A MILLIONAIRE'S HEIRS.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 991, 31 January 1883, Page 3

A MILLIONAIRE'S HEIRS.

Published reports indicate that a Dumfriesshire farmer has fallen heir to part of the colossal fortune of the late Mr A. T. Stewart, the celebrated New York draper. Mr Stewart died intestate, leaving a fortune of 85,000,000 dollars, which, reckoning the dollar at 4s, is equivalent to about £17,000,000. A third of this went to Mrs Stewart, a lady whom the deceased had married not long before his death, she being, at the time that his choice fell upon her, a checker in the lace department in his huge shop. Inquiries have been perse veringly made since Mr Steward’s death to discover his next-of-kin, but thedifficulties have been great in consequence of the extreme reticence which the deceased always maintained regarding his family connections. It is now reported, however, that a claim has been made out on behali of Mr Andrew Stewart, farmer, Muirhousehead, near Lockerbie, Dumfriesshire, who is stated to be a consin of the deceased. The investigations made included laborious searchings of the inscriptions upon gravestones in- churchyards throughout the county. It is further stated that the proofs thus collected have been transmitted to New York, where they have been examined and pronounced satisfactory. As, however, the Mr Stewart in question is connected with the deceased only on the male side, search is still being made for an heir in the maternal line before dividing the money, which'amounts to over £12,000,000 It should be added that the Dumfriesshire Mr Stewart will only get part of the sum in any case, as he will share along with his brother in New York (to whose initiative the present development of affairs is due) and other relatives ; also cousins of the deceased. The ' number of participants thus far discovered is seventeen in all. It appears that the millionaire’s parents were manied at Dalmcllington in 1798, his mother being a Miss Hunter ; and such relatives on her side as can prove claims equal to those of the relatives named Stewart will receive a portion pari passu with the latter.