SEEKING FOR AN HEIR.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXII, Issue 2032, 20 December 1907, Page 3

SEEKING FOR AN HEIR.

WO HUNDRED CLAIMS FOR AMERICAN FORTUNE. At the Savoy Hotel recently Mr Murray, a lawyer from New York, awaited the arrival of the most likely claimant to a fortune left by Mrs Nash, of Brooklyn, U.S.A., to a Mrs Adelaide Younger , of Great Britain. For some time past there has been a “round up” of the Younger family in Great Bntian as possible claimants for the property. ’These claimants, originally . 800 in number were whittled down to two —Mr William Thomas Younger, of the Oourant newspaper, Hexham, •and his sister. Miss Annie Younger, <of Rochsholme, Whitley Bay, North■umberland. The • latter, . it was officially announced, was the successful claimant, owing to the fact that she was born four years before her brother. She was telegraphed to at Whitley Bay to have a statement made before a solicitor, and on the arrival of the document a cable will he sent to New York with the necessary instructions that will secure her the fortune. What this really may amount to Cis not quite clear. A sum in four figures has been mentioned, but Mr Murray, the lawyer, who lias been deputed by the Surrogate Court of New York to find the rightful heir, declines to verify any of the published statements. He ■declares, however, that the greater portion of it is in house property In New York, and that class of security, he says, is paying bOO per cent, interest. How the fortune came to he left as it did forms quite a romance. In 1906 there died in Brooklyn City a Mrs Mary Nash, widow of a man who had amassed a considerable fortune. £ln her will, written on the back of a grocer’s advertising bill, she stated briefly that she left all her property to her friend, Mrs Adelaide Younger, to whom, however, no clue could at first be found. At last in a chest of drawers, which was overhauled prior to being sold by auction, an envelope was found, bearing the name of Mrs Adelaide Younger and a half-obliter-ated address. The name was clear, but, the only portion of the address readable were these words: —“4, Londo —Upper Mai—Lon.” At once steps were taken to trace Mrs Adelaide Younger in England and Ireland. To that end JMr Murray, an official of the Surrogates Court of New York State, went to England. He made known his quest through the press, and met with a tumultuous response. Claims from Youngers and. descendants of Youngers poured in by every maiL His patient inquiries at last narrowed down the issue until it lay between three persons— Mr William Thomas Younger, a Hexham journalist, whoso mother was an Adelaide Younger, and corresponded regularly with a friend in America, believed to be Mrs Nash; his eldest sister. Miss Annie Youuger, and Mrs Henry Younger, of High-street, St. x\lbans, who has a history of a friendship between her husband’s motherland a lady in America, believedjto be Mrs Nash. In regard to the latter, however, Mr Murray lias decided that her claim does not come so near as that of Miss Younger, particulars differing decitledly.jJ Of the wild hopes aroused in many breasts by his inquiries Mr Murrav tells some interesting particulars. “No fewer than 25 Youngers have called to see me at the Savoy Hotel in one day,” he said. ‘ ‘ They began to arrive sometimes before lam out of bed, and my wife and I sat up till three o’clock one morning burning the correspondence from persons whom I have satisfied myself are hopelessly out of the running. ‘ln the first place I addressed letters to 276 Youngers, and as a result of this correspondence and the publicity given to the case in the press, some 2000 applications came in. One woman was in so great a hurry to communicate with me that she telegraohed and addressed me as ‘Dear Sir r in the wire. Out in the suburbs of London there are two brothers who have put in separate claims, and are almost at fisticuffs over it, but neither had a chance of success. “ Some of-~the letters I have received are very curious. They have come from Youngers, Youngs, and Youugmaus, and people with names that bear no resemblance at all to Youuger. Here is an example : “Is the name Younger in the paper a mistake? I know of a Mrs Adelaide Fulker, who married in 1867. She was deserted by her husband a few weeks after, and has been wandering about ever since. If asked her name, answer, ‘No name,’ or gives a wrong name. Was living in Dublin two years ago. Then there was another woman who, after a terrible rigmarole about her relations, goes on:—“I have bad several dreams lately, and in one my husband came to my bedside and called me by my name. I said, ‘What do you want?’ and he said, ‘This is all your money. ’ ’ ’ Now with the settlement in favour' of Miss Annie Younger, the chase for an heir is over, and Mr Murray, as he says, will have time to see London before going back.