Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-25
UNCLAIMED ANDFORGOTTEN
Queer Finds in Boxes Left for Safe Keeping
IN Banks.
How Interest. Under English Law, Ac-
cumulates on Unclaimed Deposits
-Advertising for Owners.


Fram Chambers Journal
As IS we'll known, banks act as Gus
todians OF boxes deposited with them for
safe keeping. They make no charge for
doing So their object being to undertake
no responsibility and incur no risk as the
acceptance OF payment would imply. Nat
Ira!ly It happens that boxes slowed away
by the banks in this manner come to be
lost sight Of by their owners. Those who
left them for safe IL eping die without pass
ing on The secret Of their existence to their
heirs. Who is to know that such posses
sions could be claimed? 1t has been sug
gested that these boxes should be OCCASION
ally oFcrhauled and their contents made
public
An advertisement was issued In 1881 by
order u the court of ChanCery, ireland,
with a view to discover the owners of the
Following among other Vaiuables deposited
in a Dublin bank: % Box containing a
number of silver articles. coins medals and
seals. ana having on 1t crest and the name
r. :. Cooper (2) box containing number
Of silver articles. of which several are
crested with coat Of arms, supposed to be
those Of Niscount NetterylIe; go box con-
tanning thirtynine articles of plate some
OF them bearing Coronet; a. box contain
ing diamonds and articles of jewelry lodg-
ed by Dr.. Andrew Blake and George Jen-
nings on December -. 1856" There were
some curious inquiries and tales about the
chests found in their vaults which were
eventually handed over to the court of
Chdncery
In the vaults Of the Bank of Ireland are
some chests of plate which were deposited
with the bank before it moved into its pres
eut butding-that is, before the year 1S0O-
the owners Of which are unknown. Some
years ago the confidential staff of the
Bank of England discovered in the vaults
chest whicn. on being moved, literally fell
to pieces from age. 1t contained a mag
n val M nj OF
solid silver. No clue to the owner S Identity
could be found either on the box or OH any
OF the pieces of plate, which were simply
engraved with cipher and cor0net.
However. among the numerous other
things found in the box We're a gold casket
Of the period of Charles ii and packet of
Old love letters written during the time Of
me restoration. These afforded some clue
TO the original depositor. and, the directors
having caused search to be made in the
banks books. the representative Of the old
owner was discovered and the pate and
love letters handed over accordingly. The
sale If the plate brought in sum which
was most welcome to the poyerty-stricken
descendants Of a once great family. So
far as known here are no unclaimed boxes
IN the keeping of the Scotch banks.
Unclaimed deposits occasionally crop up
when from time to time calls are made on
banks 10 pay them. Instances of this be-
come public IN sufficient number to indi,
cate that there is something in the demand
for publicity Of these dormant balances.
y few years ago Glasgow man died. ana
among his possessions was an old desk.
FMS fell to one Of his heirs, and not so
long since 4 woman connected with the
family w4s struck with the similarity If
This article NJ furniture to one she had
herself and she expressed a curiosity as
To whether i had. like her desk, a secret
drawer
Examination was made. and, sure enough
a drawer was found, and IN it two deposit
receipts for sums aggregating something
| over 81 40. These deposits were dated