The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1911-03-03
Round About
New DIRK

New York, Feb 26.--A will signed
only with an Y, because its author
was unable to read or write has Just
been probated at Mineola, l.. l.. and
disposes OF an estate valued at near.
ly million dollars accumulated by
the late John Lahey
Lahey came to America in 1866
and obtained employment in Brook.
lyn, working as common laborer at
"A dollar day. He saved every cent
possible and invested in New York
real estate Despite his illiteracy. he
possessed shrewd judgment of land
value and his investments RAPIDLY In.
creased in value. He often declared
that he did business only with honest
people, and that it made no difference
whether he had education or not.
The estate rs divided among his nine
children.
The trial of Joseph Robin the In.
dicted bank wreCker, has been set
for next Monday, but 1t is hardly like.
ly to proceed. Former District At.
torney jerome, who is Robins Coun.
sell quite evidently intends to make
insanity the chief basis of the defense.
Justice Seabury intimated that at the
time set for trial he would consider
motions bearing on the defendants
mental condition. Although the bank
wrecker has recently exhibited signs
indicative of brainstorm, the deposit.
ors who had money in his bank be-
lieve that he is "crazy like a fox"
George J. Goulds retirement from
the presidency of the Missouri Pacific
next month probably means that the
scheme for Gould road from the
Atlantic to the Pacific, a dream cher.
ished by the financer for many years,
Will never be realized. At the same
time, it is likely that the plan will be
carried to completion by other inter
ests. In the furtherance of his dream
of an ocean.to.ocean line, Gould built
the Western Pacific from Ogden,
Utah, to San Francisco. The Denver
Il Rio Grande from Denver to Og-
den, and the Missouri Pacific from st.
Louis to Denver we're the other links
in the chain. At the same time Mr..
Gould attempted to move eastward by
means of the Wabash and the West
ern Maryland, the latter designed to
be the final link in the transcontinent-
al chain. Then antagonistic interests
in the Wabash baked his attempt to
use that property, the Western Mary
land went into the hands of receiver,
and, finally, Mr.. Gould is to lose su.
premacy in the Missouri Pacific.
Few of the fortunes acquired by the
great tinanciers and captains of indus
try of the latter half of the last cen
fury are now intact. The Gould for
tune has grown, but is now divided
among the children and the grand.
children of Jay Gould, and nearly all
of the great interests he built up have
passed from the control of his de-
scendants. The William H. Wander
bilt fortune of approximately $780,
600, 600 has also suffered the dividing
up" process until the name of Van
world of big business" The Harri-
man fortune, a year after the death
of the man who made it. is yet prac-
tiCally intact in the hands of his wild
ow, but many millions will be given
away and the remainder will go to
the children. While Mr.. Carnegie is
not likely to die poor, his heirs will
not be overburdened with wealth
Marshall Fields eighty millions have
been split up among his heirs. Near.
ly half of the $65,OOO,OOO accumulated
by John S. Kennedy went to charity,
and the remainder is now in many
hands. Mrs. Russell Sage expects to
distribute practically all of the eighty
millions left by her husband, and no
small part of it has already been dis.
bursed.