The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-17
ONE ROMANCE OF JERSEY.
VERY CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES THAT
LED TO AN IMPORTANT SUIT
GoIdcn-Uaired Libby Gnrnbrnndcs Marriage
TO shrewd Charles q. Sisson Of Connectt-
cut-Their Sons Reckless ExtrnvRGance.

recent decision In the New Jersey Court |
OF Errors and Appeals relative to the trustee
ship over n dissolute son Of the deceased mil
lionaire. Charles q. Sisson. establishes legal
doctrine hitherto unsettled in that State, and
recalls romantic story incident to It,
Charles G.. Sisson was n native OF Stonington
Conn. He was brought up on farm and early
evnced considerable skill in trading. He got
his start in life by buying mules in Kentucky
and selling them in Connecticut. His first wife
was the daughter Of Judge Hewitt of Stoning
ton. She bore him one son before her death.
About 1s4s he moved to Jersey City. whore
there was better field for speculation than ho
had found in n State where there werc many
men us shrewd as he was. One OF his first en-
terprses was the mule yard which Is still kept
at the foot OF Bergen hill. in which A. B. Bishop
OF New Haven was interested with him.
Sisson's first outside speculation was n large
contract for grading. J. B. Coles. n well-known
-four dealer in New York. whose mills were on
Long Island. had bought large tract OF land in
what is now JerseyCiy but was then half dozen
struggling villages IIarsimus. which adioined
Hobokon. was mostly meadow land. and sisson
contracted to grade It, and take his pay partly
| in cash and partly in lots. lie furnished his
laborers with provisions ut high prices, and
| sold some Of them lots at large profit. Out OF
| this contract Sisson made alargc sum OF money.
On his way to and from the mule yard. the
onterprising Yankee had seen at the window OF
| farm house a goldcn-haired girl who looked
| rs If she might have Just stepped out OF the can
vas OF Holbcn. She was the daughter of Myndert
| Garabrandt. whose ancestors occupied the same
farm when GOV. Kieft Of New Amsterdam sent
| n detachment Of soldiers across the river by
| night to butcher the peaceful encampment of
| Hackingsack Indians at Communipaw. Iho
! farm took in most ot that part oi Jersey Clty
| aft
| known ~ Myndcrt %. was Iovial sort OF per
son. who inheriting plenty from his thrifty
Consequently. his father Myndert LIST. left him
only n liic estate y the farm which was 70 vest
the golden haired young woman. was babe.
| leaving only one other child Fanny. who nfter-
ward, married James b Van BusSirk, But
portions OF the entalled estate. 50 that when
Charles g. Ssson made tho acquaintance Of the
very much reduced in size.
The shrewd Yankee Of nfty-nye got such Of
good word Tor him. Some Of the harder
headed Of them advised her against marrying
man old enough TO be her grandfather, and told
called. that he was after But Yankee diplomacy
won and Libby became Mrs sisson.
Her surviving friends are OF opinion that
Sissons mairi rimonial venture was much bet
ter considered speculation than any one but
SS he knew " from rom the the first that the titles
upon which some OF his neighbors had
|
were worthless. Soon after his marriage he
pretended TO make tho discovery. Then he in
Tef ,Sa fS b asRas STs S Il avnSs S%
all the property that their spcndthrift fnther
was supposed to have squandered, and the hold
for It with Charles G. sisson. The property
Bergen. since become Come az part r OF Jersey City; SO
that the control OF Lihby's marriage portion.
added 20 what he had accumulated himself.
made sisson rich man. He became bank d.
rector.and "A man reconsideration IN Jersey city.
