The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-22
A REAL LIFE ROMANCE
ATTORNEY III. r. STEVENSON, OF
THIS CITY, ONE OF THE ACTORS.
How He Discovered the Lcgatee of
an American Estate Worth
Several Millions.

legatee whose address was unknown; a trip
across the Atlantic, and the hiding of the
nuch-sought man by the merest chance;
these are incidents that form the warp and
wool of a story that reads like a chapter
from an imaginative novel. yet they belong
TO a very real chapter in the life Of II. F.
Stevenson. a %well-known Indianapolis at
torney. Because they took place in the
ordinary course of his professional life, Mr..
Stevenson had well-nigh forgotten them
until a few days ago. when a reporter, who
had received an inkling of the facts from
another source. approached him in his Of
flee in the Stevenson building and asked
him to narrate the story.
well, since you recall the incidents TO
me- he said, II can see that they were a
little out of the ordinary. l must preface
my narrative by explaining that 1 am of
Scotch parentage. 1 had made several trips
abroad before the happening of the events
L am about to relate, and numbered sew
eral Enslishmen among my clients. One
day 1 received a long letter from a young
Scotchman, in which he told me, with the
attention to detail that is characteristic
of residents of older countries, that his
father had provided him with funds with
which to come to America and establish
himself. He said that he had been exam
lining a legal directory with a view to find
ing the lame of some attorney in the city
in which he proposed TO make his Amer
lean Investments, and had been attracted
by my name because it sounded like it were
Scotch.
NAMES CONFUSED.
81 afterwards learned that my corre-
spondent had become confused in localities,
mistaking Indianapolis for Minneapolis,
and that he discovered his mistake on ar
irving in this country, but decided to visit
me in indianapolis because 1t was on his
way West. His mistake was natural, or at
least not surprising when you reflect that
residents of Great Britain have necessarily
limited ideas Of distance. How can they
appreciate the vastness of the United
States, when their longest journey at home
is not much greater than from here TO en-
~cinnati? The young man came, ana L was
greatly interested in him. We went TO Min
neapOlis, and there | had a revelation OF
the remarkable ability inhabitants OF an
old country possess of grasping the posi-
bilities for development OF a new country.
This young Scotchman had never been In
America before, and yet when he surveyed
the then small city of Minneapolis he said
with prophetic intuition: Here Is the place
= " A4NCS1 IL OAA0
ritory is a rich agricultural country, ana
Ii Is only a question OF time when tnls city
will be thickly populated 1t Will be a cen
money. The people will pile up the wealth
for you If you get right in the current.
Accordingly he made large investments IN
Minneapolis, and afterwards bought a con-
siderable amount of realty in Chicago.
Perhaps a seasoned investor would have
hesitated before purchasing property as
heavily encumbered as were many OF the
- ~ .,N,, CantchpnQ N occurred Rnt
the outcome proved the soundness or his
judgment. My young client died very SUD
denly. and L was called on to straignten
out his affairs. When l discovered the ex-
istence of the membranes, L saw that
any legatee he might have should be no.
tilted pretty promptly so that he could look
to the protection of his interests.
WENT TO ENGLAND.
"I knew nothing of the young mans con-
nections in the old country. but determined
that would make a trip across the ocean
in the hope of being able to locate some of
his relatives. The first place | visited after
reaching London was the office of the con-
sui general. That position was at the time
graced by a prominent citizen of Indiana.
l say 'graced' advisedly, for there never
had been as popular a consul general be-
fore his regime. Previous incumbents of
the office had settled themselves back and
posed as princes, WHOM IL WAS - uiilCoih
to see as 1t is to get a glimpse of the COY
ernor OF Indiana. When this man from In
diana came TO London. however. he came
wearing a soft felt hat ana dressed IN ex-
tremely simple, but elegant attire, and he
dressed that way throughout his soJourn
in the English metropolis. Our BRUSH
cousins said, There is a typical American
he conducts himself here just as ne does
when at home Americans of all grades or
society, Of all degrees Of wealth; were given
fectly at home at the consulate general III
those days. But, to return TO my story.
1ne consul general gave me every assist
missing legatee, but our combined efforts
were fruitless. One day | boarded the train
l might get some hint of the missing per
sons whereabouts in that city, my client
having been, as l indicated, a, Scotchman.
In the same compartment with me was a
very fi~ne-lOoking, pleaSant-faced elderly
gentleman with whom L soon found myself
in conversation. We began by taking apoIt
the weather which was unusually nne. SUD
denly he said, You are an American, are
YOU not?' L replied that L had resided in
America the greater part of my life.
THE FATHER FOUND.
"We then exchanged cards and when /
read his name 1 noted a similarity with
that of my deceased client. Do you happen
to know anything of a man named? L
asked, mentioning the name of my client.
He is my son. replied the old gentleman.
l nearly jumped out of my seat in excess of
joy at having my apparently hopeless quest
ended in this astonishing and delightful
manner. 1t did not take long to acquaint
MY new friend with the circumstances Of
his sons untimely death and of the condi-
ton of his estate. | accompanied the
father to his home and spent a-few days
with him in a most enjoyable manner He
returned to this country with me and at
once entered upon the task of clearing
away the incumberances on the properly
left by his son. With rare foresight he
cancelled the mortgages and retained the
property, being fortunate enough to be
well supplied with money. If | remember
correctly, it cost the old gentleman some
thing like s., 600, 600 to pay off all the in
cumbrances. He retained me as his legal
adviser and I still receive letters from him
occasionally. The property which cost him
s.. 600 900 to save afterwards brought him
between three million and a half and four
million dollars over and above the amount
expended by him."