The Washington herald., 1909-02-14


the Springer heirs. who have been threat
ening for some time 10 take possession OF
SSo0oo.oeo worth Of property in the very
heart Of the town
As the assessed valuation OF Whining
ten IS only about Sso,000,OO0, It VIII be
seen that II the Springers were TO carry
away their share there would not be a
great deal left So the officials have is
sued a pamphlet saying that the Spring
er fortune IS a cock-and-bull story. a
myth, says the Philadelphia North
American.
The Springer fortune, like the seven
teen-year-old locust, only comes to the
surface with each generation. n this
respect il differs from other fortunes.
such as the Anneke JAMS Bogardus. the
new Harlem. the Sir Francis Drake and
the Capt Kid, which spread hope and
optimism az all times.
Just how the Springer claim started is
not definitely known. Some persons back
IN the middle Of the last century talked
about It and said that they had been told
about Il by their fathers and grand
fathers Il was first brought into almost
national interest In January. 1873. when a
meeting Of what was called the Springer
Heirs Association was held IN St. Louis.
Sold Into Slavery.
There the claim was set forth that over
half OF the town Of Wilmington vas q
part Of The Springer estate The Springer
from whom the claim was derived was
Charles Christopher. a son. It was assert
ed. OF Baron Charles Christopher Spring
CT, Of Stockholm.
Charles Christopher. according 10 the
story told, was seventh son, A wonder
fully fortunate number for a child. He
vas sent 70 LOnden 10 be educated. but
was kidnapped and carried away 70 this
country, where he was sold into slavery
10 a tobacco planter OF Virginia At the
termination Of this slavery he went 10
Delaware, where Swedes had settled. and
bought 1870 acres Of land.
He leased SO acres 10 the Old Swedes'
Church, and upon this land was built the
greater part OF Wilmington. The lease.
Il vas stated. had been taken from the
records. but was IN the possession OF GER
tain Of the heirs. who would produce II
when required
Another meeting was arranged 10 be
held at Providence IN April, 1881, when il
was announced by those who appeared
10 be engineering the claim that the lost
X
was invited 70 contribute TO the expense
fund and threatened with disinheritance
Il he did not
Blaine Thought II Great Joke.
Representative William n. Springer. Of
Illinois. who attended the St. Louis meet
ing, used always to smile whenever the
Springer fortune was mentioned, and
James G. Blaine. who through some re-
lationship IN Maine had been drawn into
the case IN q minor way, always consid-
cred il a great joke.
Contributions did not roll IN as rapidly
as had been hoped. and after the Provi-
dence meeting the matter was dropped,
for that generation Of heirs at least.
Something over a year ago letters be-
gan 10 drift into Wilmington addressed
70 the mayor or the postmaster and ask
ing about the almost forgotten claim
They were all cheerfully answered with
The hope that each one would be the last.
But instead OF stopping they increased IN
number, and then manifold copies OF a
statement that the fortune was a myth
were sent out
And stiU the letters OF inquiry poured
in Then Wilmington read Of people all
over the country who were about 20 in
herit a part Of the town. Strange men
walked around the streets with a sort Of
pTOFrietorial air and strange attorneys
spend hours examining records and grave
stones and asking all sorts Of questions
Big Crop Of Springer Heirs.
Societies OF associations. called Springer
Heirs Association, were formed all over
the country New York State. especially
out about Rochester and Syracuse
brought forward quite a crop OF heirs.
One man IN Syracuse pretended 10 have
the mysterious document that would set
lie the whole matter in favor OF the
heirs.
A meeting that was supposed 10 repre-
sent all the Sprfngers II Ohio was
scheduled for Cleveland last fall and
there the preliminaries for taking over
the vast properties were 10 be finally
arranged Denver had its association. /
and it was said that two Of the members
were John Brisben Walker and John W.
Springer. Tacoma was the headquarters
in the Northwest, and Los Angeles had q I
particularly active society in the South /
west
The value Of the inheritance varied /
greatly according TO the distance from
Wilmington. There are living at VII {
ningt0n number of descendants OF
Charles Christopher Springer-for II can |
be said that there was such a man. the /
one hard fact in the whole story-and I
they did not put the least value upon the /
estate
Values Higher in Western MINDS. 1
The Ss0ed0,o00 estimate was adopted AZ
Rochester and IN Ohio. Il was N2o. 200 !
in Denver. while on the Pacific coast the /
figures were raised TO an even 500. .a80. 90 I
It should be said. however. that in the /
far West there was added to the Della 4
ware estate a castle IN Sweden. seven 4
farms near Stockholm and q big batch
Of Swedish government bonds and bank
notes
Just how many heirs there were no one
knew. but Wilmington. judging from the
number Of inquiries. thinks that If each /
received a dollar, the eighty million \
would about 20 around.
Last September a delegation that in
cluded representatives from many East
ern States and California and Washing
ton visited Wilmington. and after making
an investigation. reported We have
made q thorough search Of the records al
the courthouse and also Of the church
records. and find that Il would be useless
10 attempt 90 recover anything, and We
shall so report TO the heirs, wherever
they may be"
Wilmington thought that certainly this
would end the matter, but it didn't Rec
ords Of sales OF claims began 20 arrive
10 be fled at the Office Of the recorder Of
deeds. The price received for these claims
varied strangely. One man in Minnesota
sold q quarter OF his interest for 800 the
same amount was received by sn Illinois
man for a half interest, and an Ohio man
parted with half OF his interest for SO.
Buying Up Interests Of Heirs.
A Texan, who said he was not an heir,
offered to let the register OF wills in on