The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-08-27
BADLY S MIXED UP,
Estate of the Late Jo-
sephP.Hale, Former
ly of Worcester.
MILLIONS ARE INVOLVED.
He Began His Career Here
As q House
Painter.
MILLIONS ARE INVOLVED.

There is a suit now entered in the
Surrogate's court of New York in which
the older residents of Wor-
cester and Worcester county
have an Intense interest. 1t involve:
the settlement of the estate of the late
Joseph P. Hale, a millionaire
| formerly of this city, where the greater
portion Of his life and business career
was passed. 1t reveals a curious anc
much mixed up story of ruptured fami.
| ly relations and charges and counter.
charges of false dealings and misappli-
cation of funds by both sides of inter.
est.
! Joseph ?. Hale is we'll remembered
! particularly by those in business here
during the '70s. He began his career
in Worcester as a house-painter, and by
dint of hard labor and frugality, accum-
ulated a sufficient amount to embark
in the crockery business. In this partic-
ular line of trade, he developed so great
an adapt&bility as to amass a very
considerable fortunt for those days. He
maintained large account at the old
| Worcester County Institution for Say
| lngs. 1t is related of him that upon
a certain occasion he presented a check
Tor Very large amount of specie to buy
exchange for pending transactions, ant
was informed that the bank did not
propose to ray out specie any more. He
said You will pay that check in spe-
Gle, or 1 will have your doors closed
within twerty-four hours" and the
eheck was paid. although the institu-
| tloh was then recognized as one of the
strongest banks in Massachusetts.
Later ne engaged in the piano bust
ness and maintained for a long rine
an interest in three piano factories, and
Tor some years represented in this sec
tlon OF the county the old firm of Chic
kerlng q Son. adding thereby, very
largely to his already immense fortune
| he was later interested in a large
number of machine manufacturing con-
Germs, and was the owner of a very
large amount of real estate in this Sec
ton. He removed to New York early
IN the SOS, and at that time was re.
puted by competent authorities to be
worth between five and six millions.
lie died IN 1888, leaving an estate to
be divided equally between his wife and
ms two daughters, Mrs. Julia Damerest
IraYer and Mrs. Stone, wife of Charles
ness at the time of Mr.. Hale's death
Mrs. Hale and George Debevoise were
/ appointed executors
In some way the estate accounts be.
came badly entangled and Hugh Porter
| a lawyer, with an office at 35 Nassau
street, was engaged to straighten then
out and manage the estate for the flu.
ture. -
Mrs. Stone has since died and he
husband, Charles H. Stone, has brough
SUIT TO have the executors removed an(
TO- recover his share of, the estate. tn
allegations, among other things, say
that Mr.. Porter has enriched himself
by the misappropriation of more thar
six hundred thousand dollars, and has
besides, so woefully mismanaged tn,
Huachuca and Arizona Water Com
pany and the Pontiac and Oxford Rail
road in Michigan, properties in which
the estate was largely interested, as t.
| make them absolutely worthless. These
allegations Mr.. Stone supports with ar
| athdavit of William N. Murphy, for.
| mer employee of Mr.. Porter. who
charges that Mr.. Porter transferred
monies from the railroad company's ac.
count to his own personal account
hugh Porter, in giving his side of the
controversy, says: When [ was first
asked to take up the affairs of the Hale
/ L SuCI
| a mass of entangled litigations before
me. There were two courses open tc
| me, either to close up matters at once
winch meant bankruptcy, or TO nurse
the property until it could be put or
a paying basis. The latter plan was
decided on. The piano business, which
| had been side-tracked was again start.
ed up with Charles H. Stone as presi-
| dent and one hundred and thirty thou
/ G chf ociI 10,
business. After running on a navine
oasis for several years, Stone closed the
piano business up without consulta
tlon, the one hundred and thirty thou
sand, IN the meantime, having been di-
Vlded among the heirs, but Stone. nv
some means. obtained possession of
Mrs. Hale's stock. Investigations show
Ihat MRS. Hale had been consulting a
clalrVoyant who reported to her that
her dead husband and child (Mrs
Stone) advised her (Mrs. Hale) to IA
Vor stone. Mrs. Hale told me that on
gong TO the house one day without
having made a pre-arranged appoint
ment, she met Stone on the steps of
the house in company with the clair
Voyants daughter, whom he afterwards
married. Mrs. Hale demanded Of Stone
that he return the two hundred dol
lars worth of her stocks and bonds
which he held. This he refused TO do
and the executors then decided to di-
vide the estate between Mrs. Hale and
Mrs. Traver.
This has caused the trouble. have
given sixteen years of hard work to
the business and naturally have re-
ceived good fees, but the charge that 7
have falsely taken six hundred thou
sand dollars is a SANDER Murphy is
testifying. because I discharged him a
year ago."
The outcome Of this case will be fol-
lowed with the greatest interest by the
older people of this section.