The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-13
SCOTT LORD ON VANDERBILT
rur fvD0OR LfFE or THE WEiL7HrEsT
MN ~ IIfE UNITED STATES.

IN he t,mnodote vnndcrbiit-"B antei,
,bcn Die therein he Hrii 4" Payi"-Thc
secret History OF the Household heeited
Wh,n the Vanderbilt case, brought by
Ms. Mary Alice la Bdu, in the interest Of
,,r brother Cornelius, was called in tho
,urru-itt'e court, Yesterday. the room was
un'uu II spectators. for II was generally sup
,o4.d mat there would he an adjournment. In
r., M, oi Surrogate Calvin loomcd up the pyra-
,nlal head Of judge Jeremiah y. Black. On
as risht wus Congressman Lord. and on his
81, fhe portly Henry l.. Clinton. Mr.. William
n Vanderbilt sat behind Mr.. Clinton, and ncr-
,ousy handled heavy can" which he occa-
,ioualy lifted to his lips. lis usually placid
nee became red and burning and his china
blue eyes almost glarcd when Mr.. Lord gave ut
crane in his telling. impressive way TO some
pnularly s'4thlng language.
Both sides announced themselves ready.
rhon Mr.. Lord read the list Of witnesses az fol-
lows. Daniel d. Allen tprcscntl. Daniel Drew
no nnswerl. Cornelius Vanderbilt tprrsent).
facob Vanderbilt tno answer. Edwin ID. Wor-
cstcr tho answer. Mr.. Worcester camc ia
,trrwardl Jared Linsly tprcscntl. Mr. Lord
hon said
MAY IT PLEASE THE CouRT: The proponcnt
laving offered his formal proof it is due TO tho
as, that the contestant state briefly thr points
olicd upon hy her in demand ng tho judgment
u this Court. that the prohnt" OF the will of
trnsiius Vanderbilt hr revoked.
To say thnt u man vino hud the capacity to nc
mmulute one hundred millions NJ dollars md
WIZ naturally possessed u vigorous Will had
uhrtcd Ia undu" influence. so that the dlspo-
siton OF his property WIS controlled hynnothrr
pr'a'nis propos, ton which one unWquaintcd
with tine facts would hcsltt" TO believe.
We courcdc at tho outset that n mum can do
what he Will with his own. provided he has the
requisite mental rArac ~ or Is not unduly in
UlH H. However llllAfuUut the ii pt
h iudrsd or to tho ronprnl unlicv and laws oi
his country Yet W. affirm tn there Is no cIsr
on record pros Ut NJ 80 start. ng AN inequality
aud So unjust nnd unnatural dispostion OF
Cornelius Vanderbilt. the t"stntur died. nftnr
accunulnting proprrty-including property he
had given tO the prepayment and res liunrv Legal
re-of the value OF fl0O000O00 He lett him
surviving two sons AMI eight dau- hters who.
sally approved are entitled To equal shares Of
h = estate; and vet. after disposng Of about
10000 IN general and specific lcgaci"s. he
gives. or had given. the vast remalnder-395.
900 OOO-to one ol his sons.
while his will il 80 unjust to his daughters.
The inequality and injustice IA NOR manlt'+t ns
between the sons: both certainly had equal
claims upon him. hut "" affirm that the son who
il pr..ct' ally disinh, rted had the higher claim
~ IN" two. because of a life long and painful
disoas., which. while it has not impaired his
nind. has caus.d him great physical suffering;
Commodore vanderbilt, in his great railroad
projects. the hna's ofhis colossal fortune. relied
upon himself and called neither Of his sons 10
un'' Though n few years ago he called his son,
Within II. Vanderbilt. from the Staten Island
prm b" had given him. Ia take charge Of one of
h roads. vt h" WIS y hut clay in the hands of
rl"it"L II was not unusual when the Com
nulurr cillrd IN trusted en- plOyee, to aid him
H. tn dsiiilf Of some great plan. TO say to him:
80 Don't let William know anything about this
plan until q 5 competed. else he will think that
Yet IA ti,c"nl. To this son he gives such co.
lossi fortune. while TO the other he gives only
hmtol interest in five per cent. income on
two NuutrI thousand uOllur1. tho priupfp.tl
tc.n- but the five hundredth part OF his estate.
