Rensselaer Standard, Volume 1, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 September 1879 — Fight For an Heiress. [ARTICLE]

Fight For an Heiress.

New York Poet. The French Minister will soon have brought to his attention a most singular family difficulty which presents many features of equal Thterest with those of the most exciting fiction. The Critic of this afternoon will print the particulars which, briefly given, are as follows: Several years before the War of the Rebellion a French temily, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Reraud, and a daughter Amelia, came to this country. One son was left in France in charge of an aunt to be educated. Mr. Reraud after some years returned to France, and while there his tether-in-law died, leaving a property of a million dollars to the grandchild Amelia, who was empowered in turn to bequeath it either to her mother or brother. Mr. Reraud afterward returned to the United States, but went back again to France in 1866, and since that time nothing has ever been heard from him and he is supposed to be dead. Ail attempts on Mrs. Reraud’s part to discover his whereabouts have been in vain, the son. when written to, having systematically evaded an answer. I [The grandchild Amelia meanwhile became of age, and naturally wished her property. And here is found the strangest part of the tale. It seems as though the son and the mother had struggled for possession of the poor girl, who was partly deaf and dumb and low with eomsumption, in order to control her large property. The son, it seems, set agentfe to work to poison the mind of the girl against her mother, who, it was said, was trying to kill her, and persuade her to flee to France. Whenever such projects were broached the mother opposed them until she could accompany the girl herself. Finally last February thegirl disappeared, and the mother learned that she had undertaken the Winter voyage secretly and alone. She had not been in France three weeks before It is asserted she died. The son in sending this information took occasion to use to his mother the harshest language, upraising her as the murderess of her child. He sneered at her efforts to get the girl’s property, and assured her she should never get a cent of it. She, on the contrary, declares that she has ever been the protector and friend of her child, and in support of her claims has letters from President Gallaudet, of the Deaf and Dumb College, where the daughter studied, from the Rev. Dr. Paret, her pastor, the temily physician and others, which speak of ner in the highest terms of praise. Armed with these documents and others, Mrs. Reraud will attempt to show that the daughter was enticed away through a conspiracy.