New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-07
1NnrnER GlRAED WLLL 80.

Litigation about Stephen Grard's Will promises to
be endless Fourteen heirs-at-law OF the old mer-
chart-sovcn of them French ard seven OF them
YanAces-hayc ast0aished tie city Of Philadelphia
by bringing against 1t bill in equity the directors
Of aAo CITY Trust being joTed as respondents What
The fourteen are after is all the real estate owned
by Girard when he died. Also all income
above the expenses of GIrard College for
the last twenty years. hey consider them-
selves entitled to The property, on the groud
that the contingencies on winch the devise
was made have failed. They set forth that GIa.d
limited the college buildings tO one, with other
buildings necessary for the maintenance OF the
children instructed i'm this one college; that the
VIII forbade the sale OF any part OF the Pnladel-
phia realty: that rents outside of Philadelphia
should be employed in repairing the Philadelphia
estate and in erecting building, the remainder
b,iugcxncudcd on the Delaware front. Then aitera
ltt nf $500 900 10 the State, the remainder, with
lis income, should have been USED toward maintain
in and improving the college; toward enabling the
city o increase the sccuityOt The citizens and heir
prnpcrty and finally toward decreasing taxation. Ii
the city failed to observe these provisions, the re-
maiuder should have been forfeited to the Common
wealth As buildings for the accommodation otOther
orohaus are in process of erection, making It I'M
possible 70 apply the whole income of the college,
and Ms the devise TO the municipality ls void they
hold that the yearly surplus belongs to the hers-at-
law.
The reader not being Philadelphia lawyer, may
not find this statement particularly clear; but 1he
facr remains that the dreadful bill IN equity has
been brought and that an American case OF Jarn-
dyce against Jamdyce is possible. there viii be no
end of trials, hearings pleadngs, repcations, re-
buffers sur-rcbutters rcioudcrs and surreOinders,
a u lafrnl lFaN
There will be decisions this point and that and
leave will be given to amend on payment of costs; ;
things will be sent down to a master; other things
poss big will be given to jury large additions will
he made to the Pennsylvania Heports, already sufi
GENTLY vouminons; numbers of lawyers on each
side will make snug fortunes ont of the long
drawn out litigation; aud possibly, after more
than a mOiety of the money in dispute has
been used up, there will be some kind OF
"a decision, grateful to petitioner respondent,
no human being can tell which. 1t IS
lucky for people that old Stephen cannot rise
from the sepuchre to express his opinion OF these
ransactiOns-unless, indeed, they have passion
for being addressed in broken English of great
severity. Whatever else the money maker intended,
ne certainly did not intend to saddle his estate with
"A series of long and costly lawsuits. In this case
they are a shame and an Opprobrium. and an
insult to his memory. Whatever else became
of his money. It is incOnceIvable that
he intended that any one of these fourteen claim
ant, should receive one shilling of it, That any of
them should have the least cnauce OF getting it, is
melancholy evidence of the intirmity Of the law.
What with the assaults upon the Vanderbilt and
Stewart estates, and this last attempt TO disturb
will nearly half u century prObated, those who
haven't dollar to leave anybody may well con-
gratulate themselves on their poverty.