Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-09

tives to discover the testator's next OF kin
with the object of handing to them his I'M
desired legacy.
tally seems to be a paradise for clever
and Inscriptions beggars. for II was in
that country that Tori, who died "A few
years ago. reaped his rich harvest of chart
table doles. When at last ''the beggar
died. his sordid rooms were found to be
treasure houses of silver and gold and Sc
curlties. When they had been thoroughly
ransacked the spoil amounted TO no less
than 100000 francs. all of which went TO
two nephews of Tori who We're in n deplor-
able condition OF poverty. and 10 whom the
old man would not give crust of bread
during his life.
Another Italian beggar who found his
profession highly profitable was Alberto
Righott, who, for fifty years and more
licited aims In the chief cities OF his native
country. Alberto appears to have been born
under a lucky STAR for early in his career
as a mendicant he won a prize OF over
$1,000 with a lottery ticket given to him by
one of his patrons, and by lucky investment
more than trebled its value. When he died
in wretched garnet in Rome in 1899 he
left the whole of his. fortune, amounting
to e56,0o0. to Signor Stelluti. one of the
wealthest men in Italy, whose father had
been his most liberal and constant aims
giver
Even miIlionaires do not. as rule, carry
fortune with them on their walks abroad.
like certain beggar who has for many
years frequented the neighborhood OF the
opera house in Paris One hot summers
day, few years ago. this mendicant was
Frustrated by sunstroke and was taken in an
unconscious state to the nearest hospital.
When his clothes were removed he was
found to be wearing belt which was lit
orally stuffed with bank notes of the value
OF 300. 900 froncs, or roughly, fl2. 900 More
remarkable still is the story of another
Partisan beggar. Henri Bompard. who was
arrested in the Boulevard Sebastapol
few months ago for assaulting with his
trh lam ref o.,
On him was found leather bag, suspended
from the neck, containing hundreds Of
precious stones, cut and uncut the value of
which was said to be at least 130.o00 francs.
For many years Bompard had been in the
habit of investing his savings In this COM
pact and portable form, and had thus ac-
cumulated gems which might well fill So
ciety queen with envy.
l. Just ten years ago there died In AuXerra
a beggar in whose cellar were 400 bottles
of wine of rare and costly vintage, more
than a century old. while single trunk re-
vealed coins and securities amounting 10
100000 francs. And Gustave Marcelin.
whose career as a mendicant came TO an
end three years earlier In Avignon, left be-
hind him the snug little fortune Of 10000
francs, with directions that it should be
equally divided between the city OF Avignon
and local charity bureau.
Only last year there died In a wretched
lodging of the Rue de Flandre, Paris, one
Marguerite N. who was said to be a men,
DeI Ol one VI the OlutSt most
ic of French families. AS a school girl she
had eloped with a young scapegrace. who
quickly abandoned her, and thus, thrown
penniless on the world. she assumed the
role of a professional beggar For sixty
years she piled her profession and boarded
her aims. until. when she died. she was
actually drawing an income Of over 10000
francs year from her investments In
government securities.
To give one more instance Of mendicant
Croesuses, 1t is said that the richest of
them all now living Is one Simon Oppasich.
whose misfortune of being born without
legs and arms he has turned to excellent
financial account. quarter of century
ago he had saved f1500O. eight years later.
chiefly by lucky speculation, he had in
creased his fortune to 900: and today
this lucky beggar is credited with possess
ing the income of a chancellor of the ex-
chequrr.