The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-21
United States Minister at The
Hague Exposes It as
Fraud.
HOPES OF HUNDREDS
MUST COME TO NAUGHT
Estate, if There Ever Was Any.
Was Forfeited Long
Ago.

No less than five presumptive Mime
apoiis heirs to the great Metzger for
tune in Holland are due to> experience
more or less severe disappointment over
the announcement that the whole thing
is only another European estateo
fraud. This particular estate was sup
posed to be that of the Baron Theobofd
Metzger, which had been held by the
government of Holland for over 100
years, and with compounded interest
had grown to many millions of dollars.
David Jayne Hill, former assistant
secretary Of state, and now minister at
The Hague, has been asked about the
estate and writes that the number of
communications received at The Hague
from various parts of the United States
has multiplied within the past few
months, and therefore the matter is
again brought to the attention of the
department..
In speaking of this trading upon the
credulity Of unsuspecting persons, Mr..
Hill SAYS:
Estates Disposed of.
The law provides for the final dis
posal OF all estates that were in the
! hands Of the commission beginning
with the date of its establishment with
IN tive years and some months after
1882, when the law went into effect.
From this it is evident that all such
ancient estates, even if they had ever
existed, would now under the present
law have irrevocably escheated to the
state; It may not, however, be amiss
to add that so far investigation has
shown that these estates never did exist
except in imagination.
: A recent letter from Gresham, Ore,
written by G. w. Metzger, secretary
OF the Oregon Society United Descend
ants Of Baron Theobald Metzger Won
| Weibnom, shows that in that state an
organization of the supposed heirs has
been formed for the joint prosecution of
their claims. The writer asks, on be-
| half Of his society and several others
cation would consider any proposition
relative to investigation Of the CASE
Similar letters are being constantly
! received from Colorado, PENNSYLVANIA.
Illinois and other states. The value of
the property is stated variously to be
some 2S,o00,000 to $780, 100000.
A clipping from the Gazette, of
closed, describes meeting of seventy
five heirs in that place under the lead
ership of Attorney W. E. Bradley and
Mrs. Mary V. Mcdonald both of Phil
adelphia. This article also states that
each individual was allowed to con-
tribute what he thought proper toward
the prosecution of his claim. AS this
matter has assumed such large proper
lions, it seems reasonable to suppose
that large number of unsuspeeting
people are contributing money to an en-
terprise in which there is absolutely no
hope of return.
, But One Of Many.
with regard to imaginary estates In
Holland, it may be added that as early
as 1878 the United States minister at
The Hague made a report in which the
fraudulent character of the publications
parties in the United States was fully
set forth. The Holland estates include
the following: The 'Anneke- JAMS, the
, tCronkheit,' or 'Cronckheit,' the Van
Cot,' the Van Dussen,' the tWebber,
the Brandt and the EMetzger.' which
are supposed to represent millions of
money! but which actually represent
nothing. AS stated in report of Ed
| ward Downes, consul at Amsterdam
dated March "a, 1896:
) These estates do not exist; they
; are myths, will-o 'the-wisps, fakes
The "Bank of Holland" in which the
Hunclaimed millions are alleged to be
, deposited, does not exist Careful in
vestigation induces the belief that these
estates originated in the brain of some
rasca1ly speculator or spectators, who
imposing on human credulity, found
many victims and feeced them most
proftably.
!" If these estates ever had a bona
fde existence, then they came clearly
within the purview Of the statute OF
limitations passed by the Dutch parlia
ment in 1852, by which all unclaimed in
heritances irrevocably escheated after Q
lapse Of five years to the state. Every
: dollar spent in reference to these co
: tates is so much money wasted. -