerihciBg affection and unremit-
ting toll, all given freely and with q
touching pride in her ability to give
out of her generous heart, to the only
surviving child of her old slave master
in Virginia.
Aunt Adams was working as q cham
= armaid in the Markham House here
in Atlanta when she died few weeks
ago. She had been employed there for
many years, and the story of her hfe's
devotion was generally known.
Six years ago, the Atlanta Journal
published the story in full and with
the publication the statement that old
Auntie had just been to O lawyer of
repute in Atlanta and had him draw
up will in which the old woman left
all her earthly possessions TO the per-
son whom TO the last she persistently
called her young missis."
WHO Is THE YOUNG MIssIs?"
When Auntie died few weeks ago
is was found that she had an estate Of
something over IS 600. and it is this
snug little sum for which an heiress is
being sought.
The will which Auntie Adams made
six years ago has not yet been found
although the fact of it's existence some
where is as certain as are the we'll
known facts of the old Negro Woman's
single-hearted devotion to her young
missis." An effort is being made on
the part OF certain persons to get pos
session Of the little fortune lthe devot-
ed old soul had worked so hard TO get
together for her beloved mistress, and
for this reason strenuous efforts are
being made to find both the lost will
and the lest heiress.
BORN ON AN OLD PLANTATION.
Old Auntie Adams was born on a
plantation in Virginia, and grew up a
slave in one of the old VirgInia fami-
lies-a family that was typical of sll
the best patriarchal traditions Of the
slavery era.
When Auntie was good-sized girl a
baby-a girl baby-came to her mas
ter's home, and to Auntie was dele
gated the task OF taking care OF the lit
tie one, q responsibility which swelled
Auntie's pride ana sense of Importance
quite beyond ordinary bounds.
In the cruel tumult Of the civil war
Auntie's master lost his life and bis
fortune Auntie was separated from
the beloved little nlissis" and drifted
to Atlanta, her life empty and without
purpose now theS the child she so de-
voted loved was lost to her apparently
forever.
But Auntie heard a,story one day ia
Atlanta which set her heart bounding
and lighted fires OF wild excitement in
her ardent African eyes.
1t was to the effect that young wo-
man OF the name and age OF the be-
loved ''naissis" had come from the old
town in Virginia to Atlanta, and was
then seeking menial employment, for
she Was penHiless and friendless.
OF the meeting between Auntie and