Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-19
An ECCENTRIC MANS WILL.
A QuarreIsome aHd Successful Ner.
chants Pesuliartttes- HIS Life Sc
eret Disclosed tn n Contest Before
Surrogate Van Schatck
From the Ne,o York Sun.l

SucfPS&IuI "
chants Peculiarities- HIS life Sc
eret Dtsci0sed TIA n Contest Before
Surrogate Van Schatck.
Prom the Ne,o York S,.n1
little more than q wear ago John II.
Lewis, a well kUown merchant, was thrown
from his carriase and killed while driving
His wealth and business success, not less
tnan his ecceniricities, threw an air OF ro-
marce around bis career and speculations
regarding his lineage were rife: bur even The
city in which he was born was known to only
one or two OF his most intimate friends ard
the reason for his reticence in that respect
was mystery even TO them. His persor al
intimates were selected from the clerks in
PuBiOD Co.'S retail store in Catherine
street, in which he was porter and after
wards a clerk thirty five Years ago. They
knew him as bright, active. diligent. per-
severirg youth. Without advantages of edu-
cation, al d with browner compIexion and
curlier hair than was advantageous in view
OF the Pr tudices then existing against faint
OF negro blood. Rather through force OF his
pleasant manners than through his own as
sertiOns Of purity of race. his peculiarly of
complexion came to be attributed to Moorish
or Indian intefm1Xture. ard with those on
teItaining this belief. at least he Was re-
ceivtd as social equal.
After serving ss clerk and salesman with
Il. 4 W. COCK q Co, and with several Other
dry goods fins. he io1med n cu-partueTsgIp
with two fellow salesmen, John 81. Havii8rd
and William Ii. Lindsey. He proved a. he
an eXactiI & and suspicious partner ard Don
association with him became almost Iutolcr1-
bic. In per- OnSl expenditure he vas lavish
be never married, hut kept mp an expense e
bachelors establishment. fTt queuL1g Il =
monico's and other expensive places Of r,-
sort, where it seemed 20 be his ambition n
exceed all others in wastefulneSS Of d one ..
But business pTOSpeTed with HIM, az ne
grew wealthy rapidly. His tact ard ability
as a salesman were aCk' Owiedged 10 &c rare
but bls unjust suspicion IN business rein tions
made partuership Wi tn him undesirable.
he h1m's anne wss changed from Lewis,
HSNliand Co, "a John ID. Lewis x Co and
When The latter was dissolved the senior
Y 70 TN d 10 a.
real estate ard general SPECULATION from
which he largely increased his wealth. In
ne early history OF the frst-named firm
Lewis absenitd himself for q short time.
ana o Gle knew whittier he had gone. On
his return he male one Of his partners the
repository Cf almost the only confidence of
his life respecting mis- family. II seemed
that he had sore 10 visit his mother, and the
narlie r was infO med that the .Old lady
got rich hat he did not intend to visit her
again. His social history was emphasized
by several breach of promise suits.
once l. evils lad n narrow escape from a
felcn s cell. he had quaIYelod with his part.
lels, and Was negotiating with a merchant
/ CIV well BuCWn IN tie dry goods trade for
admission INTO his hlm. In some way Lewis
became PERSUADED that the gentleman was
prompting breach Of promise suit against
hin, and on night lErte GeSEeradOeS were
arrested near house where the merchant
was wishing. They declared that they had
been hire 10y IAN J.. Lewis to asSasSiuate
the merchant, snd Lewis was accordingly
arTes yea en- The charge of conspiracy 10 muir
der lie was LOGGED in The Old Eldrdge street
jail. ard there held until he had undergone q
prolonged eXamiT alton.
After bis death, paper drawn in his own
hsLuWTltlIg ard purrOrting TO be his will,
was oltTtd for probate. His property was
valued at $4,000. AT least twenty five
yGuT women lnsT ected the document IN the
suTTt gales office, and went away in sorrow,
Their lanes OF being mentioned IN IL. The
document gave TO Francis Wilder, formerly
Lewis porter $1,000; Lewis Lake, a name
O. no !. Fs I (rc.og
Ior lhe Il sta or, $500; Daniel I. Walden, an
eX' cutor Sl,OtO. Tie will continues:
"A the rest, residue and remainder of my
estate, direct 10 be invested by my eyecIi-
tors and the interest ard income thereof to
be paid 10y them to Miss Taylor until she is
lawfully married, and should she have child
reh AT her cCatE, the interest direct To be
pa III III q pro rata share to her children
AND then, after directing the purchase ola
plOi IN Green wood Cemetery and the erection
OF suitable monument at a reasonable cost,
lie testatOT continues: In The event Of Miss
Ial lrr dying before she IS lawfully married,
L desire her inferred IN my plot in Green
Woo: ana then desire he rest, residue. and
remainder OF my estate TO be spent IN the
decoration Of the plot where we are buried"
CidFr Inc strict letter OF The terms OF the
Will Miss Taylor is beneficiary only until
she is married, and her children are beue-
nciaIltS Only III case she remains unmarried. /
Inls Is the clause upon which good lawyers
became convinced that a sa0guineo1s
nor might successfully con test The will |
MISS Taylor is az inmate of convent in /
eStCheSter county. 1t occurred tOOne OF /
MI Lewis former legal advisers, on looking I
INTO the Will, that Mir. Lewis, while close
pressed under examination as a witness in |
oie OF his breach or promise suits, admitted !
having been born in or near Toronto. 4 |
personal was inserted in a Canadian news
paper asking Information of the next of kin |
10 John ID. Lewis, of New York and thence |
II TUNED out that Lewis was the son or a |
woman WHO was slave near Wheeling, Va
She was more white than black but her slave !
husband was a fuIl-b!oOded negro By him |
She pad two children, Henry Lewis and Mary |
Lewis Her slave husband was claimed as |
a fugitive and returned TO Kentucky. Saran |
Lewis lied with her children to Simcoe near |
toronto. She there became the mistress Of !
a wealthy Canadian, and ne was the father |
OF John ID. Lewis. Tins Henry and Mary |
Lewis have become the contestants of John |
ID. Lewis will, claiming as the legitimate !
children OF Sarah Lewis, who is dead.
Madame MecTahOn