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Show Died Hungry With $250,000 in Bank Fortune Found by Chance In Hunt for Burial Funds. CHICAGO. Chelstino Chiesa, 75, who lived the life of a penniless penni-less recluse, was buried recently, 24 hours after a rusty key found in his ragged trousers unlocked a bank deposit box and disclosed that he had left an estate of $250,000. Indications were that most of the money will go to charity. Chiesa, who lived in a 20 cents a day flophouse on S. State street, died in the Cook county hospital. His death was attributed to debility and malnutrition. Investigators found documents indicating in-dicating that he had amassed the fortune from $13,500 which he had inherited in 1900 from his father. Acquaintances said Chiesa was so penurious that he was known to walk miles to save carfare. It was by chance that the fortune was uncovered, said Probate Judge John F. O'Connell. After his death, John T. Dempsey, public administrator, administra-tor, ordered an investigation to determine de-termine whether Chiesa had left funds for his burial. Investigators went to his 5 by 6 foot fourth floor room. The key was the only article found in his trousers and it was recognized rec-ognized as the type used by a Loop bank for its safety deposit boxes. Bank officials said Chiesa had been a depositor for more than 20 years and that his savings account of more than $8,000 had but few withdrawals. The safety deposit vault which the key opened yielded packages of stocks, bonds and other holdings that totaled more than $250,000. A will found in the box, dated March, 1924, left the estate, less a $500 bequest to the Catholic archbishop arch-bishop of Chicago, to a brother and a sister,' John and Mary Chiesa, both deceased. The will stipulated, in the event of their death, that the estate was to go to the archbishop, as trustee, to keep the principal invested and devote the income to the poor. One known surviving relative, a nephew, Detective Anthony Eck-ert, Eck-ert, said that he was unaware of his uncle's wealth. He said he had not seen him for five years. Chiesa formerly was an elevated railway guard. |
