Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-12-08
ONCE A MILLIONAIRE.
CYRUS w. FIELD BECOMES, IN HIS
OLD AGE, A POOR MAN.
Robbed bv an Insane Son. who Attem pts
Suicide-Over 100000 in Securities
Disappeared In n Dsy-Thc Paternal
Homestead Sold to Cover the Mad IN aus
LusSss.

New YORK, Dec. 2.-Edward M. Field,
who wrecked the firm of Field, Lindley,
Wiechers 81 Co., who ha, stripped his ia
Their, Cyrus w. Field, of all possessions,
house and lands and securities, and upon
whose life there is an insurance of $500, 900,
has attempted suicide. In what manner no
sought to kill himself is not recited in the
papers on which he was committed yester-
day to Vernon house at Mount Vernon, as
dangerous mailman.
1t was learned authoratively that this
commitment is but a temporary resort pend
ing public proceedings to determine judicial
ly whether Field is a lunatic or not.
1.-THE family have decided to take Edward
NJ Fields case before judge and jury at
once, " said gentlen an last night, who is
well informed. "They are determined to
have everything open and above board, and
tho family lawyers are drawing up the papers
now. The family want to have Mr.. Fields
sanity passed on publicly, SO that it cannot
be said that his insanity is being used as a
pretence for saving him from the results of
his financial wrong-doings.
As friend relates it: "Cyrus Field told
me that his son Edward came to him and
said he must have money to save him from
ruin and disgrace. He must have money
Immediately, he said. He did not tell his
father the extent OF his troubles. He said
he must have money to tide him over for u
short time. Cyrus Field directed that the
key TO his private box should be handed to
Edward, and he told his son: Here is the
key to the box containing my securities.
Take enough of them, my son, to help you
through your troubles Edward Field took
the key, and he furthermore took every Sc
curity In the box, and Cyrus Field told mo
he was now as poor as on the day he entered
the world. The mystery is where all the
money has gone to-" The amount of securi-
ties taken on this occasion by Edward from
his father was in the neghborhooi of $500,
600.
Speaking of the sale OF the very roof over
his head, which Cyrus w. Field has made
to save his son, a friend Of Mr.. Field 8 said
yesterday:
The statement that was somewhere
printed this morning that Cyrus w. Field
transferred his Gramercy Park house to his
daughter, Mrs. Isabella +. Judson, for a
merely nominal consideration-in other
words that it was gift to her-ought to be
corrected. On the contrary, Mrs. Judson
purchased the house from her father for
$780, 900 in cash with money inherited from
her husband.
There was no gift and no Field money
was used in the purchase What Mr.. Field
did with the money l do not know. He
may have used it to help his son Edward.
la fact | believe he did. know that Mr..
Field has assisted his son to very great
extent. He has impaired the natural expec-
tations of his other children aud seriously
crippled himself. Nobody knows what sac
rtices he has made. This. however, none
will blame him for He was devoted to Ed
ward, and would not see him in misfortune
with ut making every possible effort to save
him. -
Edward Passes Restless Night.
MOUNT VERNON, N. Y, Dec. Edward
NJ. Field. who was confined last night in
the Vernon hospital as dangerous lunatic,
was very restless during the night. AL
though he had slept some of the time, his
attendant did not leave him for a moment