The New York herald., 1879-02-01
ALICE SWIF7'S FORTUNE.
How a Grocer's Wife Became the
Heiress of Two Millions.
AND STILL SELLS BARLEY.
A Curious Family History OF
Three Generations.
AND STILL SELLS BAR

bate yesterday in the Surrogate's Office and tha
amount of the property devised was stated to be
100000. So large estate, devised absolutely and
entirely to one person. as it was. excited small in
terest among the officials of the Office and Mrs.
Alice Swift the executrix and sole legatee who pre
sented the will. told willingly enough most roman
tic story of the estate The will itself is brief docu.
ment drawn up after the usual forms. and reads as
follows-
Catherine M Ann Whelan Of the city, ccanty and State
$.ss publish III; dIsss
empower and direct my executor and eSeearx hesnai
real and mixed property that and
Of or entitled to- both in the & United States Of
situated at the time of and from the
''e pay hereby sss and @
o~os s"a s @ ssy 90 s %
Of my said estate to have and hold the same to her and
appoint owen and Ass
ns ely OF & % 5 M ans
hereby feSokng al other or former Wills by me made
this 4th day of October, 1878 and aai xed my seal
The will is witnessed by George r. Haydock, Eliza
Manley and Lizzie Sellers, all of this city.
AN UNEQUAL MARRIAGE.
The story of the estate as told by the executrix in
the Surrogates Office, and obtained from the counsel
(who. singuarly enough, desired that their names
should not be mentioned is, that over half century
ago Miss Caroline HILL the grandmother of the tes.
tatrix eloped with her fathers butler and married
him. James Clarence Hill. the father of this BRIDE
was a clergyman Of the Church Of England. and was
the owner of handsome fortune in which was in.
cluded noble estate styled Hazel Court situated in
Hertfordshre, England He had three children
son and two daughters. The sons name is not
known, but the daughters were Sarah and Caroline.
Coroline, who was the heroine of the elopement is
described as having been handsome and remark.
ably talented young woman. whose society was
much courted. and who might, had she chosen, have
married in her own station in life. There was how
ever, young Irishman named Thomas Whelan, en-
ployed butler in the household, who was also
handsome, and of manners and intelligence superior
to what might have been expected Of butler and he
it who eloped with his masters daughter and
married her. There were born Of this marriage i've
children the eldest of whom boy named
james. Mr.. Hill was enraged ut first, but, like the
obdurate father in the comedies he relented after
time and took the young couple home to live with
him. Here they remained until the boy James was
nine years old, when they removed to Limerick and
lived there for dozen years or so. when they came
to New York
A LONG RANGE.
In 1858. the story goes Mr. Hill died. leaving will
by the terms of which the estate of Hazel Court should
pass in fee simple to the Oldest child the Oldest child
OF his daughter Caroline and her husband Thomas
Whelan. at such time as the said Oldest child. &C..
should attain the age of twenty years. James
Whelan being the first issue of the marriage between
Thomas and Caroline Whelan. it followed that his
Oldest child. II he should have one, would be the
heir to the estate and after the family had
America he married.
Among the neighbors of the Whelans in Limerick
was family named Murphy, in which were two
bonny daughters, Catherine aud Alice. The MUIR
phys came to America shortly after the Wheans and
crime developed into a courtship which was
followed by marriage. Alice Murphy in the
wellto-do young grocer. The birth of the child to
whom should fall the great estate in England was
anxously looked for for the terms of the will
known, and in due time it was born. It proved to
be girl, and was named Catherine Ann Whelai.
This girl is the tesatrix of the will presented yester.
day. and the property was to be hers on her attaining
her majority At this point, Of course the date OF
her birth comes in question and sngularly enough,
there s in the story told to the HERALD
Mrs. Swift afterward. The lawyer stated that
the girl was born on March %. 1857; he
said that 1t was "about two months ago: we don't
know exactly" Mrs. Swift. however. says that the
July. The viii it viii be en- noticed @ says y that at the ths
testatrix was 'of the age of twenty-one years and
upward at the time Of executing the document.
which the 4th of October last 1t probable
that this point will be hook on which litigation will
be likely to hang.
Another child also a daughter. born to James
Whelan, but died in its infancy. The heress, how
ever grew up, although she was always delicate and
II was question whether she would live to inherit
the property. Some fourteen years ago her mother
died and she cared for by her aunt. Mrs. Swift
"
that time she lived with her aunt entirely up to the
time she died. In consideration Of the motherly
care she had rcceived and for the love she bore to
this aunt she made her will. devising all her estate
to her.
Mrs. Swift was found yesterday afternoon by tho
reporter Weighing out some barley for customer in
the little grocery store at No. 500 Second avenue.
kept by her husband. The shop is of the smallest,
being about ten feet by twenty in size, and is well
stocked with the usual goods to be in store
where the poorer class of people buy their provi-
sions. few hams hung on hooks outside the door,
I..I
the inner edge OF the sidewalk while grocers wagon
Of the stcreotyped pattern stood by the curb.
years old with face stili fair and fresh
In appearance and expression. Her eyes large
aud dark with broad spacs between. giving her q
singularly honest. candid look and tho broad. low
forehead, which lies her heavy black hair Just
streakcd with gray, is smooth and fair She was
her dress n knit Cardigan jacket Of the kind much
worn by mechanics
uNpIsruRBEp BY WEALTH
She answered readily enough in a soft and unusu-
ally musical voice when the reporter asked her IL she
would tell him the story OF the estate but she scorhed
ut loss to know what to say, remarkng, 'sThere il
nothing more to tell that know of. told IL all
down at the court.
But it is certainly wonderful story that an estate
should be left in this way and be claimed In this way
urged the reporter.
''There is nothing wonderful about 1T that can
see, she replied. I'VE have always known all about
il, since lived in Limerick. My sister knew
it when she married whelan."
Then you knew the whelans well In IrelandY'
Yes; we were near noighbors. -.
What kind of woman was the elder Mrs. Whelanr
'She was very fine lady, and was very talented
unusually talented, in fact"
''Was she greatly attached to her husbandY
Very much 80. They lived very happily togethors
always"
Ibid Mr.. Hill ever help them In his ifetme?'
mo, believe not. He gave them ft0O when he
died but he tied up the estate for three lives
'what business did James Wnelan foliowy
..Hc was hackman and drove for the Clarendon
Hotel He was always poor, having only what
hackman makes to support his family. They were
MI moor an fact hut we all knew all about the will,
and he used to tell that IL took care of his
Katie the property would come to me II she should
die. she was always delicate and we did not think
she would live. After her fathers death took her
here 20 live aud she lived with me until she died.
She wanted to leave the property to my boy jamie.
for shc was very fond of him. but all thought that
IL would be too long to wait before he would up.
for he is only lad now, she left IL all to me-"
"How old was sheY'
sshe was eighteen years old the 9th of last July"
NO or CONTEST.
"Do you expect to obtain the property without any
trouboY'
"Certainly; why not?'
"Won't the possession be contested by some OF the
-. ast