The Hermit’s Missing Millions

OLYMPIA, April 30.—Special.—P. M. Troy, a young attorney of this city, formerly of Port Angeles, suddenly finds himself heir to an enormous fortune, stated at $4,000,000. Mr. Troy is a son of Smith Troy, of Clallam county, who was years ago neighbor to the eccentric hermit Ansel White. White lived in a log cabin on his ranch of 140 acres for twenty years. He died on May 18 at the age of 73 and was buried in the ground on which he had lived so long.

Seven or eight years ago he made a will naming P. M. Troy, then living with his father, as sole heir and legatee, out of regard for Smith Troy and a special liking for the younger Troy. The will was properly attested and is now in Troy's possession. At the time of making it, White owned the ranch, a large number of books, and, it was thought, considerable money. Just before his death, however, he sold the ranch for a nominal price, retaining a life interest in it. At his death he was supposed to have a considerable sum of money in his possession, but none was ever found, and his books had disappeared. Search was made, but no trace could be found. His neighbors believe that he buried both money and books somewhere on his ranch.

Before coming to Washington, White made some money in California, but when he left San Francisco he said nothing of his destination. As the San Francisco papers stated, it was supposed that Ansel White was one of the unknown bodies found floating in San Francisco harbor. During the past two years W. Pierrepont White, son of Ansel White's nephew, has been searching for the lost heir or for conclusive evidence of his death. He was traced from his home in New York to Missouri and thence to California, where all trace was lost. The nephew advertised in the San Francisco papers and in the Post-Intelligencer, and from the description in the latter paper C. F. Clapp, of Seattle, recognized Ansel White as a rancher of Dungeness. He telegraphed the information to Mr. White at San Francisco, and that gentleman came to Port Angeles to meet County Auditor John W. Troy, brother of P. M. Troy. The identity of the dead man was fully established, and Pierrepont White left at once for New York, saying that within two weeks two attorneys would be sent to secure conclusive data so that the will might again be probated and the $4,000,000 divided among sixteen heirs who had waited fifteen years for the information.

A complication arises, however, in the will whereby Ansel White leaves all his property to P. M. Troy. At the time of making the will there is little probability that the old man knew the New York estate was his. These facts do not affect the will: it was executed in accordance with law and its witnesses are still living.

PORT TOWNSEND, April 30.—Neighbors and friends of Ansel White state positively that White made no fewer than three wills to as many different persons. Usually, for some trivial favor, he would make out a will leaving all his property unconditionally to his benefactor's child. Then, if something went wrong, he would change the beneficiary. He was regarded as eccentric. Shortly before his death he sold his farm, retaining a life interest in a few acres.