Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-02-27
Fortunate F00tman IS
Worth Half a Million
;pecial Correspondence Of The Star.

Special Correspondence Of The Star.
LONDON. February II, 1910
One of the favorite themes of the old
fashioned story writers was the poor
young man from the country who came
up to London and entering the service
Of some wealthy man, either married his
daughter or was adopted by him and in
herited his wealth.
Such case has just come before the
British courts, and, owing to the promi-
hence of some of the persons involved in
have been cabled to America. The story is
so interesting and romantic. however,
that it is worth telling In detail. 1t may
be called the romance of the fortunate
foOtman and the two old ladies'"
London woke up couple of avs ago
to read Lord Rosebery, once prime minis
ter of England; Lord Rothschild, the
worlds greatest financier: Arthur Cohen,
lawyers. and Arthur Lucas. who isn't any
one in particular. were bringing suit as
executors of the estates of the late Misses
Lucy and Anne Louisa Cohen, against
Frank Bradley, to compel him to account
for more than 100000, which. 1t was not
disputed, had been given to him during
their lives by the two old ladies. In fact,
ii was alleged that they had given him
nearly 100000 altogether, but only the
amounts about which there was no dis
pute were mentioned in the legal pro-
ceedings.
Now who is Frank Bradley and who
were the two very generous old ladies
who made him a present of such great
fortune? The Misses Cohen We're of the
very elect of English Jewry. They were
relatives by blood or marriage OF the
Rothschilds. the Montefiores, the Salo-
mons and all the other families whose
names spell great wealth to those who
are familiar with the financial world in
| this country. Their aunt married the
late Baron Meyer de Rothschild, the
father of the late Countess of Rosebery,
while her aunt had already married
Nathan Meyer de Rothschild, the grand
father of the present Lord Rothschild.
They were very wealthy In their own
right and when Miss Lucy Cohen died in
| 1906 she left $4,000 to the Hon Neil
| Primrose. Lord Rosebery's younger son;
$4,000 to Lord Dalmeny. his elder son,
and 100000 each to his daughters, Lady
Crewe and Lady Sybil Grant
| Frank Bradley began life in quite hum
| bic circumstances When he was seven
| teen years old he entered the service
of the Misses Cohen's mother an under
footman. The elder of the two ladies
was then about twenty-four and the
other a couple of years younger. This
was in 1870. Four years later he was
promoted to be valet to their uncle, John
Samuel, and a little later he became but
ler Mrs. Cohen died in 1879, but it was
| in 1885 that Bradley did the stroke of
business which was destined to make
| him rich man. He married the ladies'
maid who had had the two Misses Cohen
| in her charge since they were old enough
! to have maid and to whom they were
| devoted.
| Thereafter his rise in life was rapid.
| Friends Of the ladies who gave evidence
| in court said that soon after that ii was
| evident that they treated him as an
equal. He began to eat at the table with
/ them, and from butler he soon developed
| into their man of business and general
4 fn. tOfrt rtntr ,t,n -~sf. II.
| One of the first was a fine house in the
| country. AS his children were born they
| became their gOdmothers and they sent
| his daughters TO school in France, whore
they received the education of daughters
of the nobility. When the eldest Miss
! Bradley was married they gave her d
| trousseau. $4,000 in cash and loaned their
| country house for the honeymoon. Then
| there were many gifts in cash to Brad
ley. In 1891 they gave him $4,000 in
| three different sums. In 1892 they gave
him $4,000 and In 1897 they handed over
to him securities worth 100000. There
recorded was in October, 1902, when they
| gave him a check for $4,000 At this
| time ne was drawing salary from them
Of $500 year Bradley's own explana-
| ton was tnat they often expressed their
| gratitude to him for his management OF
| their affairs and promised to leave him a
| substantial sum In their will. He pointed
| out to them that he was nearly as old as
they were. and might not survive them.
| and suggested that they might as well
give him what they intended to leave
him while he was alive to enjoy it.
| At any rate. he got the money. and
/ when the suit was brought against him
he was described as of the Hall, Wivels-
| field, Sussex. Some Of the witnesses said
that he was now a county magnate, and
spoke Of his regular appearance In the
hunting field.
| The basis for the suit against him was
not any allegation of undue influence.
/ Every one agreed that the Misses Cohen
| were particularly shrewd and business
| like old ladies, and that they were not
likely to be unduly Influenced by any one.
| There Is very salutary provision in
the English law. however, which pro-
] hibits a person who acts in q confidential