LURE OF MILLIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

LURE OF MILLIONS.

MODERN JARNDYCE CASE. YOUNG MAN'S OBSESSION. LONG SEARCH FOR FORTUNE." j PENNILESS AND NO WORK. Stolidly working their lives through but with hearts heavy with disappointment and disillusionment, there arc peoplo in various parts of Great Britain to-day who onco fondly dreamed of claiming large fortunes left by their supposed ancestors. Many of these have allowed their lifosavings to trickle through their fingers in efforts to establish their claims —some have ruined their careers over , tho same efforts—most have bad cause to regret "dabbling" in such romantic ventures and aspirations. In some respects the remarkable story which follows is reminiscent of Dickens' novel " Bleak lloiisc," and tho famous Chancery caso " Jarndyco v. Jarndyce" mentioned therein. Tho story which is told in tho Sunday News is that eft tho bitter fight of a still young ex-soldior who has spent six years trying to lay claim to a hugo fortuno of £21,000,000, and finds himself now almost penniless and without work. Living with his yonng and attractive wife and their 18-months-old baby in one room at a seaside town on tho Suffolk coast is a man who dreams of ono day possessing many millions of pounds, but who cannot at tho moment find sufficient to pay the train faro back to London. He is Mr. Ernest Henry Rogers, and ho claims to be entitled to a largo share in something like £21,000,000, tho roputed Jaques fortuno in Chancery. Young and Active Ex-soldier. When the writer travelled to Walton, near Felixstowe, where Mr. Rogers is at present living, ho expected to meet an aged man and to hear tho oft-recurring and vague story of endeavours to claim a big fortuno supposed to be existent in tho United States or Australia. Instead ho was greeted by a comparatively young and alert ex-soldier —he_ is still in the thirties —whoso two chief traits aro an unshakablo determination to proceed with his "caso" and a cheery spirit in adver--1 sity. In addition, tho fabulous wealth he confidently visualises as his future possession is lying tucked away in Britain—at least, he is looking, no further than tlioso shores to provide it. For tiio Inst six years Mr. Rogers has dedicated his wholo endeavours to establishing his claim to tho reputed great and ever-growing fortunes left by the old Huguenot family of Jaques and their descendants, from whom, ho avers, ho is directly descended. These properties and moneys ho beliovcs to bo lockea up in Chancery. During tlioso six years Mr. Rogers has literally haunted Somerset House, the Law Courts, lawyers' offices, country churchyards and parish church vestries, searching and ever searching, explaining and arguing, and writing day in and night through. Right cn Top of the Goal.

In tho process Mr. Rogers has paid out hundreds of pounds in legal fees, collected many hundreds of documents and letters, and tramped many scores of miles without food or drink when funds have been wanting. " Now," to use his own words, which were accompanied by a dramatic gesture with bis hands, " I am right on top,of the goal, but lacking the few pounds—they could probably bo counted on tho fingers—necessary to make tho great score with." Nevertheless, so convinced is Mr. Rogers, in his own mind that victory is within reach that he is, as ho vehemently remarked, prepared to expend his last breath in tho fight, despite any hardships he may yet have to encounter. " I promised my mother on her deathbed that I would see it through," ho said, "and I will, whatever comes. My relatives and influential people with money liavo helped mo with hundreds of pounds, which have all gono in collecting documentary evidcnco and legal fees. Now my people have come to the end of their savings, and because it has lieeu such a long and involved fight others with money have dropped out. We came to Felixstowe to search church registers here appertaining to some of the property, and hero we aro stuck for want of funds."

About two years ago Mr. Rogers and his wife, carrying only a heavy case of documents—of which ho lias over a thousand—and a few personal belongings, tramped together from London to Ipswich, thence to Norwich. Lowestoft and Yarmouth, and back again to London — al distance in all of over 200 miles. Most of tho time, without money, except for a few shillings now and again, they lived on blackberries gathered from the hedgerows, and "slept rough." Once Earning a Good Income. Mr. Rogers' account of this extraordinary feat of endurance in itself testifies to his determination, and he was sincere in paying tributes to the, remarkable pluck and cheerfulness during the ordeal of his young and charming wife. He can tell many other stories, also, of his tramps into various parts of the country for the purpose of scraping age-old tombstones, to obtain evidence 'for his claim when he was bereft of funds. The Jaqucs properly, to which Mr. Rogers says he believes ho is entitled through his deceased mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Rogers—formerly Jaqucs—is chiefly in North London and in Hertfordshire, where there aro estates bearing the name of Jaqucs. Mr. Rogers has made an issue of bonds on tho strength of his claim to the vast fortunes in his endeavour lo raise funds to continue his battle. Before the war he was a traveller for a firm of jewellers, and earned upwards of £lO a week. 110 joined the army in August, 1914, aiul served in France, being invalided out in 1915. For several years afler he left the army Mr. Rogers served as a tram-driver in various parts of tho country, including London, and in 1923 ho decided to dedicate himself to amassing documents and pursuing tho claim of his family to tho vast fortunes he believes they are entitled to.