The Washington herald., 1909-07-04
REVEALS QUEERPACT
Will Brings to LightStrange
Family History.
MEMBERS AGREE NOT TO WED
Arrange to Keep All Savings In
COmmOn-InevftabIe Break Comes,
but Trouble Ia Patched Up and a
Second Time DissensiOn Arises.
Court Orders Division of Savings.

New York. July 3.-In the Queens Coun-
" Surrogate's Court there was fled by
Attorney John T. Robinson. OF Elmhurst.
l. I. an application for the probate OF
the VIII Of Joseph Monaghan, and a re-
quest that the next OF kin be cited TO sp-
pear in court on July 1s, when the appH-
cation viii be heard. In connection with
the death OF Monaghan. which occurred
4 week ago, Is a curious history.
Half a century ago Patrick Monaghan.
stalwart son OF Erin. emigrsted to
America and settled In Lower New York
City he had been preceded by several
brothers. the descendants OF whom are
now In comfortable circumstances in this
city. Patrick when he came TO New
York brought along his wife and three
children. Patrick. jr.. John. and Alice
Afterward there were born 20 him
daughter and a son. Margaret and Joseph.
After living and working IN this country
for a decade the father died, his wife and
children surviving Patrick. the eldest
boy. was twenty. John was fourteen.
Alice was twelve. Margaret was ten. and
Joseph was eight AS the children gath
cred absgt the coffin OF their father they
entered into a compact always 10 live to-
gether. work for a common purpose. keep
their savings together. and never get
married. Patrick, the eldest. was made
the director of affairs. while Alice the
eldest sister was made the banker. To
her was turned over ali the family earn
ings and she in turn placed them In the
bank
Become Rag Pickers.
Twenty years ago the children and their
mother al true 20 the compact they had
made, moved 10 Maspeth. in the Newtown
section OF Queens County. They took up
the vocation OF rsgpleking. Every mem
Der Of the family worked and every one
became known as neighborhood charac-
tiers. Not alone did they pick rags. but
whenever there were odd Jobs 20 be done
about that section the people usually sent
word 10 the Monaghan house and Alice
saw 10 Il that some one was on hand 10
do the work. soon after the family moved
10 Maspeth the mother died and was
buried in the family plot the children had
bought and where the father had been
buried. L was not long after this that
the hrst break in the family pact was
made. Joseph getting married % a young
woman In that section.
But this marriage Of Joseph did not
turn out happily. A pretty little daughter
was born 20 Joseph. but he persisted in
turning over his savings 10 his sister
Alice. and so after a time his wife took
her infant daughter and departed for
other parts. Joseph then returned 20 the
family home.
The result Of the lab0rs OF the family
and the careful management OF their saw
lngs BY Alice was such that the family
fortune grew 10 considerable proportions.
II was invested largely IN real estate and
In loans which Alice placed on FIRST mort
gage. With the Increase in value OF prop-
erty in Queens the family fortune IN
creased.
Family Break Occurs.
This condition. continued until two years
ago. when there was a family break and
then appeal was made TO the courts. In
der the direction OF the court the prop
erty was divided, each person getting a
share. The result OF this quarrel was too
much for Margaret and she died soon
after getting her share OF the property.
Her viii gave It all back to the surviving
members OF the family. In recent wears
the lot OF Joseph has not been happy. He
took 20 drink and when he got his pron-
erty he began 70 dispose Of II. How much
Of It is left is not as yet known. He was
a contractor IN small way He took ND
his abode In one OF the stables he owned
and lived IN a stall surrounded bv his
horses II was IN this stall that he died
about week ago.
According 70 the wish OF Joseph. he was
buried from this stall. and there az the
time OF his funeral occurred the last and
most pathetic chapter OF the family his
tory Some Of the workmen employed bv
Joseph were in charge OF the funeral. The
coffin stood on supports placed IN the stall.
and on either side OF the stall were
horses. Patrick, now sixty years old.
feeble and blind. ras the first of the fam
lily TO get 10 the services He took q seat
at the head OF the coffin and burying his
head in hts hands ne gave way 10 silent
grief
Family Reunion at Coffin.
There was a large attendance from the
surrounding neighborhOod Quite every
body in the neighborhOOd knew Joseph.
and it had been reported there was 10 be
a family reunion over the coffin. Alice,
lis sister. who had spent her life IN work
ing for the whole family, came In next
Throwing her arms around the neck OF
her blind brother. Patrick. as he sat in
the stall, she begged him 10 forget their
differences. John. the second eldest broth
er. came IN while Patrick and Alice were
each other. He Joined them,
and then and there the old family COM
pact was renewed
But quite as much interested were the
wife and daughter OF Joseph, who had re-
turned 10 attend the burial OF husband
and father. Her daughter is a young