New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-03-24
S10,0OO,0OO AWAITS HEIR
Claimant Must Prove Descent
from Field Marshal
Won Munich.

Copyright 1913. by the Brentwood Company,
Most of the large fortunes advertised
as awaiting the rightful owner turn out
to be myths after having served as a
pretext for all sorts Of ingenious syindles
at the expense of credulous people. There
is. however n very real and bona fds
fortune. amounting to nearly s00o0Oo
in the possession of the Prussan treas
ury, awaiting any one who can furnish
proofs that he is the senior Legitimate
descendant i'm the male line direct OF
Count Burkhard Won Munich, fell mar.
shall and generalissimo OF the Russian
army. He was native Of Oldenburg, and
had served with distinction i'm the Saxon
and French armies before taking up his
residence in Russia in response to the In
vitation of Peter II. The old field mar
shall died in l767
Frederick the Great was great al
mirer Of the old field marshal. and II
was therefore quite natural that when
later on controversy on the subject OF
some property arose between the field
marshars only son. Count Ernest Won
Munich. and Empress Eizabeth's IA
vorite, Biron. Duke of Courland. that
the Prussian monarch should have been
urged by the Munnichs to assume the
role Of arbitrator Frederick the Greats
award was i'm favor OF Count Ernest von
Munich and the 10000 Albertsthalers
which he had decided as being due by the
Duke Of Courland in respect TO the
property. was duly paid over 10 his Prus-
sian majesty. for transmission 10 Count
Ernest Won Munich.
Frederick the Great. however. retained
possession Of the money in question, de-
Ginning, on one preteXt or another 10
surrender It to the count This, | am
sorry to say, was somewhat character
istic OF the King who was always very
reluctant to part with his cash, except
where his army was concerned
A few years ago two men Of the name
Of Charles and John Munich, Prussian
subjects, put forward a claim 10 this
fortune, which had remained in the hands
Of Frederick the Great, confiding their in
terests 10 the well known Berlin lawyer
Gronemann. Proceedings were inaugu-
rated. and in course Of time matters went
that Frederick the Great had duly re-
ceived the money, namely, 5000 Alberts-
thalers. from Bron, Duke of Courland,
for payment TO Count Ernest Won Mum
Mich, that he had failed to turn the money
over TO the latter, and that he had re-
tanned unlawful possession thereon. IL was
also admitted by the Crown that the
money at compound interest had reached
well over the 100000 mark. In fact
the representatives OF the Prussian Crown
even went so far as TO offer to enter into
negotiations for the payment Of the sum
to any one who could establish his rights
10 the fund. by furnishing legal proofs
that he was the senior legitimate de-
scendant I'm the male line direct and heir
OF Count Ernest Won Munich. The claim
ants were unable to do this to the salts
faction of the court. and meanwhile the
money remains awaiting a claimant
Il must be added by way Of explanation
that although one Of the finest regiments
of Russian cavalry still bears the name Of
Field Marshal Won Munich, both he and
his immediate descendants were badly
treated By the Russian Crown. on one
occasion the indrSlal was dctudlll "" ''t
TO execution at ST. Petersburg. and then
reprieved AT the last moment was sen,
OFF To Siberia in exile. while Count Ernest
and his chilren were obliged 10 flee from
Russia TO escape persecution. Ii T. tn TINS
way that family papers got lost and that
the title OF Count of the Holy Roman
Empire bestowed upon the field marshal
and borne by his son Ernest was dropped
by the latter's immediate descendants IN
order 10 escape attention.
The claimants Charles and John Nun
Mich. are wcll-to-do bourgeois of 11lsu
and the title OF Count Munich no longer
finds any place IN the official list OF Ger
man and Russian counts
Merry Del Val Becomes Ambassador
SPANS new ambassador TO the Court
of st. James,. Don Alfonso Merry de'
Val. is. like his brother. Rafael, the 'a'-
dinal Secretary OF State, Il native OF Ens-
land and with a strain Of Irish blood IN
his veins He was born in LONDON ]"
D. fHfh nr