A MISER RAG MERCHANT.

Thames Advertiser, Volume IX, Issue 2313, 28 March 1876, Page 3

A MISER RAG MERCHANT.

The Journal des Mats relates a.story of a'rag-merchant having died a few days ago at Cannes, leaving a fortune'of 400,000fr., to the surprise rather of his nearest relatives, who had not suspected any such good luck. On the day of his death this Crcesus in tatters, feeling the end drawing near,, had called for a notary, wh6 promply appearing at tho bedside of the dying man, and with the assistance of some' witnesses present, was in the act of drawing up a will for the disposition of the rag-mer-chant's possessions, when, in the middle of his dictations, the sick man came to a sudden stop, and expired without divulging the names of his intended -ifeirs. : la the course of last week the relatives of tho dead man, all very poor; working peoplq iu the lowest class of life, arid in Jhe absence of a will the presumptive heirs to all his property made their appearance at Cannes, when, at their request and their presence, the authorities -proceeded with the execution of an inventory of all the effects kept by tho late rag merchant, The first brought to light property in tho shape of rent lists, mortgage oou-, pons payable to. bearer, shares of all sorts, banknotes, gold and silver,coin to the amount of 300,000fr. The second day the relatives, who could hardly realise, or believe in their good fortune, had some more surprises. Inside a very insignificant piece of furniture they found an earthen-, ware'pot filled to the brim with gold Louis d'ors to the amount of. 15,000fr. In a cupboard they also found a large quantity of cloth and packages'of folded sheeting. On one of the inheritors .calling on the notary to have them-counted, he proceeded to unfold the packet of sheets, when out of one of them dropped some, papers, representing in rent titles and shares another sum of 90,000fr. By the saving habits of their dead relative the inheritors thereby found themselves transferred from a state of poverty to affluence.