The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-10-11
Eugene N. Roblnson,s Career.

Especial to THE HERALD-Examlner Dispatch. !
New YORK, Oct. 10.-A dispatch from
Frisco yesterday morning said: The pecu-
liar feature Of the will of Eugene N. Rob
inson. who died recently here, was that he
left penny to Mary Tracy, his divorced
wife. This clause of Robinson's will indl-
Gates that his relations with his divorced
wife were even mere painful and unusual
than are generally revealed in the divorce
court, although just what the nature OF the
wrong was which he believ ed he suffered
through the woman, has never been clearly
understood. Even his guarded denuncia
ton of her in what might be regarded as
almost his last breath gives little clue toits
nature, since three divorces played part
in the private life of this man, whose pub
lie career was so familiar to New York
business men and brokers.
Mary Tracy, the divorced wife OF Frank
Tracy, of Buffalo, was well known IN that
CITY. Tracy was prominent and wealthy
man, but his marital affairs did not run
smoothly, either because OF his own falnngs
or those of his wife, and the couple sought
relief in the divorce court. Neither, how
ever appeared anxious to remain in single
blessedness, for the marriage so bitterly re-
ferred to by Robinson in his last will was
entered into by the woman, while in 1874
Tracy again led a bride to the altar IN the
person of Agnes Ethel, at one time the lead
ing lady at Days Fifth Avenue theatre.
This marriage appears to have been
happy one. About two years ago Tracy
died leaving property valued at nearly II
not quite two million dollars. The bulk OF
this money Tracy bequeathed to his wife,
nee Agnes Ethel, although q provision in
the will left to his daughter by his di-
yorced wife the sum Of 100000 A condition
however, accompanied the bequest, which
provided that the legatee should forfeit all
claims against his estate in the event of his
will beiLg contested by her. This did not
deter the daughter, who Instituted pro
ceedIngs. The suit which was brought and
on which the fight for the dead millionaire's
it being alleged by the plaintiff, the
daughter, that the excess in use of
linuor had rendered Tracy of unsound
mad; that he was incapable of legally ex-
ecuting the document. The tight was
bicter it appearing in the evidence that
Tracy's complaint against his divorced wife
was that she had changed the name OF her
daughter to Harriet Robinson, taking
Eugene Robinson's name.
The plaintiffs case was to the effect that
he was in the habit at times Of drinking
dozen quart bottles of champagne day.
and sometimes two bottles of brandy in
addition. The result of the contest, how
ever, was a victory for Tracy, the case
being decided in favor of the widow.
Not much is known of the first Mrs.
Tracy after her divorce from Robinson, eX-
cept that she married for third time, Mr..
Friedman, of LispenaSSe, and Friedman
now resides in this city.
Most of the present generation OF Wall
street men will remember Robinson, for
his house of Robinson, Chase & Co. was,
up to the time of it's failure, the largest
brokerage house of the street. Robinson
inherited his taste for Wall street. His
father was prominent character IN finan-
cial circles, having been at one time part
ner of Daniel Drew. When he died he left
a fortune. His son went into the street as
soon as he finished his education and be-
came pet broker of Commodore Wander
bilt. He. however, finally antagOniZed the
latter, for several times when he knew the
commodore was contemplating bear move
ments to send stocks down, he jumped
into the market and sent prices away
up, making the commodore pay dearly for
stocks. He got caught, however, about
twelve years ago, and was driven to the
wall. After that he disappeared from Wall
street, but turned up in Nevada, where, it
is said, he made another fortune out of
some mining properties He never re-
turned to Wall street, although he. made a
trip to the city every year. On his last
trip he was attacked with rheumatism and
going to his brain, killed him. He was not
over forty five, yet he had been married
three times. His first wife was niece of
Horatio Seymour, by whom he had Il
daughter, since married.
Eugene n. Robinson was at one time q
resident of Buffalo. He was cousin of the
first wife of Francis w. Tracy, of Buffalo,
the millionaire from whom she secured a
divorce because Mr.. Tracy would not de-
fend an action. She then married Robin
son but they soon separated and were di
vorced. Mrs. Tracy-Robinson then married
Friedman.