Friendly Money Fight

[admin tim]

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B06E5DF1739E433A25755C2A9609C946297D6CF

[Joe Chetcuti]

A slight variation to the New York Times article that Tim posted above was sent to the West Coast. It appeared on the front page of the Los Angeles Times on the exact same day the New York Times article appeared.



Los Angeles Times
June 26, 1903


DR. TUMBLETY'S FUNDS

Death of St. Louis Traveler Raises a Complicated Question as to the Immediate Disposition of His Belongings.

NEW YORK, June 25 - (Exclusive Dispatch) The death in St. Louis of Dr. Francis Tumblety, formerly a resident of this city, has raised a complicated question as to the immediate disposition of his funds. Dr. Tumblety had kept a running account with Henry Clews & Co. bankers of this city, for twenty years, and at the time of his death, last month, he had on deposit $138,000 in cash, a considerable part of which had been made in the stock market.

The doctor was more or less of a traveler and while his headquarters were in this city, he generally spent the fall and winter in Hot Springs, Ark., and New Orleans, La. coming home in the summer. Recently he was at St. Louis and there met with an accident that necessitated his going to St. Johns Hospital in that city, where he soon died. After his death Henry Clews & Co. were informed that the doctor had executed a will bequeathing $45,000 to various relatives. ($10,000) to Cardinal Gibbons and $10,000 to Archbishop Ireland, but that no provisions had been made for the residue of his property amounting to $73,000.

The bank found that Dr. Tumblety had left a number of relatives some of whom reside in Rochester, others in California and some in Liverpool, Eng. The Rochester heirs appeared before Surrogate Thomas and asked for revocation of the ancillary letters granted to the Public Administrator of St. Louis. Hearing of this motion will come up August 25.

Meantime the Rochester heirs applied to the surrogate of Monroe County for Administrative papers on the grounds that the deceased was a resident of Rochester. On this application, Michael H. Fitzsimmons was appointed temporary administrator, and he in turn made demand upon Clews & Co. for the money. Clews & Co. have refused to pay, and suit has been instituted to test the matter.

[A.P. Wolf]

And then Joe, one wonders what became of his railway bonds, which were worth much more than this. He seems to have made his main money from a straight line, and then his crooked loot from a bent one.
I'd be happy with his gold watch.

[Joe Chetcuti]

I always figured you'd want one of his boxes of cigars, A.P.

The Los Angeles Times article mentioned that Tumblety died soon after he "met with an accident." I'm thinking that this accident may have been the incident when Tumblety collapsed on the steps of St. Johns Hospital. This happened after he left his hospital room and walked through the streets of St. Louis. Tumblety died a few days after that collapse.

Awhile back, Roger briefly spoke on the message boards about Tumblety making bucks in the stock market. I looked and looked, but I couldn't find any references to this stock market success of his. Then I finally read this Los Angeles Times article! I'm as slow as a turtle Roger, so it takes me plenty of time just to catch up with you!

I'll be involved with Easter activities these next few days, but I'll be sure to pop back on these threads on Monday. For all who celebrate Easter, Maribel & I wish that you enjoy a peaceful gathering with your family during this special weekend. If it wasn't for the empty tomb, nothing would have much purpose for me. Happy Easter everyone.

Joe

[Chris G.]

Hello Joe and Tim

This is the leg of activities that intensely interests me, because I live in Baltimore and am interested in Tumblety's Baltimore will, his association with Major Kemp, and the sums he wished to give to the Home for Fallen Women on North Exeter Street and to Cardinal Gibbons ($1,000 each per the Baltimore will). Since I go past the Exeter Street location on a regular basis as well as the Cardinal's residence in Baltimore -- shown below -- I would like to get to the bottom of Dr T's true intentions while here in Baltimore.

Happy Easter everyone.

Chris


http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1150/790062415_307d2a5588_o.jpg

[Chris G.]

Here's a portrait of Cardinal James Gibbons (1834-1921) taken by the Baltimore photographic studios of David Bachrach, along with a recent view of the Basilica of the Assumption next door to the Cardinal's Residence. This building, the first Catholic cathedral in the United States, founded in 1806, has just undergone a major renovation timed for its Bicentennial celebrated in 2006. The statue on the lawn is of Cardinal Gibbons. I wrote about Gibbons and Tumblety in "The Cardinal and the Ripper Suspect" in Ripperologist No. 21, February 1999. Gibbons and Tumblety were roughly the same age and I wondered if the two men knew each other. The 1900 U.S. Census shows that Tumblety was then living several blocks to the south in a rooming house on North Liberty Street. However, a search by me of the Cardinal's letters in the archives of the Baltimore Diocese does not indicate any recognition that they did in fact know one another. Rather, following Tumblety's death in St. Louis in May 1903, the indication was that the prelate seemed surprised to be the recipient of $10,000 under Tumblety's later (in 1908) upheld St. Louis will, and the correspondence refers to him as "a Mr. Francis Tumblety."

Chris

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2351956852_7528463761.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2374/2351956858_3b746a404f.jpg

Note: Both photographs from Wikipedia and in the public domain.

[Joe Chetcuti]

Thanks for sharing those photos. That was an impressive picture of Gibbons.