New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-31
MRS. STEWARDS BIG DEBTS
POOR IN SPITE OF HER MILLIONS.


NE. nILroN's BOOKKEEPING REVIEWED BY AN
EXPERT ACCOUNTANT - RENTS REDUCED
GREATLY ON VARIOUS BUILDINGS Be
LONGING TO THE ESTATE THE
COUNSEL EAGERLY WATCHING
THE CONTEST.
II the evidence given under oath in the Stew
art will case yesterday be accepted as the truth
in its entirety and without qualification, sympa-
thetic persons will express their gratitude that
Mrs. Stewart died when she did. 1t looked very
mnch. To nudge from the formidable array OF
figures which the expert John Charles Mercer,
placed before Surrogate Ransom in evidence, as
~ in about another year, Mrs. Stewart, in spite
Of the enormous wealth and investments left her
by her husband. would have been compelled to
look for her very existence to the charity OF
ex-Judgc Hilton. AS it was. Mrs. Stewart after
her husbands death. according to the evidence,
ran into debt deeper and deeper with the cxecu-
tor OF the big estate.
At half-past 10 o'clock yesterday morning the
Surrogate's Court looked quiet considering the
importance of the case. in which the taking OF
testimony was about to continue Elihu Root
was the first of ex-Judgc Hltons distinguished
counsel to arrive. but Mr.. Hilton himself was
not far behind him. Ex-Surrogate Rollins and
ex-Attorney- General Russell after took their
seats at the table for the counsel of defence,
while Mr. Choate Mr. Dcvine and Mr. Cleveland
lent dignity to the table of the complainant Les
lie W. Russell and Mr. ChOate engaged in con-
yersation at once. which, to judge from the
FREQUENT bilar.ty Of the two, seemed to be con-
fined to something of less importance than the
case in which these two prominent lawyers
were engr ged. Mr. Rollins was more serious
and as usual, cx-Judge Hilton sat with him, APP
parcntly to gain an inspiration OF defensive
strength from Mr.. Rollins's earnestness Tx
Judge Gilbert, representing the Cathedral OF the
Incarnation as usual with contracted brows and
otherwise a scowl on his face, sat at the table OF
the defcnce, nearest the Surrogate, and was the
most attentive listener to the testimony.
REsUMING THE TESTIMONY.
John Charles Mercer, the expert accountant, was
again called by the compliments. and proceeded
with his analysis Of the &C NJ s." books which
are the accounts of Mrs Stewart. The witness
said that it was impossible for him, from these
books, to ascertain whether all transactions in
which Mrs. Stewart had beer interested were
there recorded. To all questions and answers OF
this kind the defence objected, on the ground that
IL WAS not evidence to say what the books did not
show Mr.. Mercer explained that the taxes and
insurance on hotel property did not appear on the
&C NJ 81 books
The witness said that Mr.. Anstey had informed
him that the insurance on the Metropolitan Hotel
was about $4,000. The taxes on the same
hotel for the ten years from S76 to 1856 were
s2A5,362 so. Those on the Park Avenue Hotel
amounted to s1264o2 So The valuation of the
latter property until 1870 was s650,Oo0. In
1881 il was reduced to $500, 1000, and remained
there.
FLUCTUATIONS IN THE RENT.
A table had been prepared by the witness to show
the fluctuations in the rent of the Chambcrs-st
property, as follows: