Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-12-22
A MILLION DOLLARS AT STAKE
Heirs Of tho Late j. II. Alexander Go
to Law.
New York sun

to Law.
(New York SUM-
A. will case of very considerable magni-
tude, and one that revealed the tamiiy
troubles OF the late Junius B. Alexander,
the banker was on trial before Judge
Barrett In the Supreme Court Thursday
and the day before. The plaintins In
| the case are Ellen l.. Mayo, Anita Nc
| Afee, Lawrence d. Alexander, welcome
7. Alexander. and Frank ID. Alexander;
the defendants are Mrs. Eliza IL. AleXan-
der, Junius b. Alexander. and Maria
Louisa Alexander. The plalntits are
| the children OF Mrs. Alexander by his
| first wife. and the defendants MS WiuoW
| and her two children.
Mr.. Alexander, until he retired from
| business in 1915. was the head of thu
banking house OF j. B. Alexander & CO.,
| OF this city. He died a millionaire In
January. 1893, leaving no wlll-that Is,
none has ever been found. although the
plaintiffs allege that Wheeler ii. Peck
| ham had drawn up one. AS no VIII was
found, Lawrence ID. Alexander. son
| by the first WIFE and Mrs. Alexander, the
widow. were respectively appointed ad-
| minlstrator and administrators. The suit
was brought by the children of the first
wife TO prevent Mrs. Alexander and her
| two children from having any share IN
| the estate on the grounds that she had
already surrendered her right OF dover
| by an agreement into which she and Mr.
| alexander entered in the summer Of lSSo'
| when they separated. BY this agre ment
Mrs, Alexander received an income OF
| 5000 year and the custody OF her chill
| dren.
| BORN IN VIRGINIA.
/ "A In, o.
plaint. Junus T. Alexander was born
| in virginia in 1874. His father was
| wealthy landowner, who had large
number OF Saves. When Mr.. Alexander
was l6 years old he went 10 Hardins-
burg, KY, and began his business career
| as clerk in a store. His father dled In
| 1884 leaving family OF ten children, and
young Alexander Immediately assumed
| control OF the family. In lSJB he married
Lucy +. Dade, Of Owensboro', KY, oy
whom he had ten children. five of whom,
the plaintiffs In the present case, survive
Mr.. Alexander was magistrate In MS
county. and president of a bank at owens
boro'. but in 1853 he went to Louisville 70
assume the post of cashier in the South
ern Bank In 1858 he formed partner
ship with II. d. Newcomb. OF Louisville,
a wholesale grocer, and removed 10 81.
Louis, where the same business was car
ried on under the name OF Alexander,
Newcomb a Co. While in st. Louis, MT.
Alexander was president of the Exchange
Bank, of that city. This oo-partnership
was dissolved In 1863. on account OF the
war, and the following year Mr.. Alex
ander moved to New York, and estab-
lshed the banking-firm.
HIS SECOND WIFE.
In that year Mrs. Alexander died, and
during the winter of 1876 Mr.. Aiexan-
der met his second wife in Louisville, at
the home of his Old partner, Mr. New
comb Her maiden name was Moore,
and her home was In Baton Rouge, but
the family having suffered many viclsst-
tudes Of fortune, she was living with
Mr.. Newcomb, a cousin. In 1865 Miss
Moore came to New York, where her
mother had a clearinghouse, and in
November 1866, she and Dir. Alexander
were married. According to the state
ment of the plaintiffs, the marriage was
an unhappy one from the beginning.
Mrs Alexander. they say. had by nomadic
habits of her youth become united FOR
domestic duties while her husband was
n staid, sober man, strict Presbyterian,
who cared not for society or clubs, but
preferred the comforts OF home. More
over, the complaint alleges. Mrs. Alex
ander was an artist an authoress VINO
wrote romances, and an inventor who
took out patents She dwelt with her
husband only at times. and that was
when she had her mother and sisters
with her. The complaint also says that
she was excessively extravagant
A REcONCILIATION.
In 1868, Mr.. Alexander bought "Epping-
ham," a handsome place on staten lsland,
and there he lived until his death. His
wife left him In 1873. taking her children
with her. After several months, a recon-
clliation was effected, Mrs. Alexander
promising that the children should not
leave their father without his consent. and
that she would run up no bills, but would
depend upon his liberality TO supply her
wants. A month later she and her chill
dren again left Mr. Alexander's home. He
secured an order from the courts direct
ing his wife TO surrender the children,
but before 1t could be executed she sailed
for Europe, taking them with her. she
lived abroad seven years. Then another
reconciliation was brought about, put II
was no more successful than the frst.
Finally, in 1852, Mrs. Alexander went 10
Wheeler II. Peckham, who drew up
articles Of separation for her. This was
done. and the deed was executed on Janu-
ary 80, 1883. Even after this, the plaintiffs
allege she did not leave her husband
alone but kept writing to him constantly
in d penltent tone. In three letters that
were exhibited, written In 1881, she con-
fessed her early errors. and begged Tor
interviews To all OK these Mr. Alexander
turned a deaf ear. He died from the
effect OF a surgical operation In one OF
the hospitals OF this city While he was
there his wife came to see him, IL Is said,
but he refused TO have her admitted.
Although no will was found. a codicil
to one dated October 4. 1883, was dis
covered. in which Mr.. Alexander makes
no mention OF his wife, but leaves her
two children $4,000 each, In addition 20
whatever may come to them from the
$4,000 settled on their mother al the time
of the separation. On account OF the dead
Of separation. the plaintiffs claim that
the widow had no right TO any part OF
her deceased husbands property beyond
what she received at the time OF the sepa-
ration.
In the summing up the defendants.
through their counsel. declared that there
was nothing IN the case. and prayed
that II be dismissed. Counsel states that
most OF the allegations against Mrs.
Alexander were fabrications, and that no
evidence had been produced 20 prove
them. Ii was argued that no thought OF
the final disposition Of the estate had
entered into the making OF the decd or
separation, and that Mrs. Alexander was
fully entitled TO her share OF tho estate,
| that amounts 10 S.J0.0V0. Judge Barrett
fook the case under advisement. and VIII
..,iar kfc daN{ufap LATER