The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-30
can't get the money on account Of q quirk
in the Montana law.

can't get the money on account Of q quirk
in the Montana law
1Pomeroy was another s~trongheaded
man. as many Of the actors in these queer
dramas seem 10 have been. He was a
prosperous business man of Joplin. back
twenty years ago. married and had one
son.
He apparently got tired Of his wife. for
one day he UP and left her and the boy n
ali they ever heard of him was a letter re-
ceived a week later from San Francisco.
1t told them never TO expect TO see him again
not TO return and would change his nane
and his identity so as TO battle all attempts
to find him. Later he had messages sent
from the islands that he had died.
stead. He changed his first name. but
that was all.
'His familiarity with mining methods
gained in Joplin made him a valuable mar
In the Montana town. Before he died he
became one OF the wealthy men OF the
place, the grand master Of the Masonic
order for the State.
His first wife died Of a broken heart.
He married again and his second wife di-
vorced him. When he died. leaving a
we're able to trace the son through the
evidence brought out in the divorce pro-
ceedings.
we went back to Joplin, found the son
and started proceedings TO get the money,
which had been turned over to the State.
1t will be necessary for the Legislature to
pass a special bill 10 enable the son to come
into his own.
There is a touch Of human weakness
and passion too in the story Of the S25. 900
that is awaiting the grandchildren Of Peter
Knell. the sexton Of the First German Re-
formed Church which used TO be situated
at Delaney and Sheriff streets in the first
quarter Of the century
Peter was a blacksmith and a pleasant.
handsome, attractive man. Rhoda White
head, daughter of one Of the old merchants
Of New York, fell in love with him at first
sight; They stole away one day and were
married.
AThe Whiteheads were enraged at the
match and cut the girl dead. When Rhoda's
rich father died she was disinherited. But
his son, to whom all the Whitehead wealth
descended, became very regretful in his
latter days that he had acquiesced in his
sisters disinheritance,
"She was dead then and left grandchildren
growing up. On his deathbed he made a
will leaving a good share Of his fortune in
partial restitution to the grandchildren OF
Peter and Rhoda Whitehead Knell.
Then came the search. We found that
the pair had at least two children. One,
Christina, had married a DR. Lawrence and
| there had been no children from that union:
The other, George, had married too and had
seven children. -.
After living in New York for several
years the family had moved to some place
on Long Island. we understand. Where
we nave not been able to discover. They
are the only grandchildren 80 far as we
know, and there you have it-these seven
people living in some Long Island village
probably hard up and we eager to find them
and give them the money, but just unable
to go a single step further in our search.
Another case of mysterious disappear
ance is that Of a pretty Alsatian widow
named Fanny Celier.. She came here fol-
lowing the death o. her husband in 1850
'She taught German and French in Wells
College for a year and then disappeared.
A legacy Of $4,000 awaits her or her heirs II
they ever turn up, but we have little hope
Of this happening.
There are some queer cases Of property
practically ownerless in the best business
and residence parts Of New York. This
arises from the same freak that Is doubtless
at the bottom Of many OF the lost heir
mysteries.
| aphasia or Just took 1t into their heads to
disappear. The fact remains that these
properties are practically ownerless through
these disappearances.
people who collected the rents as agents
or others who learned OF the disappearance
Of the owner have succeeded in collecting
the rents ever since, and are in many
cases pocketing them and posing az the
| real owners. oh, I know OF several cases
OF this sort. Some Of these properties are
| situated next to skyscrapers.
sAs sites for high, modern buildings they
are very valuable, but they are covered
with r~amshackle edihces which pay a low
but steady rent to the pseudo owners.
sThe latter can't afford TO take the risk
OF putting money into improving the prop
erty for fear the real owner may turn up
sorne day and turn them out. So they re-
main satisfied with the low rent and let the
property remain an eyesore TO the neigh
borhood.
Another interesting phase Of tied up
lepacies and lost heirs and all that business
lie the numerous fakes and frauds that are
put up. Schemes are constantly being de-
vsed TO get possession Of property In this
State