The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-04-05
S690,oOO CASH.
Rolls From Bag Checked From Aiken
to Chicago.

tAlhell, ", loSI -hOioo', '" 90 OPSAt
| ed in the offices of the Merchants
Loan and Trust company on Adams
street Saturday S690,000 in currency
in $4,000 and $4,000 gold bills ( !
rolled>out on the table.
Certified checks to the amount Of
s296,0OO also were found in the bag,
which was supposed to contain ar
ticles of some value-clothing and
some jewelry, and possibly a second
will. Scant attention had been paid
to it on it's trip to Chicago.
Mrs. Stewart was the widow of the
late founder and president of the
Stewart-Warner Speedometer COM
pany. He died ten months ago in
New York.
Two to Be Buried Here.
The body of Mrs. Stewart reached
Chicago Thursday morning and was
taken to a vault in Graceland ceme-
terry. Mr.. Stewart's body is in a
vault in Brooklyn. 1t will be brought
to Chicago and the two will be
buried side by side in Graceland.
Unless a second will is discovered
in the vaults in New York the entire
Stewart estate will go to the two
aughters-Marion IA years old, and
Jean, 5 years old. The eldest daugh-
ter came with the funeral party from
the South and is now at the home OF
} Mr.. and Mrs. Leander H. La Chance,
1920 Ardmore avenue, Jean was left
in Aiken under the care of her COVER
ness.
The finding of nearly S1,000,OOO
in the suitcase was as great a sur
prise to friends of the family as to
the officials of the bank, which is
trustee of Mrs. Stewards estate un-
der the only will her Chicago attor-
ney, John D, Black, who drew this
will, has any, knowledge.
Suit Case Checked?
1t was reported that the suit case
with it's precious contents was check
ed in the baggage car when the
funeral party left Aiken the fore part
of the week and that the baggage
master threw it about like any ordi-
nary bag. While members of the
family would not talk about it, ac-
quaintances said it was carried along
with other hand luggage and no heed
was paid to it, as none of the party
knew what it contained.
That it should be sent to the bank
in Chicago was generally understood
and it was known that some valu-
ables were in it which the bank
should take charge of as trustee. But
that it contained nearly s1,00O,000
was not suspected.
Turned Over to Bank.
When the funeral party arrived in
Chicago an official of the local bank
met them. The suit case was then
turned over to him with the remark
that it should be left in the custody
of the trustee until they had an op-
portunity to itemize the contents.
The official took it to the bank and
put it in a vault, little dreaming that
he carried hundreds of thousands of
dollars in currency, besides other
hundreds of thousands in certified
checks.
The denomination of the currency
is the largest in circulation. Few
$4,000 gold bills are seen in any
of the banks and only occasionally do
the larger denominations turn up.
From all that could be learned
yesterday the members of Mrs. Stew
arts immediate family had no in
timation that such a fortune was
kept in the winter home in the South
especially in currency that was I'M
mediately available for use.
The suit case was forgotten until
after the funeral services at Grace
land
Disposition of Estate.
The death of the widow revlves
interest in the disposition of the es-
tate, accumulated by Stewart with
the invention of the speedometer.
At his death, ten months ago, a
contest was instituted in the effect to
break one of two wills he was said
to have made, the last will except for
| what purported to have been a copy,
| having been lost.
In his first will, made two years
before his death, he beQueathed
s125,OO0 outright to Thomas F.
| Clark, of Pasadena, son of Mr..
Stewards former partner, created a
trust fund of 100000 for the two
| dauehters and provided a life inter-