Omaha daily bee., 1909-11-19
WAIF HEIR TO MILLION
Iowa Man, Formerly Founding, is
Relative Of Mrs. Ida F1agler.
WILL SHARE IN HER PROPERTY
R~elationship Established After Long
Inv~estiEatiOn and Acknowledged
By Former wife of OIL
MaRnate.

ROCKFORD, Ia, Nov. 1S.-CSpecial)-To
be brought to Iowa from New York City
a homeless, parentless waif, and to return
to New York City thirty years later as
one Of three heirs to an estate valued az
100000, is the peculiar and fortunate
turn the affairs Of William w. Taylor. of
near here, has taken in a little more
than a quarter Of a century.
Thirty years ago Taylor was ~penniiess.
homeless and friendless; today he is the
legal heir to one-third Of the estate of
Mrs. Ida Flagler, the ex-wife of Henry
M. Flagler, former Standard OIL magnate,
railroad owner and ,bullder of the Florida
East Coast railway. Mrs. Flagler died
last Saturday in New York city.
Thirty years ago William w. Taylor,
with a carload Of other equally penniless
children, was brought from New York
City by a founding society to nofthern
Iowa He was then II years Of age, and
he found a home with a big-hearted
farmer living near here. On the farm he
was reared, until he reached manhood,
then he learned the harness makers trade
in Mason City, he was frugal Of his
earnings and by savings he got together
enough to enter the business for himself.
But all his frtogality and carefulness in
80 Ahb oAa oAAANo AlAAHnA huN nave NhllCO
Taylor anything insofar as the fortune is
concerned, had 1t not been for the girl
he married. She was Nora Shanks. the
daughter of a prosperous Portland town
ship farmer, and with a woman's curiosity
she became determined to find out the
facts regarding her husbands parentage.
Relationship Is Established.
The investigation she instituted resulted
after NnnTC nf SEARCH a, AnrttNWn1v -N,L
fishing the fact that her husband was a
nephew of Mrs. Flagler. This was con-
clusively proven six years ago. and ever
since then Mr.. Taylor has received an
annuity Of 5000. The other two. heirs are
brothers Of AR. Taylor. They were also
waits and were brought with their brother
to low and given homes.
Mrs. Flagier was a young weman Of
Philadelphia when she married Henry M.
Flagler in 1888. Several years afterwards
she lost her reason. At that time the
Flaglers were living in Florida, and in
1901 the Florida Legislature passed a bill
which made incurable insanity Of four
years duration legal cause for divorce.
len lays following the passage Of the
Dill F1agler filed a petition for divorce.
which was granted two months afterwards.
In a short time he married Miss Lillian
KEENAN,, but when he procured his divorce
ne settled upon the first Mrs. Flagler a
fortune of $4,000, 900.
For many years Mrs. Ida Flagler had
been constantly attended by DR.. Darlos II
Macdonald, who had been her custodian
Her nephew, Mr.. Taylor, visited her at
many different times, after their rels-
tionship was established, and at times. he
mas said, he found her rational.
Mrs. Flagler was seriously injured IN an
automobile accident, which resulted a few
days later in her death,
Mr.. Taylor and wife are now in Spokane
wash, where they are spending the win
ter. They plan to return to lowe In the
spring.