The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-10-16
Kansas Estate Consisting of Cash
and Land Unclaimed.
Jimpsey Davis Dies Mystsriously
in AtchisOn Asylum.
COMES HOME INSANE
Pleasure Trip to Kansas CityT0O
Much for Ranchman.
Often Expressed IntimatiOn He
Night Wed Negro.

Marion, Kan. Oct 16.-In Marion
county, a fortune of $4,000 is waiting
Tor a claimant One year has gone by
and no relatives of James Davis, Of
Peabody, who was killed by a fall Oc-
tober 30, 1910, have appeared Some
where on the other side of the ocean 1t
is believed that heirs exist, and that
they are probably in moderate circur.-
stances, and would be delighted to fail
into a fortune of $4,000 But the Gus
tomary efforts to find them have failed.
In another two years, if no claimant
appears, the money will go to the state
OF Kansas under the operation of the
law Considerable mystery surrounds
both the death of Davis and the non
appearance of the heirs
Jmpsey' Davis, as he was common
II called after a pleasure trip to kan
sas City suddenly appeared in the Vi
cinfty of his property in East Branch
township, Marion county, northwest of
Peabody, acting in an odd manner. He
was adJudged insane and confined in a
private institution at Atchison- He
had been there but q few days Whett
information was given out to the eff
feet that while out with a guard he
attempted escape and was killed III
falling and a funeral and burial was
held at Peabody.
In the Bank $4,000
The estate consists of 400 acres Of
rich Marion county land valued at 500
per acre and $4,000 cash on deposit in
a. Peabody bank, inherited by Jimpsey'
man, who died a natural death six
years ago.
Since "Jimpsey," who was 40 years
old at his death, was Is years old the
father and son had lived an eccentric,
recluse life on the farm, allowing the
presence of no woman on the farm
and working hard and following a
frugal existence. He had but one semi
conhdant in the person of Hamilton
Lowman, an invalid. To the latter he
said that he would like to marry. but
anyone who would marry him would
not do so from motives of love, but
to gain his property. He told Lowman
that the only woman he would marry
with a feeling of security who was not
after his money was a negro girl of
good family and good reputation. He |
gardless Of color, this girl would make |
an Industrious man good WIFE
Lives With Black Family.
A negro family named Bush were
tenants on the Davis farm and for |
weeks at a time Jimpsey made his
home with them. Mrs. Bush is Of the |
old southern type. and naturally she |
took an interest in Jimpsey. keeping |
his buttons sewed on and his clothes
repaired. No woman had ever taken |
Ell interest in Jir1psey before and nat |
urally he wanted to confide il them. |
The Bush family knew ''Jinpsey" Dav- |
is probably better than anyone IT. the |
world. The senior Davis had often |
mentioned the existence of a sister, who I
came to this country and married N |
what was then Washington territory,
and of a son. a. half-brother of "Jimp-
sey," who went from England to Aus
tralia- The elder Davis, who was 80 |
years old when he died. had kept up
no Communication with either and trace
of them had been lost. The admins
traitor and the county officials have |
done what the law requires to locate
an heir and because none has been
found some people think there is n
heir in existence. But to people who II
have made a study Of the matter it
seems exceeding strange that a lineage Il
would become extinct in the death of Il
James Davis and his son ''Jimpsey "
They believe that there are heirs in
existence and that newspaper publicity
will bring them to light
Denied He Had Relatives.
The Bush family, intelligent. honest
believe so. Mrs. Bush said that when
ever the sister of the elder Davis or
the son who went to Australia were
mentioned 'Jimpsey'' would deny that
they ever existed. This was subse-
Quent to "Jimr seys visit to England
Previous to that time Jimpsey always
tried to change the subject and always
marrying Mrs. Bush's theory is that
while in England 'Jimpsey'' learned of
the existence of the relatives and
feared that they could take a part of
the property away from him.
Others are Of the same opinion. They
ants somewhere on the other side of
the ocean
James Davis, Sr, came TO Marion
county Kan, from Cardiff, Wales, in
1874, a stonemason-