St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-07-20
a MILLIoNAIRE's RoHANcE.
Il Former StceefheGrt Of "a Nfcaigan CFoe
Sus Sues his Estate JOr $4,000.
E,-,,-osy


4 Former Sweetheart of-e Mfe5igal Cros
Saes his Estate Jor S70.0oO.
Rochester Express.
That Horace j. Perrin, who died at Mar
shall Mich, January II, 1889. aged 81 years
and worth nearly s1,000,00 was an ex-
traordinary man, has doubtless been made
evident TO the readers of the Post Express by
the accounts of the numerous lawsuits over
his estate which have been given in these
columns from time to time This man whose
eceentricity in his old age caused him to
middle his gigantic business affairs to such
an extent as to keep the lawyers busy for
years past and TO come, had career which
was not without its little romance. He has
been represented as the stern man of bust
ness, for whom the geutler sex had no attrac-
ton. He died as he lived, bachelor. It
appears, however, that NJ Perrin, like most
men, was after all not above falling in love.
That such was the fact will be developed in
still another litigation, to which no allusion
has hitherto been made, and which is to be
tried in the United States circuit court at De-
troit October. The testimony of Rochester
witnesses to the used upon the trial. is short
ly to be taken here by commission. Mr..
Perrin, as has heretofore been stated, was Il ma
tive Of this state. When poor country lad
he came to Rochester, and, it is claimed was
assisted by his second cousin, Darius Perrin.
He was naturally shrewd, and soon acquired
considerable money, as, well as a valuable
business experience, so9athat when he left
Rochester for Michigan about the year 1916,
he was well qualified to enter upon his sin
gularly successful business career. At one
time he controlled half a dozen mills, car
ried on the business of banking, was a farm
er on a large scale, specialized in grain, and
bought and sold real estate and bonds and
mortgages.
About the year 1870. when Horace J. Per
rim was already far past the MONDAY Of his
life, be was seeking relaxation from the cares
of business at Saratoga. While there he sue
ceeded in forgetting his stocks and bonds
long enough to become deeply interested in
Miss Annie Meredith, a charming Canadian,
aged about %, whose parents resided at Port
Hope. Although he was old enough to be
her father, it was,,the old, old story-aged infat
uatiOn for beauty andiyouthful susceptibility
to dollars-in short an en- gagement was the re-
suit of the meeting at the gay summer resort.
That the impression made by Miss Meredith
was eep one may be judged from the fact
that the engagement lasted six years, and
that during that time Mr.. Perrin confded il
| his intended wife to such q degree as to
place in her name large amount of proper
| " and securities, among the latter $40, coo
worth of fat mOrtgages-their eorpulency be-
! ing due to the 10 per cent interest which
they drew 1t is spoken of as highly prob
able that the old capitalist would have led
Miss Meredith to the altar as his bride had
not symptoms which at last ended in his in
! insanity and death begun to make their ap-
/ pearance. His health was shattered. His
grasp of his business affairs was becoming
uncertain. He asked her whom he had in
| tended TO marry TO release him from his en-
gagement This was not to the liking of
Miss Meredith, and for a time the vision of
breach-of promise suit is said to have been
added to the troubles of the old man. This
' was about 1875 OF 1876. A year later how
ever, Miss Meredith changed her mind in re-
gard to the match, all because the man who
was destined TO become her fate came across
her pathway. She met and returned the af-
feetions of Mr.. Percy, young Canadian.
She told her aged lover all, and in her turn
/ asked that their engagement be aunulled
| He consented, and she surrendered aH the
| property which he had placed in her name
all, she alleges, except the SO, 900 worth of
| mortgages which she further claims, she was
4 to retain as a token of his respect and esteem
/ and in memory Of old times. Mr.. and Mrs
/ Percy after their marriage, settled down at
/ Port Huron, where they continue to reside.
After Horace J. Perrin was no more his
/ brothers and sisters were beginning their
/ great legal wrangle over the estate with Da-
/ RUS Perrin aud his children. with the heirs
! of Mr.. Sibley, the also deceased partner OF
! Horace J. Perrin, and With others, Mrs Per
/ cy put in her claim 10 the mortgages About
u year ago the claim was quietly referred 10
certain commissioners. who decided that the
claimant was entitled TO $4,000. The Per-
/ rim heirs were exceedingly wroth that even
/ this amount should be awarded to one whom
! they choose To regard rs an adyeuturesS. and
they promptly appealed to the gnted States
/ court. The trial was TO have come OF this
month, but has bee, adjourned until next
/ fall In the meantime. however, the testi-
I mouv OF Rochester witnesses viii be taken
( as already stated. These witnesses it is said
I had similar claim against the estate of
I Horace J. Perrin. They allege that he
7 made over to them SS0.000 worth OF mort
/ gages, and say they intend 10 prosecute their
+ claim. Brown and Paterson are the atter-
news. and William D. Adams is counsel for
Mrs. Percy. Joseph A. Stull, of Rochester,
I appears for the Perrin heirs.