The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-27

HoHENzoLLERNs with the island
where he died. Saint Helena should
not be made the Kaiser's place Of
exile and expiration.
The Search for Mythical Millions.
The Governor of the Bank Of Eng
land, Sir BRrEN CoKAYSE, has under
taken to dispel "authoritatively"
delusion regarding that famous insti-
tuition, q delusion which he describes
as involving many In the United
States as well as in England Gin real
private tragedies" by an absolute de-
NAL before the House of Commons
that the Bank OF England held any
large amounts of unclaimed balances.
The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street
was never credited with much ideal
ism, but by so cruelty putting an end
to these absorbing stories of mythical
millions and hidden treasures of gold
and diamonds she ships the last
thread that bound her to mystery and
romance.
1t is the part, though, Of banks
and the hard workaday world to. dis
pei such decisions. Once it was said
that the banks of this city were bulg-
ing with unclaimed millions only
waiting for some one to establish his
title and carry them away. A list of
these unclaimed accounts was pub
lished in 1880 and again in 1917.
There were $1,000 names in the last
list. The amounts of the accounts
were not given, but it was stated that
they were small" This statement
was apparently borne out by the
money recovered by claimants; for
the payments in the best year, 1916.
amounted to only $7,431.69, while in
1915 they were S12.s7 and In 1914
$32.63. Poor reward to n fortune
hunter dreaming of even a mere hun
dred thousandl
Who has not had somewhere in his
family history an ancestor careless In
making his will or secretive with his
wealth, or, AZ not so favored himself,
has not had relative or friend with
some such branch on the ancestral
tree? When the secret of this hid
den treasure is disclosed heirs rise up
in troops to honor the name of their
| forefathers and to share the wealth.
How many were the descendants Of
ANNEKE JAMS BoGARDUs, whose Colo
NAL estates have been the cause of
numerous controversies in the local
courts, has never perhaps been def
nitely settled. When the Springer
family claim to Wilmington, Del, was
about to reach the court it was found
that there were almost as many
claimants as there were dollars in
the SSO,O00,000 mythical estate. 1t
was estimated that about 100000
heirs arose to claim the Sir Francis
Drake estate when the matter had
reached the stage that it was worth
looking into.
The rare instances In which 1t has
been discovered that there was really
foundation for these claims have
tended TO inspire hope in other seek
ers after such fortunes. A quarter
of n century ago there was claim
established in which the Bank of Eng
land was concerned, by which an own
ership was established for f100 that
in the 1853 years 1t had laid unclaimed
had grown to $4,000. But no perscn
has ever been able to establish his
title to the vast treasure of gold and
precious stones stored in the vaults
10y French royalists who lost their
lives in the French Revolution" And
Sir BRIEN CoKAYNE put an end to
the hopes of future claimants ~ say
ing that there were never any such
deposits made in the banks safety
boxes. The results from the Anneke
Jams contests In court have never
been in favor of the claimants. and
the Sir Francis Drake 5000, 900
estate was found to be non-existent
not only did Sir FRANCIS have a very
limited amount of property, but at the
same time 1t was proved that he left
no descendants.
But If the Governor of the Bank
of England thinks that by his state
ment he will put an end to the search
for mythical fortunes he is mistaken
With every generation there will be
some person to hunt for Captain
KIDS gold, shlpwreck treasure In the
i South Seas and fortunes In land and
gold left by an ancestor. 1t is part
of the game of life which will be kept
alive so long as people will continue
to be deluded and SO long as those
persons to whom Sir BRIEN refers as
"unprincipled" can profit by fostering
such oelusions. a..
N M