The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-05-22
WORTH UNTOLD MILLIONS
A Chicago Syndicate's Claim for
New York Acres.
THE MONTGOMERY HEIRS
One Association Disbanded In Despair.
The Land Claimed Said to Be Valued
at 100000 ooo-Two Hundred
and Fifty Claimants.

Chicago, May 21.-To prove the title
of its members to land worth $500, 600
is the object of an association existing
in Chicago. The land comprises some
of the choicest business sections of
Manhattan island, and it is claimed by
the Montgomery heirs. Another asso-
citation Of the heirs which has been in
vestigating the subject for years, has
gone out of existence. it's members CIV
ing up the problem in despair.
The president of the existing associa-
ton is George W. Mills. Mr.. Mills, how
ever. is not one of the heirs, but is act
ing in their behalf. His story of the
origin and history of this fortune lost
sight of for so many years, through the
operation of a 9S year lease, is as fol-
lows:
SIN the year 1740 Alexander Mont
gomery and Hugh Montgomery, broth
ers, came to this country, bringing with
them quite a considerable sum of mon
ey: located in New York. and bought
property there, and went into the mer-
camille business They did well and
invested their profits in real estate.
Alexander married. and few years
later removed to Greenwich, Conn. Be-
luS d toly, dAu q tSEy uOC OliS, ilS Souli
became obnoxious to the continentals,
who encamped their army there. The
continentals at last made II so hot for
him that he had to break up his bust
ness there and fly with his family to
New York, which at that time was &C.
cupied by General Howe with the Brit
ish army, the continentals having burn
ed up his house and home and shown
a strong disposition to burn him up,
too and probably would have done so
had he not left. When General Howe
and his army evacuated New York AL
exander also had to evacuate the place,
but before doing so, to prevent it's be-
ing confiscated, he leased all his prop
erty for a term of SO years; these leases
being executed in 1888. Quickly getting
on board Of vessel with his family
he went to Gagetown, New Brunswick
where he lived till the close of the rev.
dictionary war. when he removed back
with part of his family to New York.
finally settling at Ellisburg, near Os-
wego.
THE land that he bought covers
about so acres in the most valuable
parts of New York and Brooklyn, and
its value has been estimated all the
way from s300,0OO,0O0 to $500, 900. AL
exander Montgomery left six children
Alexander, Archibald, Hugh. Sarah
susannah and David. The eldest son.
Alexander while on board ship, going
with his father to New Brunswick, met
Judith, the daughter Of Mordecai Mey-
ers, whose family Is still a prominent
one in New York. This girl he married
upon his arrival at Gagetown. where
they lived for some time, afterward
settling in Little York now Toronto,
Where the husband died in 1841. Su-
sannah married William Stillwell and
settled in Ellisburg, N. Y. Archibald
was lieutenant in the British army
while Hugh is supposed to have been
colonel in the continental army; both
of them, however settling at Oswego
after the close of the revolutionary war
Gen. Richard Montgomery, of revolu-
tlonary fame, who was killed at Que
bee, was a cousin of the elder Mont
gomery. The Montgomerys came from
convoy house, near Balleyleck Ireland:
In Ireland. having received from The
crown a very large grant of land in
Ireland, on going there from England
The family can be traced back to the
year 900, when Richard D. Montgomery
went to England from Normandy,
France.
There are about $50 heirs to the New
York estate, and these are scattered all
over the United States and Canada;
about dozen of them being in Chicago
The elder Alexander died in 1910. and
after his death the copies of the SO year
leases disappeared. We think that they
were burned. and the object of this as
ISOLATION is to institute a thorough
search and obtain. if possible, copies Of
these leases, of which there were three
for three separate pieces of land. It is
known to whom these leases were made
and all the property still stands in AL
exander Montgomery's name. If found
or authentic copies of them, these
leases Will show clear title But IL
they cannot be found mr. affor+c ,,,i,I
be in vain, for 20 years undisputed o.
cupancy Of land gives a title to It
though clouded one. in the absence
of written proof of it in another. as
would be shown in this case by the pro-
duction of the SO year leases"