Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-29
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EVERYTHING foR EVERYBODY
Henry Hilton.
Rochester Post-Express)

The death Of Henry Hilton occurred
at Saratoga yesterday, after a long Ill
ness He had a remarkable career, and
for years was before the public almost
constantly. His relations with A. T.
Stewart. the merchant prince OF New
YORK. were extraordinary and furnished
frequent sensations for the press
MIR. Hilton was born at Newburgh, N
L., October "A, 1924. and at an early age
removed To New York city. After attend
| ing the common schools for a few years
he studied law, was admitted 10 the bar
and when less than % years OF age was
the managing clerk of n law firm which
had A. I. Stewart for client An ac-
quaintance began which soon ripened
into friendship which continued till the
death of Mr.. Stewart and which result
ed I'm Mr.. Hilton becoming one of the
richest men in New York. Mr.. Hilton
became Stewards private counsel From
1851 to 1863 he was a judge Of the Court
OF Common Pleas, and for time in the
Tweed regime he was a park commits
sioner and something OF a politician. But
In 1874 he dissolved the law firm OF which
he was a member and thereafter devoted
his entire attention % Mr.. Stewards bust
ness, having an office In Stewards store,
riding down to business with Mr. Stewart
In the morning and back with him in the
afternoon. and being with him almost
constantly
Mr.. Stewart, "the first OF American
merchants and philanthropists, died in
New York April 10, 1876, leaving property
estimated to be worth 100000. He had
no blood relatives, and most OF his estate
was left TO his wife. There were many
haUIaSfg Of oil
sons. Mr.. Hilton was made executor OF
the VIII, which gave him 81 zoe 90 in
cash. From the possession OF a good In
come as Stewards private counsel. Hill
ton was suddenly elevated to great wealth
of his own, with MIR. Stewards enormous
fortune directly under his control.
What was the result? Mrs. Stewart
survived her husband only few years,
dying in New York city October %. 1885
Her tastes had been simple. and her ex-
penses comparatively small and IL was
supposed that the fortune left by her
husband had greatly increased But af-
ter her death IL was found that she left
an estate only about half as large as she
mad Inherited, and had died owing Judge
Hilton more than million dollarsl She
had made a will, giving handsome be-
quests 10 all her relatives, amounting 10
Sl,525,OD0; one-half OF the residue she gave
in equal shares TO her niece. Sarah Smith
and her nephew, Charles J. Clinch: the
other half she left In trust with Judge
Hilton, authorizing him TO distribute it
as he might see tic among the beneacia-
rles named in the will
The provisions OF the will had scarcely
been made public before a contest was
instituted IN the Surrogate's Court. The
LITIGATION
sauonai features and lasted long time
Joseph II. Choate was the senior counsel
Tor the contestants. At the beginnins,
Roscoe Conkling represented Judge Hll.
ton; after Mr.. ConkIing's death Leslie
Russell, Horace Russell, and Elihu Root
were prominent In the defence. Mrs
Stewards relations claimed that Judge
Hilton had prevented them from seeing
her In many Instances, and had tried TO
stop all intimacy Mr.. Choates deduc-
tons were that Judge Hilton had gained
a complete mastery over a feeble old wo-
man, and had improperly acquired the
greater portion OF her property. The law
yer also laid great stress upon the fact
that he had been unable 20 get some of
the books he was most anxious 20 SEQ.
several witnesses swore that these books
had been destroyed when they were
deemed Of no further use. Judge Hll-
toms contention was that Mrs. Stewart
had been anxious to do much more for
him and his family than he had allowed
her TO do He was her most intimate
friend, perhaps the only one whom she
trusted implicitly. She wished him to re-
lieve her OF the worry OF the business
She realized perfectly every step that
had been taken about her property
When she originally made her will she
had II drawn so as 10 give him absolutely
about one-half OF all she retained of her
husbands millions. II was he who had
insisted tnat she should distribute her
money among her friends and relatives.
declared Judge Hilton.
The contest dragged along for a wear.
and the case was In the Surrogate
hands for a decision when Judge Hilton
compromised, arranging TO distribute The
property lett TO him I'm trust IN way
that was satisfactory 10 all concerned.
The trust fund was assessed at $685.
oi6t0; the value placed on the entire es-
tate was ss,o0S, i24.So; the taxes levied on
the requests were sG4, SAT-
Judge Hilton had induced Mrs Stewart
to transfer TO him all her interest I'm The
dry-goods business, and In 1882 the oriri-
nal firm went into liquidation ana nomi
nally two new concerns took It's pluce.
called, respectively. Sylvester, Hilton n
Co.. and Il. j. Denning & Co. which
were finally reorganlzed In 1899 as .the
firm OF Hilton, Hughes & Co. In iSje
the lease, store. and stock were pur-
chased by John Wanamaker. Of Phila6e,-
phla.
Hilton's management OF the Stewart
estate was the subject OF some fierce
One New York paper IN A
series Of articles charged him with en-
riching himself at the expense OF the es-
tate, and Judge Hilton brought suit foi
damages and secured the indictment OF
the owners OF the paper for libel Sub
sequentiy, however, all proceedings were
dropped. IL was supposed that Judge
Hilton did not care to have his transac.
Iions as executor reviewed in court
In 1888 Judge Milton hal trouble with
)ne OF his sons. The firm OF Hilton.
Hughes A Co. was composed 81 Henry
Graham Hilton. Colonel Albert Il. Hilton.
freteKfc Hilton mud lohn Al fMunaa