The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-05-28
WEALTH THRUST UPON HER.
By II Strange Chain of Circumstances
n Woman Becomes Rich.

n ~ oman bSCo11As-7
NEW YORK. May 2s--By a strange
chain of circumstances the outcome Of
which she could never nave foretold. Mrs.
Isabella Duffy. now living in a small Mas
sachusetts town, will soon become the
possessor Of S20o 800 in gold from the es-
tate Of her mother. Mrs. Susan Van Mort,
an eccentric old woman, who died last
July in this city
William NJ Hose. Public Administrator,
has been trying for a long time through
agents all over the country To locate the
heirs TO Mrs Van Norris estate. He even
sent William H. Willis to Europe to IN
earth the records Of the Van Mort ances-
tors
He has succeeded in tracing Charles
Ferero Niles. who had been brought up
bv Mrs. Van Mort after she found him on
her doorstep. to California and thence to
Prescott and Phoenix. AriZ. But there is
no evidence to show that the boy was
ADOPTED and if he was not he viii have no
share in the estate
Mr. Hoes was about to look for collat-
eraI heirs in Ireland when Charles c Suy-
dam brought to him such convincing
proofs that Mrs Van Mort was really the
mother of Mrs Duffy that the Admins
traitor was obliged to admit her claims
The letters and pictures found in the
rooms OF the dead woman added strength
10 Mrs. Duffy.s case, and now It IS ac-
k7owIedged that she is entitled to the es-
tate in whole. If Niles was not adopted,
and n part If he was
Mrs. Van Mort, who was belle during
the Tweed regime in New York, when her
husband was a boon companion OF the ia
nous Boss" had, previous 10 her mar
r5sge. led a varied and somewhat cratic
life.
BEFORE she came TO this country from
ireland she captivated Daniel Fearon, a
sbfDwrfght, who was staying in the hotel
where she did duty as barmaid. She was
a triffe over fourteen then, but beautiful,
and when she left the island for England
she left a baby, too. 1t is this child, now
Mrs Duffy. who claims the mothers
property.
The barmaid came to America, returned
70 England. and there married Henry
Roberts. who was shortly after killed in
his fathers mill. Mrs. Roberts then re-
visited this country and in 1871, became,
in Rome. \. y the wife Of William j
Niles They moved to Angelica, where
Mrs Niles sued her husband for divorce,
but he died before the decree was grant
ed was during her life with Niles that
the boy who was afteTward named
Charles FerTerO Niles was found on the
doorstep and taken into the family by the
wife
Another trip to England and Mrs Niles
married for the last time She became
the wife Of George NJ Van Mort. then
connected with the Department Of Public
Parks and later Commissioner Of Public
Works Mr. Van Mort. who was well
known about town, lived stylshly and be-
Iouged to many clubs. He died IN Ayack
Since that time until her death his
widow lived quietly Her apartments at
No "a Madison Avenue were sumptuous-
~ furnished. but she seldom received Wis
itDrs- and often cooked her own meals
Most Of her time she spent gazing at
the portrait of her dead husband, and on
many OCCASIONS it was her habit TO con-
meet it by a blue ribbon to a bow Of the
ssrno material over her heart.
Mrs. Van Mort was a graduate Of the
New York Law SchGOl. accomplished,
witty. and during her last husband $ life
a society woman
Strangely. enough. those who knew her
imagined that Mr. Van Mort was her first
husband
Mrs. Duffy says that the old woman.
before her death. told her that she was
her mother, and as the daughter has sew
eraI photographs Of the dead woman and
Mrs Van Mort had pictures Of Mrs Duffy
and her children, the evidence in favor Of
her claims IS regarded as conclusive
Mr. Hoes proposes to communicate with
q M Niles. located in Phoenix. TO find
out what claims he may have, and. e he
has none. the money according II the
New York law. and in the absence IF
other blood heirs, viii revert TO Mrs
Duffy