The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-29
MISER'S WIDOW IN
FIGHT FOR FORTUNE
Refuses to Accept Terms of
Will Leaving Millions to
PrclatcS.
HE LIVED LIKE BEGGAR
>s,cio, Correspondence to Tur Sun.

Special Correspondence 10 THE Sun.
PANS. Aug. ia legend has grown
round the person of the spanish mulIi-
millionaire Romagos. whose death was
recently reported and who left the bul';
Of his immense fortune tsome $4,000
0O0) 10 certain pre!ateS 90 the Roman
Catholic Church. lie is popularity cred
tied with having amasscd his wealth
10y heSsIng outside the churches 81
cabbage stumps n dNarro,s.
rs a matter Of fact RomaGos had a.
ways been a rich man. his mother having
left him large tracts OF aud ~ ArErn-
tina and his wife, condra Rahsll. dauSh-
ter OF a well known Madrid banker,
bringing him a doWry NJ 1880 goo. H."
was. however, a great miser and dressed,
or rather covered himself, iu q typical
miscr's manner. II would not have been
surprising IL pcup,c had =Iycu him
charity iu the streets. although D., ne,
begged. lie was i great huScg iu ran.
stores and always went to the lIIcs de-
partment stores because thee. "lWus:
alone in Pars, prices dIc masked +.
plain figures and he did not risK h,,ua
swindled, a thing he dreaded.
His Will, which has just been made
public, indicates that he wa possibly
the richest mar in Madrid. Nor wee"
his riches of the shrInkable kiud. cash.
Treasury bonds and clear titles to lands
ard buildings made mp his fortune Tho
Bank of London. the Bank uf France.
the Spanish-Americdu Bank, the BauI
Of Rio d. la Plata. the Bnuk II Spain
and the establishments OF l'ruuijo. SaiEZ
and calamarte We're his repositories.
one OF his buildings in Paris is located
In the Avenue des Champs Ely sees ami
is estimated as worth 81. 200. 600. The
Credit ]Lyouldis pays an annual rental
ot $4,000 for lis branch Office on tn"
mezzaninc floor Of this building.
There * now in prospect a les u cou-
test for the roperty Of this modern
taspaid, the contestant being mo- other
than the widow, who - credited with
being almost aS misery Hs itnmaguS
hinIS II. Little - known about, her. but
II - believed that miSerlineSs with her
IL an ACQUIRED habit rattle than an in
heritauCc. l;omagos'S mother, who lived
with them. was even stiugier than her
son. She II was who insisted on doIug
what might be .rmed the marketing for
the household. This consisted Of akinE
"A basket ana going to the market, where
occasionally she spent a few cents for
vegetables. but more often picked M
what the maTE tmen threw away. All
three were literally clad In rags.
Soon after her husbands death the
widow left Madrid for Sarria, hut she
hid her traces So we'll that the other
executor. TIA" Bishop uf Madrid, has
been wholly unabl to locate her. She,
the prelat" just named and the Bishops
Of Barcelona aud BueuoS Ayres are the
heirs to the vast estate. An the actual
cash and personal property are willed to
the prclates. while 20 the widow * left
the use and the income Of all of Io.
magos's houses, which latter go 30 the
Church on her death. such an income IL
"A fortune in itself. but the widow APP
pears to think 1t too small u share. The
Bishop Of Madrid announces that he
will try to bring her 20 consent To the
Will as II stands, but that IN amy event
he wishes an aWicable settlement. So
far his written suggestions have been
unanswered by the widow.