The morning times., 1896-10-12

LOST A S5,OOO,OOO FEE.
New York Lawyer Mnde Insan.. by
the Loss OF an Important Suit.
NJ, IL. II

the Loss of an Important Suit.
Ne,1 York Journal.
In 1 s92 George W. Wilson ra nsed among
the ablest practitioners at the New York
bar. 1t was in November OF that Year
that he undertook the case which has
robbed him Of reason and made him the
inmate OF n cell in the ward OF incur1bles
at MISUNDERSTANDING famous Seaman will
contest. The Seaman heirs who were not
included in the will determined in Novrm-
ber, s92, to fight more vigorously for tile
great fortune they declared should be theirs,
So Gilbert ShUte, as their representative,
consulted Mr.. Wilson and placed the inter-
ests of the heirs in his hands. Twenty
millions OF dollars was the vast SUN at
stake. The heirs offered SIS 900 600 of
this to Mr.. Wilson it he won the case
From that day Lawyer Wilson was 1 cif-
ferent man. Gradually all other business
was abandoned by him, and he devoted his
time to the contest Tor millions. A strange
fact was that he never seemed to consider
the probability OF defeat, and, constantly
planned what he would do with the S5,-
600 600.
| The most eminent lawyers were engaged
by the beneficiaries of the will to represent
| them. Never was legal battle more Iespar-
ately contested. Still Mr.. Wilson saw
only omens of victory. Step by step the
| case advanced to trial. Link by INK the
chain of evidence Of both sides was forged.
| Threatening letters We're received by Mr..
wilson. He was warned that he w6iiil he
attacked personally. One day he was
| struck from behind with a sandbag. Moth
| ing daunted him, however, He worked
| harder than ever before and laughed at
all suggestions Of failure.
At last the suit came to trial in the State
| supreme court. Though dozen lawyers
| appeared for the defendants, Mr.. Wilson
| scoffed at the idea of assistance and fought
| the battle single-handed. When the ovi-
| dence was all in Mr.. Wilson left the .,ourt-
| room with smile on his face, but 1t was
| the last time he ever smiled. Night after
light he had planned and replanned as to
what he would do with the vast fortune
| which he would receive. SO that the next
day when he returned to the court and
| learned that the other side had Won, il.at
the fortune he had reckoned upon had
slipped from his grasp, he uttered groan
and fell to the ground. He was driven in
| a carria geto his home, where he raved about
the $4,000 900 for many weeks. He was
| never the sane man afterward. Silent
and morose, he brooded over his downfall
until his mind gave wav.iG ., sss.1,-5 :
Not until a few weeks ago was it found
necessary to remove the lawyer to an in
sane asylum. After he had lost the case,
but before he had become dangerously iG-
sane, Wilson promised the elevator boz OF
the building where he had his office that
he would give him $l09 ,uOo, and every
day he arrived at his office he begged
pardon because he was unable to fulfill his
promise. The policeman on the beat near
his residence was to aget half million.
To Mayor Strong he offered million out
right, but the mayor declined the offer
4 Whoever went to see wilson at his office
he promised fortunes. iIam worth So ,one,-
oOO," was what he SAID, but today he
finds himself confined m a padded cell il
the Bloomingdaie asylum destined to enc
his days behind the bars. Physicians say
his disease is incurable.
In appearance Mr.. Wilson is almost the
Counterpart of Daniel Webster, to whom he
bears startling resemblance.