The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-09-27
THE FIGHT FOR MILLIONS.
sTILLMAN SENT DEEDS TO EUROPE
TO BIZ HX ECUTED.

With the Exception of That for the
Fifth Avenue Property None Was
overwhelmingly Put Detectives
on him.
From the New York Press
SALEM, MASS, Sept. "a This has been
another day of sensations in the famous
Searles will contest. For three days MIR.
Searles has been subjected to a terri BILE
scoring from Timothy Hopkins lawyer,
and even this long siege has not exhausted
the information which Lawyer Burnley
imagines is locked up within his msmory,
the further hearing Of which was ad-
journed at the close Of the day until Oct.
l, with Mr.. Searles' testimony still I'M
finished.
Lawyer Lincoln was the first of the coun-
sci to put in an appearance, closely followed
by the other legal gentlemen. Legatee
Searles' little snow white mustaohe was
carefully arranged, and his handsome gray
nair looked as if it had been laid with a
smoothing iron.
A rudy glow rested upon his face and
his general appearance would not suggest
that the cares of the bearing were resting
heavily upon him. But the examination
had not progressed very far before his face
wore a more serious expression, and his an
swers to the searching questions were
weighed carefully before being given.
HIS INDIFFERENCE TO MILLIONS.
His apparent Indifference to the transfer
OF millions of property to him by his opu-
lent and generous bride, through the inter
vention of the accommodating Mr.. Still
man, was not reassurtng to those who have
faith in the honesty of these transactions,
and murmurs of surprise could be heard
when he said that he had forgotten about
the assistance of tbs unrecorded deeds in
his favor produced III court by his counsel
on application of the counsel OF the disin-
herited son.
1t was only after a most searching ques-
tioning by Mr.. Burley that he admitted
that 1t was not his understanding, nor the
understanding of Mrs. Searles, that the
property should pass to him till the deeds
were recorded, but he dsnIed that failure
to record them was due to the fact that it
was deemed advisable not to let the heirs
know that she was making such a lavish
and unaccountable disposition Of the prop
erty OF her late husband.
ANOTHER ELEMENT OF SUSPICION.
Another element of suspicion was that
the deeds were ell drawn while the parties
were on their wedding tour in Europe by
Mr.. Stillman, and were signed and executed
Al q AOi6A NOOhbA O0AOAO al 1AulSA ANtiu
consul
The only excuse offered for these acts Of
munifcence was that Mr.. Stillmau, acting
as Mrs. Searles' attorney, and in her per-
s>nal interest thought it advisable that she
should convey all her property to her hus-
band, who was Mr.. Stillman's old confiden-
Iial friend and his partner in the combina-
ton of experience and capital, in which the
lawyers and intended husband furnished the
aVnarianea and MARI HO0kinei yufdovv tho
capital. All that she had TO leave her heirs
at her death, it now appears, was the ex>
perience contributed by her partner
JUG HANDLE PARTNER SHIP.
The testimony this morningre ed some
very strange financial methods al l dragged
out by persistent Questionings fro m the re-
luctant Mr.. Searles. Witness admitted
that afUer his wifes death he had spen
large sums OF money on ~his own estate at
Me5huen, the money for which came from
the income of the copartnership. He
had also bought a number of adjoining
estates.
In all about $3.50, 900 had been expended
| on the Methuen property. None of this
| property ever went into the assets of the
copartnership; neither did that Of the Great
harrington castle. There was no recorded
deed of the latter estate, the conveyance
having been of a private nature.
1t was shown by the deed that the mag
1iticent property at Great Darlington was
| conveyed il consideration of 81. The sig
natures on this document were those OF
Thomas E. Stillman and r. M. Searles. The
paper was made out while the witness was
in Europe, and after being made out was
sent to him for his signature. The signing
was witnessed by United States consul.
A LITTLE MATTER OF 81, 100000.
Lawyer Burley then called for the deed of
the San Francisco estate. Witness said that
the San Francisco Mark Hopkins home
stead, valued at 81 500, 900, still remains the
property OF the estate of Mrs. Searles, but
he was confronted by deed of that prop
erty conveying it to him, made 10y Stilman.
who had received it from Mrs. Searles,
which deed had never been recorded and
was dated May "a, 1888.
Mr.. Burley-What d i'd you mean by say
ing that the San Francisco property does
not belong 60 you! A. / had forgotten
about it.
Q. Was 1t such a common thir q for you to
receive deeds OF property valued at mil
lions that you should forget itl A. didn't
consider it much for importance at the
time.
Another deed, dated Feb. 90, 1888, given
under similar circumstances, conveyed to
Mr.. Searles, amo other parcels Of real
OoV1eo Al CoSi ouASuLOp buo CouloJoTy lou con-
tanning the remains of Mrs. Searles' former
husband, Mark Hopkins.
MILLIONS ON MILLIONS DECIDED.
Deed after deed was produced and shown
| to witness, giving him immense blocks of
property, all through the medium of La W.
yer Stillman. the legal member of the re-
markable firm Of fnanciers, and all bearing
substantially the same date, valued at mil
| lions Of dollars, and executed while the
bride AID groom were on their wedding
| tour in Europe.
! None had been recorded, and witne was
unable to say why they had not. The mat
ter was Of such little consequences to him
| that he had forgotten about the existence of
the deeds. He knew of no effort made by
| Mrs Searles to have them recorded.
| Much of this property witness had never
seen, including Menlo park and great tracts
! of timber land in California, although he
| has been the owner of them for nearly four
years.
Witness was shown deed which was
executed while be and his wife were abroad,
conveying TO him absolutely all the property
| which had been conveyed to him in trust
by the marriage settlement he said he
| didn't know that the papers gave him any
| greater rights in the property than he had
| under the marriage settlement, and did not
remember having ever had it.
STRENGTHENING HIS GRIP.
Mr. Burley-Do you know where the sug-
| gestion came from to have this marriage
settlement matter strengthened while you
were abroad! A.-No, sir. Q.-Where did
Won think it origiuateds Al don't re-