Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 236, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 October 1910 — Souvenir Postal Saves Heir $20,000 [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Souvenir Postal Saves Heir $20,000

CHICAGO. —An unusual story of a lost heir to a $3,000,000 estate, whose chance mailing of a souvenir post card will bring him $20,000, was revealed in the probate court —the other day The man is Cornelius Carney, now a resident of Oklahoma City, who was thought to have perished in the San Francisco earthquake and fire in April, 1906. The stbry he told in court ran like this: He was born 30 years ago in Troy, N. Y., a member of a large family whose head, John Carney, was - for more noted for his convivial habits than for his thrift and industry. Consequently the little Carneys found life in Williams street alley a struggle in which dirt and want were daily factors. After being very bad for a —long -time -the condition of the Carney family became worse, and Cornelius was sent to a childreri’s asylum. There wasn’t much in life in Williams street alley but liberty—there was plenty of that —and the comparative comfort of the asylum couldn’t

compensate Cornelius for the loss of his freedom, so when he was old enough to care for himself—l 3 years old, to be exact—Cornelius ran away and started out to see the world. After several years of wandering, Charley enlisted in the United States marine corps. He served for six years, and in that time visited every port you ever heard of and more besides. Early in 1906 Carney was in China and wrote home that he was sailing soon for San Francisco. That was the last his relatives heard of him in years. In 1908 Mrs. Anna F. Baker, who was Mrs. Carney’s sister, died in Chicago, leaving an estate of $3,000,000, of which a considerable part went to the Carney children, who had grown up and prospered in Troy. To settle up the estate it was necessary to find Cornelius alive or prove him dead, and one was about as hard a task as the other. Finally the courts decided Cornelius was dead —although he was married and living in Oklahoma. Within a short time Cornelius’ share in his aunt’s estate would have gone to Cook county, but just in the nick of time Cornelius sent a souvenir post card to.his sister, Mrs. Lizzie Pratt of Troy, who at once wrote him that he was an heir to his aunt’s estate. In court Carney proved his heirship and will get the $20,000 before long.