Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1919-01-03
ASSUMPTION, Ill, COUPLE AND
TWO CHILDREN BECOME RE. 4
cLusEs 80 YEARS AGO
PROPERTY WENT TO RACK AND RUIN
Conservator Appointed at Daughters
Request Finds Wealth In Every
Room. s 4

| mystery or the House OF DeS sLarBes
at Assumption? The finding of $10.-
900 in currency in the antiquated
structure has given the Christian
county town its greatest sensation.
Under the eyes of the aged mother
there was dragged forth. silver. gold.
bills, horded presumably. for 35 years.
From cellar to garnet, the mystery
house yielded treasure. musty with
the years. Paper bags were found to
contain green and yellow bills, tin
cans and fruit jars. taken from be-
meath a roof that could not exclude
the summer rains, clinked a story OF
wealth.
The occupants Of the decrepid old
house. on a farm two miles east OF
| Assumption were Mrs. Jean Des
Larges, her son. Louis, IS years old.
and her daughter. Hortense. 80. They
have lived the life of recluses 80 years
The discovery of the fortune was
made by Frank Cakes of Assumption.
who recently was appointed conserv-
| ator for the mother. following a pc
| tition filed by her daughter. Mrs. Ed
ward Rainsford of Evansville. Ind.
For 30 years the Des Larges' home
| has been house of mystery. The
| marriage of the youngest daughter.
Ardelle. to Rainsford, was bitterly op-
posed by her parents. and when she
went away. the household drew n cur
lot hni off fol hun
their neighbors. Nobody called upon
them and the farm grew up to weeds.
Their live stock. with the exception
of chickens. died. and were not re.
placed.
At rare intervals. Hortense. the
older daughter was seen about the
place, but hid herself when she no.
ticed anyone passing.
Jean Des Larges, the father, was n
Frenchman. emigrating to this coun-
try about so years ago. The daugh-
ters were comedy and popular. but the
son was somewhat different and did
not care to mingle in society as did
his sisters. Old residents who knew
the family before they decided upon
their hermit existence. agree that
Hortense was a wonderful intelligent
and beautiful girl. She taught school
In the neighborhood for several years.
Jean Des Larges died IL months ago
after an illness Of several years with
dropsy. He was unattended by ply
stefan. A neighbor heard OF his death
and found that the wife and children
were about to bury him upon the
farm. The neighbor protested and
sent for an undertaken. The daughter
in Evansville was notified and she at
tended the funeral. Her reception was
not cordial, and she remained with
friends whom she had known before
her marriage. Recently she decided
that someone should look after the
mother and the property and a con.
servator was appointed.
The first action was to clean house,
and this operation revealed the hord- \
ed wealth, nearly every room yielding
thousands. 1t required several mar
ket baskets to hold the secreted mon
ey. The greenbacks were dated as
far back as 1880. Most of the notes
were clean and did not appear to have
been handled many times. All had a
musty smell indicating their posses
sion for many years. One $40 bill OF
1880, which was found has been out
OF circulation for many years.
Where did the money come from?
Neighbors claim that it could not have
been saved of late years, as the
farm was unproductive and was bare
ly able TO furnish living for the &C.
cupants. II has been told that the
son. Louis made occasional trips to
Assumption to exchange eggs for gro
ceries. The family kept fewer hens
than the ordinary farmer and there
could be no great income from the
poultry yard. There was no effort to
sell butter or other farm produce.
Those who do not credit the hording
theory think that the money came
from some source In a lump, possibly
from the estate of deceased relative
in Europe. Having no faith in banks,
Des Larges may have cashed his leg.
acy and kept the money hidden In the
house. The age Of the money strength
ems this theory. II Is also BELIEVE
that the requirement Of this wealth in(
spired the hermit like existence, rath.
er than the marriage of the younger
daughter.
The Des Larges were always con.
sidered honest and upright, and the
only feature Of their lives that the
neighbors did not understand, was |
their extreme reticence and desire To
avoid talking with anyone. The home,
once cheerful and well kept, took on
the appearance OF desolation. The
family shrank back into the little
world bounded By the tumble down
fence that surrounded the house.
Weeds grew without restraint in the
orchard and upon the farm. The roof
OF the dwelling and barns, lost their
shingles and no effort was made, to
replace them. Horses and cattle dis.
appeared from the pastursG