Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-12
ARE READILY GULLED
MANY AMERICANS THE PREY OF
UNsCRUPULoUs CLAIM AGENTS.
Told That They Have Been Left For
tunes by Ancestors in Germany
Report From Kehl.

has made the following report on the
subject of prosecution of visionary claims
to estates in that country:
There appears to be an increased tend
ency on the part of many Americans to
be gulled by certain INSCRIPTIONS claim
agents and other persons who exact
money from willing victims for the al
legged purpose of obtaining fortunes from
the estate of some ancestor long since
dead. The various descendants of the
early settlers are the ones usually APP
preached. These people are asked to con-
tribute toward fund to be used in prov
Ing kinship and establishing titles and
sending agents to Europe.
If an advertisement in some home or
foreign newspaper asking for certain
heirs is not shown the victims they are
told such an advertisement appeared, but
was lost. In some instances the correct
name and place of birth of the ancestor
are given, which are easily obtained
while the reputed fortune is but myth
Usually these people told their an
cestor died without will, leaving valu-
able estates consisting of old castles and
lands, money in some bank awaiting
heirs. The exact location for obvious rea-
sons is frequently withheld. In the mean
time word is passed from enc relative to
another and societies are formed to
search the fortune of the heirs of Peter
Ulrich or Henry Huber, as the case may
be.
Large Sums Wasted.
Since my residence in Europe as con-
sui, and especially in Germany have re-
ceived scores of letters from would be
heirs, saying they had spent large sums
in some fruitless chase for fortune. In
one instance 1 am informed large sums
were spent in the United States and 81 200
in sending an agent to Germany, who ac-
complished nothing. The heirs then wrote
to the consulate, and L advised them not
to spend any money unless they had some
documentary proof that such a fortune
existed. They insisted their ancestor left
a large estate in Alsace-Lorraine, and
after an extended search and numerous
advertisements no proof whatever was
produced showing there ever was such an
estate or noble ancestor. claimed.
"Other heirs wrote they had been paying
out money to locate an estate two sisters
had left, and these heirs were about send
ing an agent to Germany without any
proof as to nature or location of the myth
ical estate. when l advised them to spend
no money unless they could produce some
evidence. However, a claim agent contn-
ued to excite their curiosity. In another
instance parties residing in New Jersey in
sisted they were entitled to their share of
SAC, 900 estate left by an ancestor who
died in Alsace-Lorraine. After an nvesti-
cation it was discovered the ancestor died
where the descendants claimed. but his for
tune, consisting of small hotel and sa-
loon worth few hundred dollars. had long
since been sold and the heirs given their
respective shares.
"Another party of heirs insisted that an
ancestor died intestate, leaving a fortune
valued at $65. 900 600, which had been placed
in Strassburg bank which they informed
me was named in honor of the dead rela-
tive. In this instance, the man. the bank
and the fortune were purely mythical.
I'm another instance parties insiste. an
ancestor had left a will, which was to be
opened and administered when all the
members of the fifth generation were dead
The parties in question claimed to repre-
sent the seventh generation. 1 communi-
Gated with the authorities to satisfy the
Americans. but there was found no trace
of any such persons ever having resided in
the community.
Statute of Limitations.
True there are inheritances received
from Europe, but as a general rule they
come from persons who have left estates
within the past twenty-five years Even if
the old estates which are claimed ever did
exist they would in most cases have passed
beyond the reach of heirs in consequence of
the statutes of limitation. l would advise
every person who imagines he is emit. d to
an inheritance from Europe to first demand
some proof of the existence of such inner
itance before spending his hard-earned
money.
Twice within the past six months hav,
been requested by claim agents to write
letters of encouragement which might be
shown to persons who thought themselves
entitled to fortunes from Germany 1t is
needless to say these requests for letters
were emphatica refused
I'm consequence of the excellent method
existing in Germany for keeping records
of births and deaths 1t is not usually a
difficult matter to obtain information con-
corning ancestors.
1T is we'll for Americana IN obto;,
the inheritance from Europe to which thew
are entitled, but 1t is idle to presume that
SO many foreign ancestors died possessed
of estates