Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-11-22
The Vanderbilt Case

The Vanderbilt Case
Is now fairly under way. The suit
was brought by Mrs. LIE Bau, one of
the daughters who refused to compro-
mise with William H., her claim being
that the old man was under undue in,
fluence in giving his $10o,OoO,O 900 to
the son, and that to bring this about
William III. conspired to misrepresent
Cornelius. Scott Lord, her lawyer.
admits that the Commodore did not
like Cornelius because of his habits,
but asserts that four years before his
death he relented, and determined to
make an equal division, at least as
between the sons. To prevent. this,
William employed a man TO person
ate Cornelius, and frequent all the
brothels and faro banks in the city.
The statement that Cornelius had re
lapsed was brought to the ears of the
Commodore, who Immediately in
structed William to employ detect
i've to determine the truth of the re.
ports. William did employ detect
i've who had never seen Cornelius, the
man who was personating Cornelius
was pointed out to him as Cornelius,
and he was followed and all his do
iDgs were reported to the Commodore
as those of his son. This so enraged
him that he cut him off with the in
come of 100000, and he left nine
tenths of the estate to William. 1t is
also charged that the old man was
under the control of women, and thus
William took advantage of that fact
and furnished his father with women
who were in his interest, going so far
as to put one in his house for the old
man, and. that he might have her So
ciety uninterrupted, conniyed at plac-
ing his mother, the Commodore's
first wife, in a lunatic asylum. Find
ing his father inclined to spiritualism,
he brought Woodruff and Clafiin to
him, and-but there's too much to
enumerate. The sum and substance
of the statement is, that the old man
was a licentious, sensual old beast,
and that William pandered to his
vices for the purpose of controlling
him, and shutting out the other child
rem. Public opinion is pretty much
all one way. William H. Vanderbilt
is very unpopular man, while Cor
nelius would be popular were it not
for the escapades of his youth and
early manhood. Sympathy goes.with
the contestants, for everybody be-
lieves that there must be something
wrong in disposition of an estate so
monstrously out of proportion. The
trial will last long time, and be one
of the nastiest on record. The con-
testants have magazine of testimony
which, if they can establish the half
of it, will show the old Commodore
to have been as weak in some re-
spects as he was strong in others, and
William the most miserable pimp that
ever breathed. But can they estab-
lish it? That's the question. The
best legal talent in the country is en-
gagged. Henry l.. Clinton conducts
the case for William III. and Scott
Lord and Jeremiah Black for the con.
testants. 1t is everywhere the topic
of conversation, and great many
people connected with it have been
immoJalized in the pictorial papers.
One hundred millions of dollars is a
great deal of money, and the fight
over it will be long and bitter.
One Cent Dinner
New York is very expensive
place to live, but one may get on
very cheap, now. An enterprising
woman last week made some figures
and decided that she could make
money furnishing dinners for cent,
and she opened place on Grand
street, on that idea One cent is the
price for each disb--a plate of beans,
a bowl of soup, piece of pie, boiled
cabbage, each plate one cent. The
first day over five hundred news
boys and bootblacks fed there, and
it was a curious sight. One boy had
% cents, which was intended for ad-
mission to cheap theatre; but when
be got into the place he commenced
on plate of beans, then bowl of
soup, then a piece of pumpkin pie,
then piece of mince, and SO on, till
his quarter was all gone. Getting
off bis stool, he patted his stomach
approvingly, with the remark 81
love the Dramar, but she's got to
go tonight. It's well enough to cul-
tivate the stumick once in a while,
and not do everything for the intel
lect." The result has been so salts
factory that the enterprising lady |
has opened branch, and in little
while they will be all over the city. |
and the Weather.
Business continues good, through |
the passage of the silver bill by the
house unsettled things somewhat.
Merchants don't exactly know what
effect 1T will have on business, and
hey are little cautious. The wealth
Or is remarkable. The middle of
November is as mild as q pleasant
June. We shall pay for all this
olessedness, presently.