The evening times., 1898-08-06
WEALTHY MsN ..hIssINg
Reputed Millionaire Petit Said
10 Have Disappeared.
HEAVY DEALER IN REALTY
said 20 Re the Investing Agent
in This Country of Queen Vic
Largest Buildings in New York.
Absent -Four MOnths.

New York. Aug. 6.-Queen Victoria
reputed investing agent in this country.
John Petit, is said to have disappeared
He has for twenty years been one OF the
best-known figures tn the real estate
world and has control Of the Bennett
Building on Nassau Street. the Downing
building, on Fulton Street. and half a
dozen more big downtown office buildings,
besides many other properties.
He is president Of the John Petit
Realty Corporation, which was capitalized
at $20OO.O0O a year ago. and lives In
palatial home at Orange. N. ]. Mr. Pet
tit Is a millionaire several times over,
according to report.
William Calhoun filed a summons and
complaint in the supreme court yester-
day in an action against Petit. MRS.
Aida B. Petit. Henry R. Waite. Alex
ander C. Quarter, Mrs. Jane Quarrier.
and Mrs. Carrie I. H. Calhoun. the plain
tifrs wife. He wants the court to set
aside the conveyance Of properties in
Pine, Water, Greenwich. and Gold
Streets. which. Calhoun claims. was
fraudulently transferred and conveyed by
Waite and Mrs. Petit to Quarter on
July 2 last He filed an affidavit averrins
that Petit has left the State and cannot
be found.
Mr. Robinson said that all OF Pettits
immense interests have suffered almost
entire neglect since his disappearance.
The rents have not been collected In MS
buildings. and repairs have not beeh at
tended to- Several times lately, Mr.. Rob-
inson added, one Of Pettft's sons has
called at his fathers office in the Ben
nett Building to inquire for tidings OF
John Petit, but went away as much in
the dark as when he came.
Calhoun, he said, was until recently
clerk in Pettits employ. He thought
there was no foundation for Calnoun's
suit, and he said he believed everything
would be explained when the case comes
up in court next Tuesday. Mr.. Waite
said he thought Mrs. Petit was in Eu-
rope but he declined to hazard any con-
lecture as to her husbands whereabouts.
Waite has a power of attorney from Pet
tit, Lawyer Robinson declares. In his az
davit Mr.. Robinson says:
THAT the defendant, John Petit, has
left this State and his whereabouts are
unknown to the plaintiff and have been
for four months past. That IL the de-
PENDANTS. Petit, Waite and Quarter,
their agents and servants are longer er-
mitted to collect the rents and profits of
the premises described in the complaint,
II will be impossible to pay the interest
on the mortgages and the running ex-
penses Of the premises No. 81 Pine Street,
Nos. 12s and 2.5 Water Street, Nos. "A and
50 Greenwich Street and Nos. % and IS
Gold Street.
Calhoun's complaint says that on June
L. 1897. he conveyed the properties of
which he was she owner to Petit in
escrow. He says Petit gave a power of
attorney to Waite. and that Waite had
the deeds recorded. and that ON July @
last Waite and Mrs. Petit conveyed the
property to Quarter. Calhoun asks for
accounting fOr-damases over the prop
ertv.
John Petit bought the building a, Mas
sau. Ann and Fulton Stress from
James Gordon Bennett. the elder. and
controls 1t yet. He has always been sup
posed to be the representative of Queen
Victoria in this country in her New
York real esta;e Investments. which are
believed to be heavy. Besides the Ben
nett and Downing buildings Petit owned
the building next to the Downing build
ing. on Fulton Street: the building on
he southwest corne: of Beekman and
Pearl Streets. and many others.
His reputed connection business
way with her imperial majesty the
Queen of England and Empress of In
dia. gave him unlimited credit and the
highest standing in the business world.
His private fortune was estimated at
from s.. 600. 900 to S000.00o. when a. year
ago he organized the John Petit Realty
Corporation. 1t was advertised eN-en-
sively. and stocks and bonds were float
ed to a large amount. The corporation
was to handle the Petit properties, and
TO make further real essate Investments.
In Trow's Corporation and Co-Part-
nership Directory The capital stock Of the
corporation is given as s., o00.oeo and the
officers as follONs: John Petit. presi-
dent; j. W. Spencer. vtce-president. and
A c. Quarter. secretary. The offices
were at No. 30 East Twenty1yhird Street,
but recently they have been moved down
town to the Bennett building. Trows Di-
rectory after. giving these bare details.
adds the line:
Further information unob.a inab,e.''
About three years ago Pettst and his
wife agreed to separate. and he came to
New York to live. while she continues to
make her home in West Orange in a $780,,
90 residence which is known as the Sill
vcr Spring. Petit bought this place
from Lowell Mason about seven years
ago. One daughter. Miss Mabel Petit. is
now IN Germany visiting an older sister.
who is married to a German nobleman.
Roland Petit. a son. Is spending the
summer at Seabright. In Mrs. Pettit's
absence the Silver Spring place Is in the
hands of a caretaker.