WARNING TO AMERICANS.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 356, 5 March 1903, Page 6

WARNING TO AMERICANS.

fJaMad states Consulate In London hiiei Circular SUohjus the YaajL ltr o( <4ue»t« After ttatatea. The I'nited States consulate in London has issued a circular warning Americans who seek English fortunes and landed estates that most of such claims are spurious. The dreamers are of three classes in general, the object of their quests being landed estates, money supposed to be lodged in the Bank of England and unclaimed ehancery funds. The circular says: "As to land, no action to recover real estate in Great Britain can be brought after IS years from the time the right •ccrued. or. in case of disabilities or infancy, after 30 years. It is a prodigious error to think that there is unclaimed property deposited in the Bank of England and earning fabulous interest. The bank keeps a record of unclaimed -stock and dividends and «othing else. Anyone who thinks himself entitled to thesp must furnish precise details respecting the name of the •tockholder. the amount of the holding and the date of issue. "The total amount of unclaimed chancery funds is only about £IOO.OOO. Not more than half that sum exceeds 4t150 per account, and not more than one-seventeenth of these exceed * 1.000." Consul General Osborne said recently: "We consider that we have a dull week when less than eight or ten of our fellow countrymen apply for milliondollar fortunes. Ninety-nine per cent, of the cases .-.ubmitted are entirely visionary. Advertisements for alleged keir» or next of kin are the source of many of these great expectations. A thriving business is done by some alleged agents who thus traffic in Yankee trustfulness."