Mexico weekly ledger., 1877-03-29
From Aauenee to Penury.

AZ From Afauence to PERJURY. u.s.
Aa cluster of so Or so men gathered
in Sheriff VIM. c. Cenner'ss room, at
29 Beekman Street, atsl0as O'Clock yes
ternay morning, in response to the Off
eiaf announcement that the wardrobe
Of Mrs. Laura, $. Taylor. widow of the
late James B..Taylor, would be sold by
auction to- satisfy the claim Of Mr..
Charles evlin, q contractor ~ =
The history of Mrs. Taylor's difficult
ties, from which she was brought from
aafiuence to penury, is briefly told. As
executrixe of herhusband,s great estate,
She at once found herself embarrassed
by a multitude Of unsettled claims
against. the property, ands by ID cofftesf
with her. daughter, who disputed the
validity of the viii. Among the cred
.itors Of the estate was OBJ. Mattison,
of Utica, who held notes amounting to
$40, 600, and by a suit begun BY, him
and other creditors in the Supreme
Court, Oneida County, Mrs. Taylor
was pronounced mentally incapable
Of managing The estate, and a receiver
was appointed. A referee was also ap-
pointed to take proof and report con
~cerningg the validity of the claims
against the property. 1t was soon
found that the estate, reduced by mis-
management and legal claims, would
amount to not more than 100000, and
that this sum would be swallowed up
in settling the charges of the receiver,
the fees Of the daughters lawyer, her
guardian, and guardians lawyer, and
the cost of her suit in the courts. Cred
itors swarmed from every side to the
plumber of the estate, and it was de-
clared ~insolvent. Mrs. Taylor was left
penniless. She was compelled in Octo-
Der last to go forth from her Madison
Avenue mansion, and seek the charity
of her friends in the country. 1a
To complete her burden of misfor-
tune, her costly and magnificent ward
robe, which filled nine large trunks,
was attached at the moment when she
was leaving her home. She was left
with only the clothing that was upon
her person. The attachmentwas made
by Mr.. Charles Devlin, who held a
claim Of 81, 40 against Mrs. Taylor for
money that he had loaned her. Mr..
Devlin retained the goods, and they
were offered for public sale yesterday.
They are supposed to be worth at least
$4,000 or $4,000. The price that they
brought under the hammer did not ex-
coed $500 or $500.
AS Sheriff. Conner mounted an arm
less chair, to begin the sale, he was sur
rounded by a rampant of trunks. The
goods, comprising silks, velvets, laces,
linen wear, jewelry, furs, lap robes,
china, ETC., were spread over a long
pile of spades and shovels, that lined
one sidesof the dusky ROOM. The sale
was opened with the disposition of sew
.eral lots OF table cloths, napkins and
ha~ndkerch;efs, and went on to the most
elaborate silk and velvet dresses, whose
beautiful texture and luster not even
the half lighted apartment could con-
ceal. The bidding was brisk, and the
bidders quarreled and swore as they
stamped the mud from their feet and
roughly pulled at the fine fabrics.
Among the goods were over 20 dress
es, nearly all of which were of the finest
silk, in black, green, maroon and law
ender colors, One magnificent black
velvet dress, that cost not less than
$500, was knocked down, after a sharp
bidding, for $50, and two dresses of
green silk, deliberately embroidered,
brought only 80. A splendid rep silk,
which the a~uctioneer called a regular
Dolly Warden, and no mistake" was
sold for S21. Several gauzy light lace
dresses were sold in a lot for so, and
a sealskin mutt brought only IS cents.
A silk velvet cloak went for 1925, lace
curtains for S15 a pair, a fine sealskin
sack for S21, crimson plush and maroon
colored lap robes for a song, and bits
of lace, engravings, shawls, ribbons,
ivory fans, opera glasses, horse blank
cts, bottles of French brandy, and sew
eral sets of jewelry, we're disposed of
at the smallest figures. The trunks
were sold last, and the prices ranged
from IS cents to Sl2.-NeW York Sun.