The times., 1901-03-10

Nothing is more interesting than the |
history of the genesis of great fortunes, |
and of all the ways in which the founda- |
tions of fortunes have been laid the most |
curious is probably the receiving of a |
sound fogging by the founder. There re- |
Gently died in San Francisco John MaGee, |
one of the wealthiest residents of that
city of miIlonaires John Magees i'm
mense fortune came originally as result
of flogging which he received in San
Jose, Guatemala, in 1874. In that year
Magee was a British consular agent IN
San Jose He fell out with the military
commander there, one Colonel Gonzales.
Gonzales threatened and stormed but
Magee defied him. Thereupon the colonel
took Magee from his consulate, ignoring
the protection of the British flag, and or
dered him to be fogged for his contu-
macy He got sixty lashes on his bare
back and then was thrown into prison.
A British man-of-war came steaminG
into the harbor of San Jose, and wrath
full man was her commander. He de-
manded that Magee be delivered over to
him Immediately, under penalty of blow
ing the town sky high Magee was given
up, but that did not close the incident
Unless an apology for the insult to the
British flag was made Immediately by
the Government of Guatemala, the flag
saluted and an indemnity paid to Magee
the British Government threatened dire
ful things Guatemala appealed to the
United States, but this country replied
that the Monroe Doctrine did not protect
little Central American Republics in COM
mittng such Outrages as that perpetrat-
ed by Colonel Gonzales and Guatemala
was advised to comply with the Just Brit
ish demands. Thereupon the Government
offered to pay to Magee $SOOOoO, 5000 for
every lash he had received. The apology
and the salute of the British flag were
also forthcoming.
Now, this amount cannot be found ev-
cry day In the treasury of Central Amer
lean Republic, and while the Government
Of Guatemala might agree to pay the
amount the collecting OF IL would prob
ably be delayed and attended with trouble
and complications. Magee was wise IN
his generation. He knew the people
among whom he lived and he knew also
the value of certain concessions upon
which he had long had his. eye. So he
said to the Guatemalan Government that
he really could not distress it financially
| by accepting such large amount of
money, but would be content TO call it
square for certain concessions which
would cost ii nothing, Wagee got his con-
cessions at once, and they Included the
right to establish a bank I'm San Jose and
the building of wharVeS in that port. The
Government was so grateful to him be-
cause he had not insisted on cash that he
was protected in his monOpolies in every
possible way, and thus he laid the founda-
tiOn of his enormous fortune.
Another California family, now possess
cd Of great wealth, can trace the begin
/ ming of its fortune to an almost similar
! occurrence. In the time of the TAPPING
rebellion, Patrick O'Brien was mission
| airy in China. He was arrested by the
Governor Of Yeh on q tTumped-up charge
| of corresponding with the rebels and pub
r.Iv Il4 hoo Fag
| was put in cage and exposed to the
1 teerS and insults of the pOpulace- Finally
/ he was allowed to escape to the coast
| lie thereupon came to this country and
! laid his case before the authorities in
| Washington This Government demanded
| from China that to the reverend gentle
man be paid an indemnity Of 10000 After
| considerable delay and much hagShnS
| the Chinese Government paid the amount
| and thus another fortune was started.
| Early in the nineteenth century Robert
! Jeffery was a sailor on board a British
| map-of-war. Now, Robert was a thirsty
| soul and had a weakness for beer Capt.
| w. Lake, the commander of the man-Of-
| war had a barrel of beer or board. which
| he had designed to drink himself. but
| Robert slyly tapped the barrel and had a
| still on for several days, much to the
l wonder of the officers Of the ship. who
| could not imagine how he got 1t. Finally
the captain examined his barrel of beer
| and found that large portion of its con-
| tents was missing. He did not wait to g
| hut Immediately ordered Jeffery to be
| fogged. Jeffery took the flCgging but
threatened to report the matter to the
| naval authorities-as was his legal right
Captain Lakes anger having cooled, he
| perceived he had got himself into a
scrape. II Jefery reported the matter the
captain was In for a cOurt-martial He
| fo0lishly determined to make a bad mat
ship was then cruising In the West In
dies As soon as she was ordered home
the captain sailed to the uninhabited ISL
and of SOmbrero, one of the small outlying
islands OF the Lesser Antilles, and there
| "marooned" the thirsty sailor. After TN
dergoipg fearful privations on SOmbrerc
Jeffery was rescued by an American trad
ing vessel, which saw his signals and
taken to the United States. From New
YorkNle worked his way back to England
and laid his case before the naval author
tiles. His cause was taken up by Sii
| Francis Burdett, father)Of Baroness Bur
dett-C -Coutts. Captain Lake was made t
pay to Jeffery $1,000 damages and was
moreover tried by court martial ami dis
missed from the service The 50. .OO3 was q
| small fortune TO the sailOrman Jeffery
| but Il is not recorded that it grew to any
such giant proportions as the compensa'
| tiOns Of Magee and O Brten.
| In 1865 William Henry Barber, Lon
don lawyer, was convicted of forgery anC
| sentenced TO a long term in one OF the
| British penal settlements. While under
| going his sentence he was nogSed fOl
| some triing infraction Of discipline. He
! never held up his head again, and though
| after four years his innocence of tbs
| crime for which he had been transported
| was established, il was but the wreck OF
| a man who returned to England TO re-
| ceive the congratulations Of his friends
| 1t was the flOgging that had broken hi!
| heart Parliament, as a slight cOmpenSa
| tion for the chastisement, Votetd him SO
| 600.
Within a few months after the Barbe
case had been made public another limo
cent convict was found working in tn
chaingang on Norfolk Island He was
former shOpkeepeT named Dunno. He wa
| at once pardoued, but that did not sat
isfy him for like Barber he had bee
nogged. As salve for his sore baCl
the Australian colOnists raised $4,000 b
subscription and presented 1t to him
! Dunno said that he never again wante
| TO see England and so ne settled dow
! as a sheep farmer in Australia. He In
vested his 10000 80 well that when n
died. twenty years ago, he was possesse
! | Of large fortune, all of which ne left t
| charity.
There is no wealthier family in Russi
2 | than the I.apukins. of Gstilich, min
| owners and banlCors. A hOggiug with th
? | knout bestowed upon the beautiful an
| ACCOMPLISHED actress Nine. Iapuktn. tn
[ | aucestress of the family, laid the founda
| ton for the immense fortune OF her de
| scendants The New York Press.
Remarkable Family.