CLAIM FOR MILLIONS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5056, 24 November 1926, Page 3

CLAIM FOR MILLIONS.

A CHICAGO ESTATE.

MISSING MARRIAGE REGISTER.

A missing Irish village marriage register, containing evidence of a marriage performed 90 years ago, is said by several New South Wales famil es to stand between them and the “O’Rourke millions,” a fortune of £17,000,000', which is stated to be in the hands of the United States, Government. The fortune was left by Paudrick O’Rourke, a,n, Irish emigrant who made £7,000,000' by dealing in wheat and real estate in Chicago. He willed this estate to a brother’s wife, Mrs Cornelius O’Rourke, who settled in New South Wales.

The matter is at present in the hands of Lloyd’s Insurance Company, of London and New 'fbrk, who, it is asserted, have secured the evidence necessary definitely to establish the Australian claim with the exception of the marriage certificate of Cornelius O’Rourke and his. wiffi, with whom he eloped.- The scene .of the marriage is unknown, though it is known defin tely that they were married in Northern Ireland. A representative of the claimants is shortly leaving for Ireland to conduct a search for the missing register. The story behind the claim is a romantic one, and began 90 1 years; ago in Northern Ireland when two young Irishmen, sons of a farmer near Antrim, Paudrick , and Cornelius O’Rourke, fell in love with the same colleen. The lady preferred the younger Cornelius, against the wishes olf her parents, eloped with him, and married him at some church within 40 miles of Antrim. Paudrick, heartbroken, went to America, and there he lost touch with his people but built up his fortune of £7,000,00'0 by lucky speculations. Never ‘ forgetting his old love, he left the money to her children when he died about 58 years ago. Meanwhile Cornelius and his wife and 'family had migrated to New South Wales, and had pioneered settlement in the Yass district, where their descendants are well known. ; It was not until 1900 that the Australian O’Rourkes knew thajt Paudrick died leaving a fortune, and .then an advertisement from the New ' York Times was sent to the family. The claim was jidt prosecuted until after the visit of the American Fleet last year. When an •officer of the Fleet, a grandson of Cornelius O’Rourke, one of whose sons had left Australia for America, got into touch with -the Australian family, .the latter decided to force their claims. •

The largest beneficiary-in Sydney would be Mrs Match, a t grand-daugh-te.r 'fo Cornelius 'O’Rourke, and wife of a former police sergeant. She is sixty years of age and the mother of twelve children. Besides, a number of descendants in the Yass district, othqr branches of the family, live at Newcastle and Warialda. A son of Mrs Hatch is leaving for Ireland early in the New Year t 6 prosecute the search for the missing marriage register.