Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-04-03
VAST SUMS WAIT FOR
CLAIMANTS IN
ENGLAND
of Money Held by the
Government Awaiting Right
full OWNERSHIP Causes and
Disposition,

Gondon Globe.)
When, in the year 1870, the temp
oral dominions of the Roman Catho-
lie church were lost to the papacy, an
annual subsidy Of 100000 was Of
fercd as compensation by the Italian
government. This sum Pope Plus TX.
refused. The Italian government stin
sets aside the money yearly from its
revenues. and 1t acCumulatcs for i've
years, after which it lapses into the
treasury. So, at the m of five years,
the reigning pope could, if he pleased,
lain and receive a sum OF $1,000 900.
Huge as this sum is, it is small COM
pared with the immense accumula-
lions Of unclaimed none in the
hands OF the British and other gov
crnments. 50 long ago as 1929 the
commissioners Of the Bank of Eng
land and of the national debt had
$215,00 worth of unclaimed stock
and dividends in their hands. and this
has now grown to over $25,OOO, OoV.
Even in the postofice savings BANK
there are thousands Of dormant ac-
counts, which represent a total OF
something exceeding 100000. There
is also a large amount of money III
chancerY. A parliamentary paper
shows nearly $40. 900 600 worth of un.
appropriated %chanccry funds. But a
word of warning to Would-be claim
ants would not be out of place. The
sums in chancerY are mostly small
and the difficulty in the way of claim
ants is well nigh %insuperable. 1t is at
best a very costly business to prove
ones self next Of kin TO some per
son who died two three generations
back.
Chelsea hospital benefits by all un-
claimed prize money, and this during
the past century has enriched the hoT-
pital TO the surprising extent of over
$40, GOO, 600 sterling. There is at pres-
cnt about $|t.25O,000 of unclaimed
money awaiting claimants.
If you notice the paragraphs which
appear from time to time in the news
papers regarding claimants for or re-
cipicnts of unclaimed fortunes, You
will see tina i'm fOur cases out of i've
the money has been left by some rel
ative who has emigrated to the states
lor colonies. There was the celebrated
ease Of the O'Rorke fortune. Which
is said to have amounted to $4,000
600 and was made by an lrishman
who emigrated to Chicago. For over
thirty years his money remained un,
claimed. At last the heir was tound
10 be a Belfast t~ishmonger.
About the year 1890 "a man named
Morris. owner of q great sheep range
in New South Wales, died interstate. 1t
was not known whether he had any
relatives at all. Years passed, ana
quite by accident his heir was founo
to be a young ScdmaH on the /. ana
O. steamer China.
Nine. Nordica. the celebrated prima
donna, was the central figure IN q
curious little romance OF unclaimed
money. In the early seventies a reIa-
tive died and left $4,000 between
herself and her brother. Untortun-
nately. the singer had no idea where
her brother was. She was not even
aware whether he was alive or dead.
BY the terms of the vii! neithet
heir could take their share without
the other doing so at the same tllne.
Advertisement and detectives ldllrd
to discover the missing man, n the
lay idle for years until at last,
i'm Broadway, New York, Nine. Nor,
dica herself, by pure chance con-
fronted her long lost brother.
Sometimes the terms of a Will make
It difficult If not impossible for the
lcgatee to claim a beguet. About a
ago Syton Williams, Of Chester,
left 100000 apiece TO the University
College of Wales and the North Wales
university college at Bangor.
a religious test was imposed.
whereby every winner Of the %scolar-
ships under this bcquest must accept
he principles of the protestant
church. The result of this stipula-
ion has been that, IN to latest ac-
counts. neither institution has claimed
It's $50. 900. and the money is still GO
ng begging.
The Austrian government still holds
n trust for "A possible claimant a for
Of nearly $450,00O and probably
fortunes have ever been so
,trangcly made, the whole of this
sum being the proceeds of beg
ying.
Its owner was Simon Oppasich, who
born in 1888. q cripple without
or feet. He became a profess
.ional beggar, and before he was
.orty years old had saved $4,000. He
got into trouble and was sem
cnccd 10 imprisonment, but the
money was managed for him by q
now dead. and SO wei! in
tested that when Oppasich came out
" prison six year later. it had grown
SIPS. 600. Oppasict again took IN
lis begging career. % when he fen
lead in "a Trieste street n hot day
was found hat his fortune was
$4,000. The beggar left no viii
nd apparently had no relations. Up
late years the none still remained
Unclaimed. and. we believe. is still
Without am n