The Topeka state journal., 1899-08-25

under the Tweed regime, a position he
held until the collapse of that powerful
boss.
All this time Judge Hilton maintain
ed his interest in the affairs of Mr..
Stewart. He counselIed the latter to
keep pace with the nOrthward tendency
of the city'S residential sections and
favored the merchants project of build
ing the great store on the block bound
ed by Broadway, Fourth avenue, Ninth
and Tenth streets.
In 1862, when Stewart first made
known this scheme, he was laughed at
by his rivals They thought his in
satiable ambition had at last worked
his ruin. But the building went up
and in 1868 the store, which today is
opened.
chant prince was over 50, ,000, 600 year
from his business alone, and half again
as much from other inVeStm mentS- His
close to S13, 600, 900.
Judge Hilton's work was mostly the in
yeslln6 OF the money SO rapidly accumu-
lating. Niblo's garden, the Colorado no
Gardep City. the the ERECTION OofO of the be- 3 great
cathedral there, the planning of the Park
men,, the erection of the mansion at Thir-
ty- fourth street and Fifth avenue. the
purchase of immense quantities of realty
in the downtown section were the chief
Soon after the failure John Wanamaker
purchased the entire business, including
the stock the building and the stables,
=
ground being owned by the Sailors Snug
After the death of Mrs Stewart endless
suits by relatives Of the dead millionaire
We're instituted against Judge Hilton in
effort to deprive him of the Stewart
millions. Mrs. Stewart had willed nearly
al 70 Of the estate sha had retained. about
s.. 900, 900 to her maiden sisters. the Misses
Clinch who in turn decided the property
only an annuity Of 81 900 each. rs
When Stewart died the great estate had
gone in part to the widow but Judge
much
But the magic Of Stewards power or
money making was buried with Stewart.
Judge Hilton knew every secret of the
great merchant prince who had risen from
success. With Stewart Hilton could do
ANYTHING: without him all Hilton's plans
the great firm of A. T Stewart to Hilton,
Huges & Denning. Hughes being HiIton's
sOn-in-law, and Denning, one of Stew
arts employees, who had learned the bus
But quarrels, dissensions, losses followed
year by year; the firm was repeatedly
years ago this week Judge HiIton's great
credit he paid his sons debts, though
When the merchant died on April 10.
1876, 1t was supposed he left fortune in
left but S1.0oo,o00 to Judge Hilton. made
liberal a. beguesfs to to, his servants and 9th
widow, who had been a Miss CIinch.
The enigma of the Stewart millions is
a matter that has never been solved.
Judge Hilton eventually came into pos
session OF nearly all OF them-hOW. has
never been made clear.
He soon became owner of the retail
store at Broadway and Ninth street, but
ners or his Sons Who iloe eventuaiIy emit l pTed
to run it. From $13, 100000 the business at
later recovered somewhat. On August 26
1896, the firm of Hilton Hughes & Co.
finally collapsed, with liabilities of 81 529,-
Judge Hilton lost fully $4,000 in the
keep the store going he raised 81. .G5o. 900
b. mortgaging the Stewart building at
broadway and Chambers street, which
bad also pass passed ID. into his possession, as
25000O, charging him 6 per cent interest
and pei. cent for the accommodation.
Money at that time very tight
Judge Hilton spent hundreds of thous-
ands defending. the suits brought against
him. The litigants made all kinds of
charges relative to the way in which he
gained control of the bulk of the Stewart
won His interests were defended by JOS
case several of the claimants pooled their
interests and employed the late Gen. Benz.
F. Butler as their counsel
In the past dozen years Judge Hilton
suffered much by the conduct of some of
his sons who dissipated great sums of
FREDERICK died in Carlsbad suddenly in
73 4Ss4, me eldest son; Henry C. Hilton,
I1Ves IN the annexed district; Edward
resides in Paris, while the youngest. Al
father One daughter is the wife of Hor-
ace russell; another is the wife of John
The Hilton home. at No. West Thir-
tX-fourth street, near the Stewart man
fheI of raet 1IS WIN Palnl5ngs many % OF
atoga estate is a magnificent place.
of gastritis last October He rallied but
since then has had many severe attacks.
Ordinary household accidents have no
terrorS when there's a bottle of DR..
Thomas Ectectric Oil in the medicine
chest. Heals burns. cuts, bruises,
r-T71s ms