National Republican., 1888-04-25
MIR. CoNKLISG's WEALTH.
Edward stokes Says He Must Have
Left $25O,OOO.
TNcW York WOrll

INcw York WOrld.1
When Roscoe Conl>ling was alive he made
SO little show about town that few people
paused to wonder how big his bank account
was, or what realities or paper he had that
were convertible into cash. Although al
ways wcll-dressed man, he was not in his
manner Of living at all given to extraya-
goncc or display. Perhaps his greatest in
dulgcncc was in horscllesh, and often on
pleasant afternoons he might have been
seen shaking the rcins over the backs OF
trottcrs, and casting conscious looks over
his broad shoulders at people whom lie left
behind him.
Since his funeral the inquiry has become
more and more frequent as TO the value uf
his estate. 1t has been pretty well known
that when he came tO this city, four or five
years ago, TO open an Office for the practice
Of law Mr. Conhling was what might be
ttrmUd q poor man. Worse than that, he
was burdcncd with debts. the result of the
collapse of a previous law partner. To no
person in New York did he cOnfde more
largely his personal affairs perhaps. than to
Proprietor Ell Stokes. Of the Hoffman
House, In relation to the probable amount
Of Mr. COnkling's fortune Mr.. Stokes said
to u lfoHd reporter last night:
ut would be hard matter for any per-
papers, 60 say what his resources were. lie
at times spoke very frankly with me, but
for all that | can do nothing more than
draw differences regarding his financial con
dition. | know that his debts when he
came here aggregated about 100000. lie
talked with mcabout II, and said he could
not help but feel that, though the obligd
tions We're not directly of his own incur
ring, he was bound by them, and Mr..
Nslt.. 1,s
knows, chafcd under restraint and would
not bear the idea that any obligation he was
under should remain unliquidaied. lie Of
ten spoke expressing gratitude that his
health and strength had been spared him
for the fulillmcut Of his duty In that re-
spCct. He continued such expressions till
near the time of his death. know, more
over, or at least am strongly of the opinion
that his income from legal practice did not
fall far below 100000 year. He was a
plain man-thOugh lie lived comfortably. !
am sure the money he spent on himselfdid
not amount to over $500 month. If yOu
should estimate his gross annual cXpcndi-
ture ut $4,000 it would leave a margin.
"sumC time previous to his death we were
contemplating a financial enterprise Of some
magnitude, and he informed me that upon
certain conditions he could he called upon
for 100000 in cash. lie told me he had about
$4,000 ready at hand, and mentioned
number Of securities that he owned. We
went into the transaction aud he came out
little something ahead. 1t is from knowl-
edge Of the value Of some real estate and
stock he owned, too, that | draw inference
US To the amount of his wealth. lie told me
also Of investments he had been led into by
persons who claimed to bc his friends, ana
who surely had every reason In the world to
he his friends. Some of these subjected
him to serious loss, and he was quite bitter
In denunciation of some of the parties, as he
believed they had not used him right"
''lou think you can draw fairly accu-
rate conclusion regarding Mr.. Conkling's
mCans?'
ayes, and should say that he left about
$3.50, ,OOO-peIhaps little more.n