The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-04
A Burlington Man Has Proved Himself
to Be the Heir to the Small
Fortune Left BY Ohio
Man.
HE SAW IT IN A PAPER
Got All Excited and Went to the Office
Of the Gazette to Tell Them
All About il and His
Happiness.

Recently The Gate City published an
article telling of small fortune he
tween six and ten thousand dollars
state left by William Patrick O,Hara
OF Cincinnati, Ohio, and the attorneys
OF the deceased man had sent notices
10 the dinerent papers in this state to
Try to locate the heir or heirs of the
man, so that the estate might be set
tied.
burlington can lay claim to finding
the missing heir who is now no doubt
one of the happiest men in the coun-
try George w. Oldham Of that city,
who has been laborer on the streets
or Burlington for number of years
and now finds himself the heir to a
sum that he never realized ne would
be abe to save in his whole life.
In telling If the finding of the heir
to the money, the Burlington Gazette
OF last evening has to say:
Geo. w. Oldham of No. 1889 Lynn
street is ready and willing to testify
that the ten cents week he has been
paying out for the Evening Gazette
for several years past is the best In
vestment Of his life. Through its
columns last evening Mr.. Oldham dis.
covered that he and his sister, Mrs
Ella Woods Of this city, are heirs to
fortune left by their uncle, VIM
Patrick O'Hara. whom they had never
seen. The uncle was their mothers
brother. but they became estranged
years ago and the breach was never
healed
Mr.. O'Hara passed away on July 2;
at Camp Dennison, suburb Of Gin
cinnati. His attorneys at once com
menced their endeavors to locate The
heirs. They wrote to the authoritie:
OF different cities in Iowa and tn,
Gazette last evening published thei
letter, which caught the eye of MI
Oldham. He leaves for Cincinnati
this evening to interview the attorney
for his uncle. He says he will have
no trouble in proving his identity.
Oldham, who is man of about a
years of age, has resided in this cit,
for the past twenty-five years. He ha
long been one of the faithful employee
of the city. His sister, Mrs. ELL
woods, lives in Hibernia and her hus
band is a fireman at the Derby mills
Glowing with gratitude, Oldham
called at the Gazette Office this morn
ing to break the news of his goo
fortune. He is an intelligent, modes
man and while duly elated, was pei
fectly composed and sensible in telnn
his story.
Story Romantic.
II have never seen my uncle, WI
liam Patrick O'Hara," said Oldham
"but l had often heard my mothe
speak of him and his eccentricitie'
| He was her brother and in their earl
married life. she and my father live
with him. He was a queer sort of
man, hard to get along with an
cranky in the extreme. Finally col
ditions became so unbearable that m
t parents had big row with my unc
} and he drove them forth from h
house and said he never wanted
: see them again. My mother never 81
t her eyes on him from that day an
!. they exchanged no letters. She tol
us children many times about hi
4 and / believe / always had curiosi'
to see him but did not know whetht
0 he was living or dead. My motht
4 and father are both dead. Fath'
died first and mother lived for viii
n In Ohio, Indiana, and Colorado, ar
finally moved back to Indiana, whel
she died some nine years ago.
81 have been living in Burlingte
Y for twenty-five years and working f
= the city. Yesterday was hot, ha'
9 day, and when I came home was
: most tuckered out. After eating n
r supper, 7 sought cool place and S
It down to read the Gazette as Is Il
custom every evening. scanned Z
= headlines of the story about my une
and the information therein contain
made me sit up and take notice.
must say l became somewhat excit
and read the letter from the attorne
of my uncle through about three tim
to make sure that was not dreamiI
I called my wife and she assured
j that the story was there in cold tyl
Il 81 intend to leave for Cincinn
this evening, as I believe that
4 uncles estate is considerably lare
than first reported of between six a
y ten thousand dollars. | will have
II trouble In proving my identity ant
n think I can handle the matter mt
= satisfactorily and more expedition
hv going to Cincinnati in person.
resigned by job with the city on
j. spot and have turned in my pick q
x shovel. They have been good frier
TO me but I hope / may never ne
< to take them up again.
The Attorneys Letter.