The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-19
FIGHT FOR TWO FORTUNES
TIE ROUiNCE or 4 CLAIM BEFORE
THE LEGISLATURE.
Ann. Remarkable Facts Connected with the
Attempt to Compensate the Heirs OF the
Man whose Estate Founded the Lenke
.nd waits Orphan Asylum OF New York,

The act Tor thr tcllel OF clalNluntS W prop
cr,y huid lH thc Lcake and Watts Orphan
Asylum OF New York. which was nearly SNUG
,lrl through the Legislature the other day.
and involves large sum of money. calls at
IGNITION to II most remarkable story. 1t in
wolves romance. comedy. farce. and tragedy.
II is full of surprises such as the novelist would
hesitate to invent and Of situations such as the
dramatist dare hardly use.
Robert Leck or Lcake, was born In 100, In
the parish Of Calder. county OF Lanark. Scot
land He was Of good descent, and well edu-
Gated. In 1899 he enlisted in the Kings Regi
ment of Horse Guards. He was entered on the
roll as Robert Leek. gentleman" none below
that rank being admitted into the corps He
fought in the Continental war, and at the battle
OF Dettingen his horse was shot under him.
one Of his legs was broken. and his head was
injured. He returned home disabled. and be-
came an outdoor pensioner OF Chelsea Hospi-
tai. He taught school for while in his native
place but when the rebellion in favor Of Prince
Charles Stuart broke out. in 1745. he joined
the forces OF the King and received "A commits
sion as Lieutenant in ono of tho volunteer
regiments organized in that part OF Scotland.
Lieut.. Lcake did good service at tho battle OF
Culloden and in lIl6 MS reward Tor MS gal-
lantry. he was appointed Commissary-Geheral
In the army of North America. and sent TO Cape
Breton. 1t is supposed that he was first mar
red about this time, for his first child Mar
gueretta was christened on March Z. lT47 H.
returned to England in June. 174S. In 1854 he
was appointed Commissury- General under
Gen. Edward Braddock and came TO this coun-
Try and shared in the misfortunes of his chief.
He took up his abode in New York city. and
resided there until his death. Dec. %. 1773.
His remains lie in Trinity churchyard
Robert Leake's first wife, Margueretta died
in Englandin 1854. He afterward married Ann
Borrege. connection OF John Leake Of the
Hermitage. an estate west Of what is now Sew
enth avenue and including II part of Forty
second street New York. Afterward this estate
became the property Of John Leake Norton.
The John Leake referred to above was no re-
lation of Robert Leake. The latters second
wife died in 1888 and was buried in the same
vault with him. He had two brothers and one
sister. His brother James was killed at the
battle OF Fontenoy. and his brother Matthew
fell in the war under Gen. Braddock. His sis
Ter Helen married James Martin of Bcdcow
Scotland. They had several children; and from
these the present claimants are descended
One Of these children married "a John lay. and
died in 1892, leaving children. one OF whom was
John Hay. Jr, The latter died in 1872. leaving
several children, one OF them beng James Hay
whose remarkable history is soon to- be given
Robert Leakc died, rs already said, on Dec
2s. l773 His residence was at the southwestery
corner OF what Was then called Fair street. but
is now u naTt OF L ulliln street. IL hnItdTS from
his will, dated in l772. that he had houses
storehouses Offices. and stables in the city
u farm at Beyue; two farms in New Jersey: AN
estate at Bidliugton. in the county Of Durham
England lands at Pittstown. Albany County: Il
farm at Claverack; lands on the Mohawk River
part OF tract in Iryon county; a right To
lands in east Florida, and money in the Bank
Of England H. had also i t,Hrni!nre sarrttages
likewise wealthy, and her property. as we'll a
George Lrakt Robert LeaIe is described al
l,a ava a "A
hearty old man. lie wore silver plate over
the wound in Iii, head received at the bait Q of
Dettingen and lmp,d in his gait, the result OF
his broken limb His costume was old-iash
Toned and somewhat military-small clothes.
tOckings. shoe and knee buckles. and u three
cQrnerd hat. He had four children by his first
wife. and nine by his second or these children.
land ana left no issue; Robert William. a
MAJOR in the British army. married the sister
81 John Watts, and left one son; who lived to be
John George Leake. Letters and tokens which
passed between these children. their parents
and Ieletlves, are eNtant hnh show that they
were refined and educated. and sincerely at
tachei to each other.
In pursuing their claim. the descendants OF
Robert Leake,s sister have spared no pains or
expense TO collect all the Information that care.
evidence lies before the writer, and from this
he complies This narratiIe. Robert LeaEr &p
George was horn in 1852, in Eng and sur
yived his brothers and sisters As before said,
stepmothers. He studied law with james
Duane. once Mayor = this city. john Watts.
student. LeaEe prartised law bnt little for his
estate was ample, aud he devoted himself TO IT,
management. He died suddenly at his house
in Park row. on Saturday June = 1927, in his
seventy fifth year. He was never married. he
and reserved on the subject Of his property. his
relatives, and his heirs. broker and a col
;e@tor aided Mn in m,anagnG mis- es IT. He
made calls. and was seldom visited except on
business. ,rhliip Brasher John Leake Norton.
his latter years he lived SO secluded a NJ" that
he was almost forgotten. HIS money, papers.
and yuluablc- We're locked in an non chest. the
Key al Which he uarriel The chest stood near
the entrance. in the hall and every day he "N-
uninrd The contents. About fortnight before
the contents of the chest. Having sprut some
Der He carried with him something conccui"d
under his dressing gown. The servant did not
but he afterwnrd saw in the CRATE me rema ms
OF papers, which his master had evidently de-
stroyed. In his last sickness he had no visitors
at his bedside eXcep, his broker Augustine II.
Lawrence. and his collector. John c. Newton.
II Is said that he was allowed to die neglected
and alone. No one sat UP with him. and no
phys ,claH wa, summoned. Five minutes be-
4g wanted anything. and ho rr2lcd. "N&o.' '''''
After his death the iron chest was searched,
but no will was found II was searched a Sec
onl time, with the same res lt \ tnlrd search.
loweyer. was rewarded with the discovery Of
el lsUJ in favor OF Robert Watts and cutting of
John Leake Norton, his grandson. and all his
relatives ; No one had we eyer heard 1 the dead
twelve years which the servant man had been
IN his lR.e masters employ he had never seen
ina, Robert Watts was to take the name OF
Lake, OTHERWISE the estate was to go To the
the Oldest minister OF the Dutch and OF the
Presbyterian Church. and the Mayor and Cor.