Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-12-15
LARGE FLEMING FORTUNE HAD
SMALL sum FOR ITS
FOUNDATION.
BROTHER TELLS OF
STRANGE FAMILY PACT
Every Cent Above Actual Living sx-
penses Went Into Common >PooI--
Brothers Signed Agreement to Re-
tain Accommodations in Common
Estats-kept No Accounts.

Des Moines, Dec. 15.--Robert J.
Fleming, eldest of three brothers who
are defending the suit of Mrs. Anna b
Fleming widow of Charles, yesterday
afternoon told how they rose 10 wealth.
He was a witness TO show the family
agreement by which it is claimed the
interests Of Charles went TO the sur
Viving brothers.
Duty to the family apparently was
the highest consideration of the tHem-
ings. Accumulation of individual
wealth never occurred to them. DeVq-
ton 10 their mother, the sister and
each other was manifest in the story OF
the Fleming boys as the witness told it
for more than two hours.
Fortune Founded on $500.
For an illustration: When Robert
and John decided twenty mine years
ago to go into life insurance at Du-
buque they borrowed $1,000 upon grad
ing equipment they had used IN rail-
road contracting. -Four hundred DOL
lars was given to Charles who remain
ed to winter the horses. Four hundred
dollars was sent TO the mother, the
brother Stanhope. and sister, Jennie
With the 5000 remaining they founded
the business which made their fortune,
that is the Fleming fortune.
Robert Fleming. now 90 years old,
was born in Coburg, Ontario. His IA
Their conducted a griSt and -four mill
and a sawmill until he was accidental
~ drowned in 1878. So soon as the
boys were large enough they began to
work in the mills.
Kept No Accounts.
I'VE never were paid any wages. We
never got anything for what we did.
We were given any money we thought
we needed. There never was an ac-
count between each other at that time
or any other"
At the death Of Stanhope Fleming,
father Of the four boys, Robert, Charles,
John and Stanhope and the sister Jen-
ME. the mother became head of the
household and continued that relation
after two Of her sons married and un-
til her death.
The boys undertook the operation of
the mills and failed in 1885. Loyalty
TO their fathers belief that the new
roller mills would not be successful in
competition with the old burr mills had
something to do with it.
Good mills were springing up all
around u.s." the witness said. Father
thought the roller mills wouldn't come
but they did and the burrs didn't come
back
In 1885 Robert went to Minneapolis
TO get a job. He found he didn't know
much about the new milling industry
but he did know lumber and he sold it
on commission
Earnings Went Back Home.
What disposition did You make of
your earnings"
'All but what I needed for board
went back to Michigan to the house
hold"
In 1886 he tried selling insurance
and John Joined him.
What did John do with his earn
ngs?"
He either sent 1t home or gave to
me what he didn't need himself"
In 1887, Robert, Charles and John
got together some teams and graders
and went to Minot, n. D., which then
was the end OF the Great Northern
track. At that time, the witness said,
Mrs. Fleming, the plaintiff, was living
with his mother and sister.
The expenses were borne by US"
he said. There never was a dollar
gotten any other way than by the eff
forts of US and her husband"
The Fleming boys didn't get rich
al railroading.
I'VE were glad to be alive" the wit
ness testified. We were novices at
the business. But We We're working
together and that was the idea
Started Insurance Business.
That winter Robert and John sold
life insurance. The Mutual Insurance
Company Of New York wanted some
one TO take charge Of an agency at
Dubuque and the witness intimated it
was because they wanted him and his
brother in that place that the company
lent the $1,000.
1t was always understood, the wit
ness said, that all earnings went into
a common fund TO be drawn upon as
each member wished but it was not
until 1895 after Robert married a
second time that this agreement was
written.
Speaking Of verbal agreements,
Fleming said: 1T was arranged that
all should work together and pool the
whole thing. When I should die they
were to have it and the last Fleming
was to have it all" Mr.. Fleming said
everybody agreed he probably would
die first and told Of forecast by DR..
J. T. Priestley that Charles would out
live all the brothers.
Came Here in 1898.
Robert and John came to Des Moines
in 1893, Stanhope had come year be-
fore and Charles a year later. The first
Of the three contracts upon which the
Flemings base their claim to all the
Fleming property was drawn by D. J.
Lenahan, Of Dubuque.
II wanted to put our agreement in
such shape" said Fleming, that there
would be no question about it,
IOWA SOLDIER KILLED.