The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-25

Stewart, Hilton was not averse to -pro-
fessional preferment, and In 1857 he was
elected a judge OF the court Of common
pleas, on the bench of which he served
until 1884, when he was defeated for re-
election byJudge Cardozo. In 1870 Judge
Hilton was appointed a park commits
sioner, serving in that capacity for two
years. These were the only two public
positions he ever held. When the Stewart
building was opened in 1858 Judge Hilton
formed the wholesale dry goods firm OF
Hilton, Campbell & Bell, which worked in
harmony with the retail store of A. T.
Stewart. Judge HHton's firm was dis
solved in 1874 and thereafter he was con-
tinually at the Ninth street store. At the
time Stewards income was about $4,000. 0OC
a year. Judge Hilton's work was most the
investment of this income.
Mr.. Stewart died in 1876, and In his will
Judge Hilton was charged to wind up the
affairs, for which service he was to re-
ceive $1,0O0O0O. The rest Of the estate was
left to Mrs. Stewart, then 20 years old.
She died in 1886, having transferred all her
interest in the business Of A. T. Stewart
& Co. to Judge Hilton. and in her will
intrusting him with the execution of vari-
Gus benefactions, especially in connection
with the Garden City cathedral and GER
tain schools and institutions connected
with It.
For three years succeeding Judge Hil-
ton was overwhelmed with a series Of law
suits in connection with the wills Of Mr..
and Mrs Stewart. The matter was COM
promised out Of court in 1889. Early in
the following year the New York World
published a series Of articles, in which
Judge Hilton was credited with robbing
the Stewart estate Of millions of dollars.
Judge Hilton brought suit for libel against
the paper on the strength of these charges
and indictments were found against the
proprietor and the principal editors, but
the indictments were dismissed by Re-
corder Smythe in January Of the follow
ing year, on the recommendation Of the
district attorney.
Judge Hilton continued to conduct the
affairs of the firm Of A. T. Stewart &
Co. until 1882, when the original firm was
liquidated and nominally two new conc
ems took its place, called respectively Syl-
vester, Hilton & Co. and L ]. Denning &
Co.. which were finally reorganized in 1890
as the firm of Hilton, Hughes & Co. I'm
der this style the business was conducted
until the summer of 1896, Judge Hilton
being ultimately called upon to raise large
sums Of money to meet its liabilities, and
finally the lease. store and stock were
purchased by John Wanamaker Of Phil
Al, A. - ,os
firms New York branch.
While executor of the Stewart estate
Judge Hilton created a sensation by re-
fusing to allow Hebrews to be entertained
at the Grand Union hotel, at Saratoga,
N. Y. a part of the estate.
Judge Hilton was a man Of culture and
a liberal patron Of the arts. He purchased
Meissonier's famous picture, "Friedland
1907" for $4,000 at the sale of the STEP
art collection. with the intention OF pre-,
senting 1t to the Metropolitan Museum
of Art in New York, as a memorial to Mr.
Stewart At the same time he presented
to the Metropolitan Museum 1.-THE Defense
OF Champigny." by Edouard Detaille
which he had purchased in 1879 for S35, OOO
In 1890, Judge Hilton presented to the Gar
den City Cathedral corporation the sum
of $4,000.
In the early flfties, Judge Hilton mar
ried sister of James H. Banker, later
president of the Bank of New York. He
had a numerous family of children, and
some Of his sons have OF late years at
tracted a great deal of attention and
brought great trouble and expense to him
by their reckless use of money