The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-11-15
FIGHT 100 YEARS
FOR 100000, 900
Death May End Legal Bat.
tie Waged Many Years.

Berlin.-Heir to more than $780,
100000. lying ready in the Bank Of
England, and yet having to live on
aims Of $1.50 a week.
That is the queer fate Of Bernhard
Goetze of Leipzig, who just now is the
principal In a weird Inheritance fight
which has strained the legal appara-
tus of three continents and has
stretched through nearly a whole CELL
tury.
The story Of this fight is told by the
Neue Leipziger Zeitung, which says il
bases 1t on legal documents.
The fortune was amassed by three
bearers Of the name Of Goetze who
left Germany between 1857 and 1919.
One, Johann Friedrich Goetze, went to
Batavia. amassed a fortune in lands
and ships valued at $4OOOO,0OO. When
he died he left 1t all to his widow.
The widow married a cousin of her
husband, Joann Christoph Goetze, who
had also gone to Batavia, had entered
the Dutch army service and had be-
come governor Of Batavia and COM
mander Of the Dutch troops.
Get Second Fortune.
The couple quit Batavia and went
10 Cape Town, where they arrived just
in time to receive the Inheritance left
10 them by Johann Christian Goetze,
another cousin. This cousin had gone
to the Orange Free State, had dug for
gold, and had found 10000 pounds Of
1t, all of which, in blinking bar gold,
now went to the former governor of
Batavia.
This croesus died in Cape Town in
1881, leaving his immense fortune in
gold, in lands, in ships and mines to
his parents and brothers and sisters
in Germany. But these never learned
of their good fortune.
Finally in 1867, sister, Mrs. Erd-
muthe Goetze, who had married her
cousin of the same name, learned of
the inheritance through a newspaper
notice.
Immediately, the hunt after the in
heritance began. More than 317 bear
ers of the name of Goetze laid claim
to 1t. After years of legal battles, IL
was decided that the heirs were Mrs.
Erdmuthe GOetze and her children, OF
whom two were still alive, Bernhard
Goetze and Mrs. Louise Teichmann.
The government of Saxony took a
hand in the case. In agreement with
the British crown treasury; under
whose management the estate had in
creased to $1OO,OOO,OOO, a Doctor
Mueller of the Saxon courts was in
stalled as administrator. In 1872, he
was relieved of that, however, because
it was charged that he furshered the
interests, not of the real heirs, but
those of another branch.
Later the English consul general at
Leipzig, Charles Grove, took the mat
ter in hand, but made little progress
because the heirs could not agree
among themselves.
Proves Her Claim.
In 1875 Mrs. Erdmuthe Goetze went
to London where she received docu-
ments proving that the Cape Town
courts had awarded the inheritance to
her and her children, but received no
money.
A trip to Mrs. Teichmann at London
also proved vain.
In 1900 man named Bode received
part of the inheritance. This led 10
another legal battle, in which BODIES
lawyer won.
Four trips of Bernhard Goetze to
London proved fruitless because he
was unable to present his claims in
form that the English courts would
accept.
A complaint to the then Prime Min
lister Balfour brought the reply that
he should employ an English lawyer.
but as Goetze is penniless, this Is vain
service.
Mystery is added to the case by the
fact that documents in the files show
Mrs. Teichmann had died in the mean
time. Goetze maintains, however, his
sister is still living as wife of bank
director in Stuttgart.
Waiting and fighting for his in
heritance, Bernhard Goetze meanwhile
has grown to be seventy-nine years
old.
He Is supported In his fight by a
"Goetze association" which was
founded In 1911 and consists Of about
thirty members. Every member pays
cents a week, which goes to Goetze
and on which this heir to millions
lives.
In return, however, the association
is to get 10 per cent of Goetze's in
heritance-if he ever gets 1t.
Goetze himself says only the con.
viction of his legal right keeps him
going and he firmly believes that some
day the 100000, 900 will come to him.