Los Angeles herald., 1905-10-27
HEIR TO SCOTCH ESTATE
Good News Comes Unexpectedly to
a Hospital Orderly in New
York
snecial To The Hernid.

| Special to The Herald.
NEW YORK, Oct 26-DaVid Lennox
| Beaumont, some time Of Aberdeen,
/ Scotland, now an American citizen,
resident in New York, has fallen heir
to a generous slice of a large fortune
left by his father the late Prof John
Beaumont, president of the Aberdeen
high school, which descended from that
Francis Beaumont of Leicestershire,
poet and dramatist, who was literary
partner and inseparable companion of
John Fletcher. The heir living here has
been for years an humble orderly in
various municipal hospitals and is now
serving in that capacity on North
Brother island.
Until an advertisement naming Beau
mont as heir to a British estate was
printed in the columns of the Herald
yesterday he was unaware of the death
of his father and the interest which has
fallen to him. 1t is literally true that
the news produced sensation far more
profound among his friends and fellow
employees on the island than upon the
legatee. Although apprised of the name
and address of the solicitor who desires
to communicate with him. Beaumont
thought more of performing his duties
as an American citizen than of inquir-
ing into the particulars of his inher-
itance. He went to Highbridge and
registered and let the inheritance mat
ter go over for day.
Before noon a score of enterprising
lawyers had ferreted out the present
residence of Beaumont, and he had all
sorts of offers of legal assistance on
contingency and percentage. To all he
returned the same answer that he did
not desire any assistance whatever.
"I knew that some day 1 should in
herit considerable money" he said yes
terday, "for my father inherited an
estate from his uncle. I left home at
the age of II, indenturing in the mer-
chant marine in the Diamond K. line.
At the end of my first voyage we came
back with the ships crew down with
the scurvy At the end of one of my
voyages I found myself i'll in the
Marine hospital in San Francisco and
upon my recovery became an orderly
in one of the wards. That gave me
liking for the life. Later 1 shipped once
more upon the brigantine Kildonan and
with the crew was forced to take to
small boat hen the vessel sank. We
were picked up by the steamer Hell
vetia. This was in 1878. 1 became quar-
termaster upon the steamship Olympia
and finally settled down ashore in the
nursing business. COIlCluueu llldl St
man could not do more for his fellow
man than in alleviating his distress. l
have studied medicin-. and although
do not mend to practice shall go up
for my degree.
about three years ago my brother
Alfred, who was engineer on board the
steamship Anchoria, hunted me up. L
was then driving an ambulance for
Roosevelt hospital. He told me about
the folks at home and let me know of
fathers good fortune. I was glad, but
did not dream that 1 should some day
share in the fortune. You see, l seldom
wrote home. My five brothers and
three sisters remained at home most of
the time. Finally I got into the hos
pital at North Brother island, where
had the opportunity of studying con-
sumption and contagious diseases.
IT don't care anything about the
money, but shall accept it to do good
wit 1 presume that may broaden my
sphere of usefulness if I have an indie
pendent fortune, but I shall stay in hos
pital work until incapacitated by age
Mr.. Beaumont has no definite idea of
the size of his fortune, but believes
that his share represents large sum.