Transcription
Doc. No. 4
Ferdinand V. Sanford
Attorney and Counsellor at Law Office over First National Bank
Warwick, N Y
Warwick, Orange County NY. Sep. 11, 1821
[Imprint of notary seal: "F.V. Sanford
Warwick Orange Co. N.Y."]
Mr. Christian Podlatis,
In care of Heil Anstalt,
Friedrichsberg, Hamburg, Germany.
Dear Sir: -
Replying to your favor of 19th ultimo, beg to say, that your letter was handed to me by the postmaster of Chester, where I have an office, and I have made considerable inquiry in reference to the death of your unfortunate brother, and find that the facts of his death are substantially as stated by you.
I went to the Doctor who attended him, and obtained the enclosed duplicate certificate of his death. I also enclose a little newspaper notice, which is all the press notice, I have been able to obtain.
I learned from a reliable party, that he was given a decent and respectable Christan [sic] burial, on July 27, 1891, in the Chester Cemetery. The Rev. O. A. Merchant, pastor of the Meth[blotched] Episcopal Church conducted the funeral, (Protestant) and Mess[blotched] Fred Vollmer, Charles Miller, John Opel, Peter Mazarksy, were the pallbearers, Mr. W. A. Hawthorn (his late employer) and Isaac Winters attended the funeral. Mr. Hawthorn paid all of the funeral expenses, the doctor's bill, and purchased a place in the Chester Cemetery for his remains. I learned that there was about $20, due him from his employer, but that this amount was used as far as it would go in payment of his funeral expenses; in fact [blotched] amount was insufficient to pay the same, and Mr. Hawthorn paid the balance himself.
He was buried in his best suit of clothes, and there are no clothes left worth mentioning, except his old working suit, which is of very little value. The clothes which he left, and a few letters, together with a little memorandum book are in the possession of Mr. Fred. Vollmer, whose address is Chester, Orange County, N. Y. I saw Mr.
Vollmer and had a conversation with him, and he informed me that he had written a letter to you, giving you the full particulars of your brother, Leopold's death. Mr. Vollmer is an entirely reliable business man of Chester, and whatever he has written you you may put perfect confidence in. He is a respectable businessman, and is worth some property, and is very much thought of in that place.
With reference to your inquiry about your brother's loss of his ticket and money, before his arrival at New York, I was unable to learn anything more than you have stated in your letter.
As to his late employer, I learned that he is a very nice kind of a man, and took the greatest interest in giving your brother a respectable funeral, and felt his loss very keenly.
Trusting that these facts may give you the desired information and awaiting any further requests, I am,
Yours truly,
F. V. Sanford
Podlatis/Schoelzke Families 72