The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-06
MILLIONS VANISHED.
Bow Mrs. A. T. Stewart Came Actually
to Die in Debt.
E.ont the Ne,c York Herald.

l..
y, ted away in something Ike nine years
while her friend ard adviser, ex-Judge
Henry HiIto grew richer, was told il
cold figures to Surrogate Ransom yester
dsv bv Charles John Mercer, the expert
accountant VINO has pcred over the books all
ST. un.er
a,,cng the granite pillars of the little court
roo1, we're the same who had wrangled
and fought for months before and who
came b4ck to the struggle fresh from trout
nonds and deer naunts. The only conspicu-
on, figure missing was that of Roscoe Coak-
ling. whose sword had covered the harness
~ joseph H. Choate with dents. Mr.. Choate
wa, OF hand, representing the contestant,
PosaIie Butler, with Tread ell Cleveland
m ex-Judge Shipman. Henry Hilton sat
ew7ng his warriors, exAttorney General
R1sssll.. Elihu Root and ex-Surrogate
Il illus. Ex-Judge Gilbert, representing
ire Garden City Cathedral, watched the
rroca ,dings vita 81 cold but vigllaat eye.
Rosslie Butler was not present, but part of
tne great army Of folks who hunger for a
chance at the millions involved i'll the great
viii cass hoverei in the rear of the room.
A TRANSFER CALLED AN OUTRAGE.
Broker Frederick A. Brown, a son of A.
! Brown, the banker, swore that he ex
nressed his Indignation to James Henry
Work that he should have had anything to
DO with the transfer of certain enormously
valuable property owned by Mrs. Stewart
to ex-Ju1ge Hilton. He thought it was
simply an outrage, Mr.. Work explained
at the time that the transfer was not a
,taasfer,af ownership, but was in the nature
Of a power of attorney.
A huge chest of account books and papers,
covered with thousands of figures, was
hgged into the court by two stalwart
porIers. Then Expert Mercer climbed into
tbe witness chair, gave MS bue necktie a
vauk coughed omlnously and went on for
hours telhngwhat he found in the books
He was examined by Lawyer Cleveland.
His testimony lays bare the whole history
Of Mrs. S,ewart'S income and expenditures
after her husbands death. Notwithstaud-
jug the princely estate which she owned,
she was constantly selling real estate and
otler properties. the cash balance was
nearly aiways against her, no matter what
Der income was. AS a matter OF fact, Mrs.
Stewart died in debt.
A WONDERFUL STORY TOLD IN FIGURES.
In order to deal with the items infinitely
Nr. Mercer divided the accounts into
periods OF few months each. The only
Indications the witness could find in the
books of what Mrs. Stewards sources of
lrcone might be were entries under the
heading Rents" save in the case of hotel
property, the Garden City estate and the
account of A. 7. Stewart & Co. There was
absolutely nothing to show that any
particular property was profitable, and
nothing to distinguish real estate from
PERSONAL property. Neither was there any
thing in the books by which it could be as
cartained whether the sums credited to Mrs.
Stewart were all that she was entitled to.
Lawyer Root fired up at this sort of testi-
monY. He said that an expert should testify
TO what ne found, but it was a queer kind
OF thing to let him swear to what he could
rot find. The surrogate decided to admit
tie testimony but admitted that unless
corroborativs proofs were furnished the
evidence might not rave much weight.
Among the heaviest expenses which
drained away Mrs. Stewards millions were
taxes on properties in New York, Garden
City and Saratoga, together with the cost
Of maintaining and improving them per-
soDal expenses, gifts of all sorts-for she
U ed to strew such trifas as furnished
houses among her poor relations and friends
the cost of collecting rents and what tie
lawyers scooped in. The income account
was made up from rents, dividends and
sales of real estate.
WHAT A. T. STEWARDS FUNERAL COST.
During the ten months succeeding tie
death OF her husband Mrs. Stewart settled
the doctors bills and for the merchaJt
princes great funeral. The cost of Ii g
funeral was $6,S0l 81. She also distribute
legacies and gave away some furnished
houses. In these ten months Mrs. Stewart
is credited on the books with an expenditure
Of 81, S52, 612 81. Her income during that
time was $685., IA So. This left balance
aga INST her of 81, 165,S67 Sc.
Here Lawyer Cleveland tried to get out
something about the famous sale of Mr.
Stewards colossal business properties to ex-
Judge Hilton for the trifie of 81, 600 000
Mr., Mercer said that he could find DO credit
on the books for Mrs. Stewards interest in
the firm of A. T. Stewart & Co., nor for the
proceeds of the sale of that interest. Nor
was there any trace in the accounts of
profits credited to her from the business of
the firm
Did you discover any entry in Mrs.
Stewards accounts of $l,000,O00 received
for her interest in the business" asked Mr.
Cleveland.
No, sir. There was no such entry. l
found among the receipts, though, receipt
showing the payment of $1,000,000 by
Henry Hilton to Mrs. Stewart, but there
was no transfer of this amount to her credit
iB the books"
From March 1 to Oct 81, 1877, Mrs.
Stewards expenditures, as shown by the
books, were S621, 4S4 A and her receipts
F4o3, III 53. Between Oct. 81, 1887, and
May 81, 1873. tine expenses were $500, Isl 90
and the income 1921, 277 49, In the sue
ceeding period, which ended on May ST.
lsT9, Mrs. Stewart was charged with an
o0tgo of 1886, 537 A aud credited with an
income of S3l5, III r. The income credited
"a her from May 81 to Oct 81, 1879, was
sS02. 64S % and the expenditure was $342,-
96 81. In the period ending June 4, $780,
the receipts were 1857, 100 81 and the ex-
pendlture $670, 700 SO. At this time Mrs.
Stewart had sold real estate to the amount
OF Sl25, 900, which money was Included in
me credited income. Between June and
November so, 1880, Mrs. Stewart sold some
real estate and stock in the Chemical. Mer-
chants and Metropolitan banks, for which
she got S212,6 Added to the other income
lois made S4l0,25 0S for that period. to
offset which were charges OF S460,930 or.
LOSING HER PROPERTY STEADILY.
In the time embraced between Nov. 80,
i3oJ to May 81, 1851, Mrs. Stewart sold the
Globe Jheater and Colonnade hotel estate
Tor S465, 200, which sweiled tine receipts for
t1at term to S743, 1914 30. The expenditures
we're 1926, ia 0S. OF the 1922, l76 n which
she received in the term ending Nov. 80,
1881, SAT 900 was from sales of real estate.
The expenses were S399, 1863 10. In the
period ending April 80, 1882, the receipts
We're 1924 1857 81 and the expenses $780,
46l 90. In the next term, ending Oct. 81,
1857, $50, 900, derived from real estate sold,
made the receipts s421, COS 90, while the ex-
penses were $685., sos %.