SEEKING FOR AN HEIR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 304, 28 December 1907, Page 3

SEEKING FOR AN HEIR.

AMERICAN' FORTUNE. At the Savoy Hotel recently, Mr Murray, a lawyer from New York, awaited the moat likely claimant to a fortune left by Mrs Nash, of Brooklyn, U.S.A., .to a .Mrs Adelaide Younger, of lireut liritain. i'or some time past there has teen a "round-up" of the Younger family in flreat liritain as possible claimant? !'ov the property. These elaimnnts, originally 2UO in number, where whittled down to two —-Mr William Thomas Younger, of the Courant newsAnnie Younger, of Bochschulme, WhitIcy Bay, Northumberland, The latter, it was cllicially announced, was the successful claimant, owing to the, fact that sin- was born four years before her brother. She was telegraphed to at Whitley Bay to have a statement made before a solieitor, and on the arrival of the document a cable will be sent to New York with the necessary instructions that will secure her the fortune. What this really may amount to is not quite clear. A mini in four figures has teen mentioned, but Mr Murray, the lawyer, who has teen deputed by the Surrogate Court of New York 'to find Unrightful heir, declines to verify any of the published statements, lie. declares, however, that the greater portion of it is in house property in New York, and that class of security, lie says, is paying 31W per cent, interest. How the fortune came to be left as it did forms (piite a romance. In I'JUli there died in Brooklyn City a Mrs Mary Nash, widow of a man who had amassed a considerable fortune. In her will, written on the back of a grocer'* advertising bill, she stated brielly 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 Bold by auction, an envelope was found, bearing the name of Mi's Adelaide Younger and a halt-obliterated address. The name was clear, but the onry portion of the address readable were these words: -4. London- t'ppcr Mai—lxm." At once .stops were taken to trace Mrs Adelaide Younger to England and Ireland. To that end Mr Murray, an official of the Surrogates Court of New York State, went to England, lie made known his quest through the press, and met. with a tumultuous response. Claims form Younger* and descendants of Yoimgers poured ill by every mail. His patient enquiries at last narrowed down the issue until it lay between three per-sons-Mr William Thomas Younger, a Hexham journalist, whose mother was Adcdaide Younger, and corresponded re"tilarlv with a friend ill America, be lieved'to be Mrs Nash; his eldest sister, Miss Annie Younger, and Mrs Henry Younger, of High street, St. Albans, who has a history of a friendship between her husband's mother and a lady in America, believed lo be Mrs Nash. In regard lo the latter, however. Mr Murray has decided that her claim does not eo'iue so near as that of Miss Younger, particulars dilfering decidedly. Of the wild hopes aroused in many breasts by his enquiries Mi Murray tells some interesting particulars. "No fewer than >:■> Youiigers have called to see me at the Savov Hold in one day," he said. "Thev began to arrive sometimes before 1 was out of bed, and my wife and [ sat up till three o'clock one morning burning the correspondence from person- whom I have t-atislicd myself are Impele.-slv out of the running. ••In the first place I addressed letters tn :>7ii Youiigers. and as a result of this correspondence and the publicity given to the case by the press, some iUUO applications came in. One woman was in so "real a hurry to communicate with me "that she telegraphed and niktrcssci me a- -Hear Sir' ill the wire. Out in the suburbs of London there are two brothers who have put in separate claims, and arc almost at fisticuffs over it. but neither had a chance of success. "Sonic of the letters I have received are very curious. 'lll(ey have come from Youiigers. Youngs, and Yminginans. and people with names that bear no resemblance at all to Younger. Here

is an example:-- ■ : 'fs tin' name Younger in tin' paper a mi-take? I know of a Mrs Adelaide Vulkiii-r. who married in 187fi. She was de*eiTcd by her hnsl.and a few weeks after, and ha- been wandering nliout ever -incc. If asked her name, answer. '\'a name.' or jiives. a wroii"; name. IViis liviii" in Dublin two vears a<.'o.' ■■Then there was another'woman who. after a terrible rieinarolc about her relation-. "a»v. on:--'I have had several dream-- latclv. and in one my husband came lo mv'bedside and called me bv

name. t said.'What do yon want?'and he said. 'This is all your money/" \ow willi the settlement in favor of Mi-s Annie Younger, the .base for h heir i, over, and Mr Murrty. as he says, will have time lo see London before jrniup back.

Within one ninnlh after her inheritance of the legacy of e_2.."illii.OllO under the will of her father, the late Cornelius Yanderbilt. comes the now* of the' en-ea-enient of Mi-s Clady- Vandcrliilt. America's richest heiress. Miss Yiimlerhilt.V fortune does not stop at a paltry •ti..")(lll.lNlll. (lifelines from her mother, and "assistance" from her lirothcr have i brought the total nearer to CtSJliin.nnn. so the liu-kv llunearian, f'onnl Laszlo Szeeheuvi. ilniv be said to be moved lo cm,, the Atlanlic for a bride by « ci'odinejv powerful arguments. Miss Ynndcrhilt was horn in ISSII. and is the voiiii'.e-d of the late Cornelius Vanderbill'.-' live children. iTI hies, „f (he live was practically disinherited by his father for niakhi" whal lie considered a mr-alliaui-e. Inder I lie will il was found he was left onlv a paltry (."lllli.unii. In coutra-f (.< e'.l.niiil.dtin left to hi vouieo'f brother Alfred, who made such a ~-rcal iniprrssi,,,, here last year bv the -povtisnumlike way in which'he eo'ndiu ted the "rent Olympia horse show. \lfred fienerouslv gave his unfortunate elder brolber the dot of CI .ntlO.OOtl. a , verv material exhibition of brotherly , alfectiun,