The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-02-11
From the New York Sun. Jan. 9. ]

Z
of IVealth-Nine Children I'm an Avenue
! Residence and Five i'm a Brooklyn Tene-
| ment.
/ From the New York Sun, Jan. %.
| Two widows, one rich, and living in an
| elegant house at 10 Second Avenue, and
! the other poor, living in tenement in an
obscure part of Williamsburgh, are in
contest in the Brooklyn Supreme Court,
/ through their lawyers, over the wealthy
estate of Henry Shields, late a well known
/ flour and produce merchant in New I ork,
and former President of the Produce Ex-
| change, who died March 10, 1874, over
sixty years of age. A plain, uneducated
woman, who says her name is Jane
Shields, has instituted suit in the Su-
preme Court for dover from the estate of
MIR. Shields and an inheritance for her two
children, whom she asserts were born to
him as their father and her husband over
thirty years ago.
Henry Shields came to New Y Ork from
Ireland when he was twelve years old. He
found employment as soon as he landed
with Quaker produce firm in the lower
part of the city and as he was smart,
active, industrious boy, the Quakers push
ed him forward, and he soon became their
favorite. The only thing they did not like
about young Shields was the Catholic
faith which he professe], and after years of
kindness and patronage they persuaded
to join the Quakers, and he put on the
road-brim hat.
HAVE NE AND WILL HAVE YOU.
In 1854, at the house of Mrs. Margaret
Westerfield, he met Jane Valentine, a
pretty girl fifteen years old, sister of
Mrs. Westerfield. Shields was nearly
thirty years of age, and had become car
ter OF flour for three large produce houses
in West Street. He had stored away enough
of his earnings to warrant his taking wife,
and he began to WOO Jane Nalen-
tine. She liked his honest face and
plain, industrious way, and after
few months courting and a long
series of consultations with her sister, her
parents being dead, she told Shields she
would marry him if her sister said so.
Mrs. Westertield said yes, and the two met
at her house one Sunday afternoon, gath
cred about them some witnesses, and pro-
ceeded to marry each other as by the Qua
ker rite.
Henry Shields said, g In the presence Of
these witnesses 1 take this woman to be
my wife,
Jane Valentine said, . In the presence of
these witnesses | take this man to be my
husband"
So they were married. A certificate was
signed by the witnesses, and Mrs. Wester-
field gave them a little reception, and Hen
ry Shields and his wife Jane went to a
cheap boarding house.
DOUBT ABOUT THE QUAKER CEREMONY.
Soon after they were settled, Shields
went to Mrs. Westerfield and asked her
why she did not visit them. Mrs. Wester-
field said that she did not like the Quaker
ceremony, and she did not believe they
were married at all by it. Shields said
that no priest could do it better and marry
them better, and he showed the certificate
signed BY the groom and bearing the vile 5
mark, and the signatures of the witnesses.
He said that this paper was proof enough
of the marriage. and his sister-in-laW said
that she was satisfied with it.
After a few years life in New York
Shields and his wife took cheap house in
Williamsburgh, and moved with the son
| that had been born to them. He lived
with his wife there for twelve years, and
in that time she gave birth to four more
children. AS Shields prOSpered in his
work and grew Independent of the Qua
kerS' patronage, he also grew Independent
of their religion, and returned to the CATH
Olic faith. All of his children were bap-
Z
names were written in the church register
as children Of Henry and Jane Shields.
His good fortune was surprising, and his
fast-increasing wealth lifted him into a
more educated society than his unlettered
wife gave him, and he grew purse proud.
/ He was a handsOmer-lOOking man than
most men who have worked themselves to
Opulence through privatiOn, and he found
a number OF business friends willing to in
trOduce him into their fImilies. He kept
his first marriage a secret, visited Will
liamsburgh only at intervals, and passed for
a wealthy bachelor.
DESERTED AFTER TWELVE YEARS.
A year after the birth of her youngest
child Mrs. Shields heard that lady in New
York was receiving her husbands atten-
tiOns. and that he had promised to marry
her. She told him the story, and says that
he replied to her that she was not his law
ful wife, and that he could marry any
other woman he chose. He said that they
had no prie t, as she remembered, and that
in their experience in the Catholic Church
she knew that no one could be married
without a priest, and that two persons
could not say they would have each other
and marry without priest. He told her
that if she said any thing about it, she
would get into trouble, and promised to
support her and the children if she would
keep still, and threatened to take all her
property away from her if she said any
thing. She could not understand this
very well in her ignorance, but she knew
what money was and so acceded to ShieldS's
request, and he left with her a sum of
money, which he doubled every few
months, giving her enough to support her
children respectfully. She soon heard that
he had married the New York lady, and
believing that she had lost all legal claim
on him as her husband, made no effort to
see him or disturb his peace.
THE TWO SHIELDS FAMILIES.
As twenty-five years passed by, Shields
grew in wealth and repute, became mem-
| ber of the Produce Exchange, and then its
| President, and was well known in mer-
| camille circles His second wife bore him
nine children, and they lived at ITO Second
| Avenue in the best of style, and in society
| his children were and are noticed for their
remarkable physical beauty, and their
mental culture. Jane Shields, in her tene-
ment life, received a support from the
wealthy merchant, and raised her family
as best she could. Two of her children
died; her Oldest son was killed in the war,
and a son and daughter are still living.
Mr.. Shields did not lose his affection for
| his children, and they visited him fire.
quentIy at his New York office. The son
was the prototype of his half-brother, the
oldest of Mr.. Shields's children by his
second wife, and they were mistaken fire.
quently one for the other. The daughters
| face was woman's likeness of her fathers
/ features. She married some time ago. and
| Just before Mr.. Shieldss death he visited
/ her in her Brooklyn home.
WHAT WAS SEEN IN CENTRAL PARK.
! He did not call on his first wife, and the
only time she saw him in twenty years
was Oh summers day in Central Park,
when he drove by in a splendid carriage,
/ in which was his wife and three children.
/ Jane Shields hid behind the shrubbery,
and though she saw her husband, was not
| seen.
Nearly year ago Mr.. Shields died in his
Second Avenue residence. His obituary
was in the newspapers, and large throng
attended his funeral. After his burial his
family opened his will and read in it that
he bequeathed his estate to his children.
1t appointed Mr.. J. Gelston as an execu-
ter. and provided that after all debts were
rIa ha Hiefrihnta6