He was very pcnurious hut wns always ready
He bought controlling interest in the North
ern Railroad. which was built TO accommodate
the local travel along the westerly shore OF the
| Hudson. to the north of Jersey CITY; and, by
actin, in concert with FISK and Gould he sue
coeded in leasing the road to the Erie Railroad.
and getting ten per cent. guaranteed on the
whole capital stock.
ing chance for speculation is said 20 have been
excmplined in the famous Donnelly electment
suit, whereby for time many residents OF Jer-
sey City Heights. near the Court House. were in
Imminent danger Of losing their estates. Pr.
erty street. In this city bought about four acres
OF land on the heights, and TO aXpd ms credit
4rs nut II In the name OF one NJ r. Harrison;
| Harrison refused To reconvey to Peters. and sold
10 others. A smart LAWYER. about ten years ago.
discovered that the deed from Peters TO Har;
rson, contained no words OF succession. and
tate. Sisson never acknowledged that he
was Interested in the legal contest which
have sustained H. and when daughter Of the
deceased Dr. Peters was discovered IN Rhode
Island. II was through the efforts ot Benjamin
SissOn brother Of Charles c., md Lansing Za-
hriskie his counsel. The daughter Of Dr.
Peters was paid $4,000 to renquish any inter-
, est she might have In certain coal mines In
Rhode Island and also in an apparently insig-
nncant clause at the end, all her interest to
these lands on Jersey City Heights. in favor OF
benjamin sisson. IN so much hurry was Benla'
min 70 get the, deed recorded that as ne alter
ward admitted. he rushed out Of her presence
without noticing that he had overpaid her 500
| After long litigation, the attempt 10 possess the
, | Peters property failed, and the deeds based up
on the conveyance TO Harrison were declared &c
be valid.
. Another and more successful operation was
one in which Sisson and others became in
terested in what was known as the Polly Bel
%bo kent po G wGs Bud ' anTn or Il B H Hea
near Mil Creek on the stage road 10 PhilHde
phia. She had legal contest with John B
j Coles for the ownership Of large tract Of IN,
/ water front OF llnrsmus,. now known as Har
sinus Cove, and occupied by the abattoir anC
the terminus OF the Pennsylvania Kailroadi
; cattle freights She WIS successful in the suit
a BUY at the close Of t. tps property AZ beongei R
. roads bought 1t about thirteen years ago fo
i half a million dollars, Of which sisson got I
As Mr. Ssson grew to be very rich. his mar
| riage proved 10 be an unhappy one. The
4 separated by mutual consent, she retaininl
"a control Of her own property. She died sOoi
- after her husbands death. leaving two daugh
n ters and one son.
. left $3.50. 900 to each Of his four children--Ellm
!, II. Sisson. his son by his first wife,; Eva B,
io vile OF John ii. Browning; Elizabeth Is. Slssoi
n and Charles q. Sisson. Jr. A. A. Iardenbergh
q John H. Browning, and Lansing Iabrisk
~ were executors for the estate The manner II
y which he had prollted by the forethought of hi
u wife's grandfather Myndert lst. in entailinl
, his estate for the second generation, seemed L
u have been a profitable lesson for Sisson, for IN
- adopted il in his will also. The executors wcr
I. directed TO invest the principal and pay only tn
y income from II to the tour children. in such pro
a portion as they thought proper Tor the main
u trnance Of each. His eldest sons marriag
4 having displeused him. he cut OF the issue o
y that marriage from the inheritance. but pro
y yided that If Elias II. Sisson should have issu
u by another marriage they should inherit hi
n share. The issue Of the other three children
= Eva Charles and Elizabeth were to come int
=, possession Of the principal ms soon as tn
y youngest should become 81 years of age.
'' Charles q. Sisson, Jr.. had no sooner reAche
- his majority than the prOdigal habits Of Myn
+" dert %. his grandfather, reappeared in him
- He sowed broadcast all the money he could oh
y tain. The son Of Charles q. Sisson. the million
"a are, could get plonty Of credit. Ho bought fas
y horses. and ran up large bills in one place an
another. The executors soon found the discre
!, ton with which his fathers will invested ther
- sOrey taxed. Bills Ot all kinds kept pouring Il
1 | tbat nj hor rkg Of I ha nutt