CORNELIUS AND HIS SISTERS.
More than this, he subjects him 10 y degrala-
tion Unparalleled in the history of wills In his
sum To- his son Cornelius. leaving the eXpcndi-
ture To- his discretion; tut In this will, caused
hy iuiu noes which Will hereafter appear, he
puts the son bearing his own Christian name
under u vassalage SO odious that every instinct
oil h manhood revolted against II. All the
right Tint he has In such five per cent. interest
Is his maintenance. not one ferthing Of money
can he demand M right II he should live
ndv sed. rought about this result can tell him
whore nc may he fed and clothed. ana when and
where he may 70. That he is capable OF doing
the will apI"Ar when, upon another branch 81
the rasr, il is shown tint after inducing his
brother by the promise Of n million OF dollars TO
withdraw his opposition to the will. he had the
nagnunimty to Oflrr HIM ten cents Oh the doll
lar and denied the making Of tho promise.
Whil" in regard to the daughters TIE injustice
Is not quite so great yet 1t may be- characterized
as sn outrage upon their rights, calling cor
ny fer an b eNanatG2n; t% "Epeaar ih'
his daughters and their children were always
aml"abe, and he very well knew ti!t he had
raised expeditions the $500 900 10 $500 600 he
CAV ut 'rly failed To meet.
when the evidence which has been collected
s all in, "" snail confidently assert either that
Ne i'stator executed his " II under "A delua on
nreety affecting those for whom the law pro-
mind although held 10 his railroad projects bv
lh' tor - OF habit. WAS 10y indulgsn' 20. decisions.
and Diseases. and the consequent sufer.nes or
q ll.ak
subjected To-, aud acted in making the will III
question under the undue influence and control
the rrsidunry lcgatec. More than quart r
plan; he ait'rward aided by tIe fact that.
Ia 10" a'iyhn my years Of his father. desire 70
h. name Of vandrriitH bcraine mania or
dcusIon which OVERRIDE all his sensr Of justice
hnd every s"nt ment ri natural affection.
In regard 10 the hatlts of Commodore Van
seto', It VIII sppear that for many years he
any other ol the intellectual and moral faculties
o the mind.
IN regard 10 the Diseases W tn which he was
ariirt.d Il will bo shown that for many years,
IN addition to several ordinary diseases. h" had
chrnnlr Complaints. causing him great lrrta-
"Brigit's dsoase Of the iidneys "cys,its, -
vii enlarged prostate, and rota hernia.
We ARE advised that the first mentioned Of
urre chronic diseases caus = much distress.
irrtton and weakness: the second, rys-
G s.' m9re mean ~ 'n sl any oInnr
BLni sour re Of lrrlt0t on ana suffering.
W. ma IN the history OF the rHsn," accom-
panying the memoranda of the auto psy''
made II his case, that the Commodore suffered
acui"y from the attic ks OF bearing down and
a,tnhlns; IN fact, acted like woman IN con-
Ill mrut'
W. shall Introduce medical testimony, based
upon the proof relating 10 his Diseases. show
hs rithcr that the medicines necessary to re-
hrv" the pain would greatly impair his mind,
Or mat an tie absence OF such medicine the con-
t'qnnni sunrrings would bring about the same
result. il VIII appear that the deceased took
opmi's, but for how long period may not dis
th,ty appear. IL WIS greatly averse to them,
an would not take them knowingly.
IN regard 10 ~ cystltls," while II In peculiarly
pNhlui and depressing. when nature or mrdi-
cll" brings about a temporary relief. there Is a
Consequent eXatation. This occurred in a
marked degree in this ease. The deceased
would at times act with extraordinary violence
o. temper, regardless Of those around him OF
articles within his reach, and then Tor a time
would le pAcifed and cheerful from the sub
s,i,ncc 81 the pain.
Ihs most trivial events when in his irritable
MOODS would cnrage him almost beyond de-
bribilon.
THE coMMoDoRE's ALLEGED DELUsToNs.
Tho state Of his mind during the last six Ol
e'Nrn years Of his life will also appear from Tho
many decisions 10 which he was subject. II,
"A Nai a..aa. Ia.