The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1906-03-02
LIVED ALONE
In a Hut With a Big Fortune
Near Her.
MISERLY OLD WOMAN

cover from Her the Money
Owed by Her Dead
Uncle.
The proceedings which have been
instituted bsfore the judge of probate
of Riohland County In Columbia hold
ing up deposib of $50 900 in the Ma
tional Loan and Eichange bank by
Mrs. Sallic A. Gibson until tho result
can be determined Of efr)rts made to
reOoive an old Judgment for eco, 600
secured against Mra. Gibson's uncle,
old Squire" Levi Metz, will reveal a
| picturesque story Of an old woman
worth perhaps 81OO, 900 living in a
tumble-down old house In an alley
alone for years with fortune In cash
In an old greasy grip sack. The story
as told the Augusta Chronicle by w.
ID. McCow, reads like fiction. Here Ii
Is:
One Of the most disastrous bank
failure this state has known was that
Of the old Commercial bank here
aboub Is years ago. This was organ
Ted by O. j Iredell, now living In
Virginia. and associates, who are now
prominent In Columbia business and
social orioles, upon the wreck of the
banking firm OF Metz and Iredell. The
debts Of the Metz and Iredell concern
we're paid out Of the new bank, which
held Dumber Of worthless claims
besides notes signed by Iredell as man.
ager OF the old flrm. Suit was brought
against Metz as the only financially
] responsible member OF the firm, and
Judgment was obtained against him
for 100000.
Metz, a thrifty Jew from the Dutch
loIK section CT Lexington county
across The Congaree river from this
county, at the time owned perhaps
d. zen plantations in this and Lex
lngton and Newberry counties. When
ne was taken up In supplementary
proceeding, there was practically no
property In sight to pay tho judg mont
though his lawyers got fat fees. SFI.
! " rho dpc,ne ii 1T Ess con-.
1p0uus %, 900.
About q year ago Metz died and
his niece, who had lived alone with
b1m IN the alley where she now lives,
brought in this will drawn ten years
ago by Attorney Andrew Crawford
and had 1t probated paying the fees
In n!ckleS and dimes:
First, give, devise and bra leath
to my niece, Sallle A. Gibson, all OF
nay estate OF any nature or kind what.
sUevef and wherever the same may
be, whether it consist Of realty or
personality or chooses In ecti3n, or
claims which now may be dormant
but which later may be developed
against the Commercial bank of 90 :
jumbia or other corporations or per
sons, or persons against whom NAV
have claims or demands.
And, secondly, l nominate, consta.
tute and appoint my said niece, Sallie
a. Gib on, executor of ny will with
| full powers hereby vested ln her to
aettle, compromise or liquidate any
ard all demands which have against
others or which others have against
| me.
In testimony whereof / have here-
under written my name and anlxed
my seal at Columbia, In said state.
the 10th day OF December, 1897.
LEVI METZ "
The will is Witnessed by Judge
Crawl ord, John A. Civil and Judge
Duncan O. Ray.
About Six months ago, Mrs. Glib
aon, on the advice Of her attorney, de.
posted In the National L Dan and Ex.
change bank over e1O, 900 In cash,
gold and silver.
a few weeks age city salesman
called on her to sell her some sup.
plies for new frame houso she was
building.
You look like young man could
trus6 with Geore6," she said to him
In oonfldeD tial mood, afber finding
out that he was single man. II viii
show Jou something that looks good
to poor man"
She dragged out that old grip sack
and poured the contents out on the
bed In front Of his startled gsz,.
lie helped her count 1T. There was
S38, 600 OF all In bank notes, In do.
nominations up to $500.
TAe young man then dutlfully set
ABOUT to persuade her to deposit 1t
In bank. He told her how she might
be murdered and robbed and how safe
ana reliable the bank was. She had
had what she considered bitter OK.
perlence with banks and was at first
opposed to changing the hiding place
or the treasure. Finally, after sew
oral days visiting her and talking to
her the young man induced her to
pub the money In bank. Then thc
story OF the big deposit got out from
the bank; and the lawyers got busy.
Mrs. Gibson has lived In very try.
Ing atmosphere foi many years, and
being naturally Of a nervous temper.
ameub. this suit over her money win
probably completely derange her.
When / carried that money 10 tho
bank" she said 10 me, "one OF thoso
bank men tried to nip out a. $500 bin
with one OF those X rays. He pot
ono bill and ran bohind those b .rs ba
fore l could catch him. People used
to always ba after nay money at home
reaching through the ceiling after It
with those X rays
Mrs. Gioson protests that this ia
ali her own money; that she had
money and property before she came
to Il 20 with her uncle.
She does not hol1 Mr.. Iredell In
tendor memory. She rails aeainst
him and his associateB, claiming thas
they have dono her uncle out OF a
fortune of s200,000. A year ago she