Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-11-24
yANDERBILT"s WILL.


The dispatches furnish us with the
further proceedings yesterday in the
Surrogates Court over Commodore
Vanderbilts will. 1t seems shat his
wealth at the time of his death was COM
puted at one hundred millions-an a
mount Of money so immense and unnat-
ural for one man that it furnishes a text
if not platform for every communist
organization in the world. This vast
weath-eqnal to the whole realty and
personally of the city of Wheeling and
the four Panhandle counties-he distrib-
uted most unequally, giving, it is said,
to his eldest son William ninety-tve
millions, and all the rest of his children,
nine in number, only five millions.
OF course a man in this free country
even a millionaire-has right TO
make such will as he pleases as be-
tween his children. He can say in the
language of Scripture, sis it not lawful
for me to do what | will with mine
own!" We answer, yes: but while 1t is
thus lawful TO make such monstrous
discrimination between those who are
equally near to him, no man who does
SO need expect to rest in peace as re-
spects acquiescence III his will, If there is
the least possible chance to contestlt.
1t seems that there are some grounds
upon which to contest Vanderbilts will
NOT very strong grounds it must be
admitted, but sufficient, perhaps, in the
powerful hands of such lawyers as Scott
Lord aud Judge Black TO bring out all
the mental and moral deformities of the
great testator's character. For instance,
we read in the first days proceedings
before the Surrogate, the following dis
closures:
Mr.. Lord, in his address, admitted
that it seemed hazardous to say that
man who had accumulated one hundred
million dollars, and was famous for his
strength of will, had not the power to
dispose of his fortune Yet there was
not on record more unjust disposition
of large estate. The deceased Com
modore left two sons and eight daugh-
ters, who, under the statutes, were enti-
tied to equal shares of the property,
but to one of his SONS he gave ninety
five millions. lie then asserted that the
lucky William was responsible for his
fathers will. When the first contest
occurred he offered his brother Corne-
lius one million if he would not press
his claim, and then afterwards offered
him but 10 per cent and denied the first
promise. Commodore Vanderbilt's sick
spells were described; cystitis was one
of the diseases he suffered from. 1t
caused him to writhe, and he frequently
acted like woman suffering from labor
pains. Sometimes the Commodore ex-
hibited very violent temper. In his
fis of fury he created havoc among the
furniture. That his intellect was weak,
Mr.. Lord asserted, was shown in the
fact that he was a believer in Spiritual
ism-not in its higher phases, but in its
lowest types. He spent thousands of
dollars on clairvoyants. After his sec
ond marriage in 1869 he became silly
on occasions.
The counsel then said: 'Alore than
twenty-five years ago Cornelius Wander.
bilt became enamored of a governe5s,
and TO get the mother of his children
out of the way, had her sent to luna
tic asylum. William Ii. was the only
child of the old man who sided with
him and against his mother in the mat
ter In talking Of this affair, William
said he sympathized with his mother,
but that it was not question OF sym
pathy with him, but one of self inter-
est"
Daniel 3. Allen, who married Miss
Ethlinda Vanderbilt, was the first wit
ness. He remembered conversation
with the Commodore about his will.
He was sitting in the Commodore's Of
fec one day when the old gentleman re-
marked: daniel, when l die there'll
be hell to pay"
"He seems to have been a prophet"
interpoiated the Surrogate.
The trial bids fair to last long time,
and much scandal is expected to come
ont ff IL