New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-14
MAY CONTEST PLANT WILL
THE WIDOW. IT IS SAID, IS NOT Salts
FLED WITH HER SHARE OF ESTATE.
HER HUSBANDS SUDDEN TRIP TO NEW
HAVEN JUST BEFORE HE DIED AND
HIS QUEER PROVISIONS.

city on June % last, leaving an estate Oh sew
eral millions of dollars. is likely to be begun by
the widow. who was the second wife Of Mr..
Plant and who lives at No. $50 Ffth-ave. Mrs.
Plant was not in the city yesterday, and II was
not possible to learn whether the papers have
been drawn By the terms Of the will Mrs.
Plant receives an allowance OF $4,000 year.
Her friends assert that she is not satisfied with
this. in view Of the fact that the estate was an
unusually large one and that the dover rights
urGer ordinary circumstances would amount 10
much more than this sum. II any contest Is
brought 1t will doubtless be based on the alleged
ground OF undue influence.
few days before Mr.. Plant died he got UP
from a sick bed. where he was under the
OF his family physician, DR.. Ghisiani Durant, OF
No 10 West Forty-sixth-st and hurried off TO
New-Haven. where he made his will In Con-
necticut the law with reference to entailing es-
tates makes II possible TO tie up property for
several generations. This act of Mr.. Plant was
so unusual that 1t attracted attention at the
time, and prompted the suspicion that he had
acted while his mind was partially unbalanced
When DR. Durant was seen last night he said:
up to the present time there has been no
step taken by Mrs. Plant to upset the will. and
It is my belief that none Will be taken. l have
been the family doctor for many years, and
practically lived in their house for six or seven
years. Mrs. Plant s a highly estimabe woman
and perhaps I am as familiar with her business
affairs as any one. I know OF no intention on
her part to contest the will
Was Mr.. Plant Of sound mind when he
CO used the will to be drawn" DR.. Durant was
asked.
UNUSUAL TERMS OF THE WILL.
apparently his mind was clear" said the
doctor. Il am free to say that he was a sick
man when he took the Journey 10 New-Haven
and made his somewhat peculiar will Under
the laws Of this State 1t is not possible 10 tie up
property as is done in Connecticut. Briefly. Mr..
Plants will directed that the estate is not to
be divided until the fOur-yeav-old son OF Nor
TO ! F Plant the only son Of Henry B. Plant, shall
have had male child which shall have become
OF age. That is certainly most unusual pro-
vision in a WILL but under the laws of Con-
nectcut it seems that it legally drawn.
understand that the trustees Of the estate
have made an Informal proposition TO Mrs Plant
looking TO a large allowance FOR her. Nothing
has come OF this as yet The trustees assert,
doubtless with good reason, that 1t is impos-
sbe 10 determine so soon after Mr.. Plants
death Just how large the estate is. Some time
ago there was brought 10 my attention news
paper report in which Mr.. Morton Plant was
quoted as saying that Mrs. Plant. his step
mother, dissatisfied with the provision
made for herself but in that interview Mr..
Plant is quoted as saying that he was satisfied
with the will. That was the first time heard
that Mrs Plant was dissatisfied with the will.
Mrs Plant IS out Of the city to-day, and It is
not exactly certain when she will return"
Morton f Plant, the son Of the dead man, left
the city a few days ago for the Florida coast,
with the intention Of devoting several weeks TO
the Plant properties on the west coast Of that
Il was learned last night that Mrs. Plant has
retained the services Of Seward, Guthrie &
steele Of No 40 Wall-st. Paul d Cravath, Of
the firm. was seen last night at his home, No.
lO7 East Thirty ninth-st., and admitted that
his firm was Mrs. Plants counsel
Under the circumstances III have to be ex-
cused from saying anything about Mrs. Plants
business affairs" said Mr.. Cravath' who would
not even admit that the papers in the contest
have been drawn. Mr.. Cravath was surprised
that the probable intention OF Mrs. Plant 70
contest the will had reached a newspaper. AS
the reporter was leaving his house he said: /
doubt very much IL there Will be anything SEN
sational in anything concerning Mrs. Plants
business affairs
An ATTEMPT TO SETTLE NAY BE MADE.
The counsel for the Plant estate is Judge
T.vnde Harrison OF New-Haven. He will be In
tho CITY this afternoon, and il was said last
night that his errand IS principally for the
ruroose Of seeing Mrs Plants counsel. 20 bring
about an anicable arrangement OF the relation
If Mrs. Plant to the trustees OF the Plant
estate.
friend Of the Plants said last night that
friends that it would be comparatively easy Tor
har 10 recover one-third Of the estate, her dover
right az a widow, under the laws OF inns osate,
This friend said that Mrs rant duN 81 We
- fdont that Mr. Plant was not Legally resi-
ant Of Connecticut when he went there IroiH
his sick bed in order TO make ms quseI MIa..
II is believed that If IL can De esIapllseu 80
Mr. Plant was not a legally qus,lIi'eu III
- Connecticut the trustees OF the estate WI.
settIe with Mrs. Plant in order 10 save the o0''
Of prolonged litigation. ~ zec fifth
o.
o,-n IN mis- city on June y last. lie haq pen -.
in bad health for two years Dut 'dn1ing a
many Of his business uu'is g days before his
reeidant Of Connecticut a rev GAYS - - ~
1sath in order to make will under the laWs "a
Ccrne.ti-ut which would practlcauy entail '. -,
tjt. and friends His widow was many years
,0unger than Mr.. Plant when she narIIeG III
Henry B. Plant was born IN Bradford, COit w.
on October -, lNl3. w nen a a 'Hsven steam
entered the employ Of the New ha.r ,roirtsn
host Company. He was appointed superlnIISn-
dsnt Of the Southern division 81 me Auai e,sta
rrass Company, with headquarters III rArrtusLo,b
~ IS-I Ia 1872 he married Ellen EhZapeth
maidstone who died in 1851 In 80 ne ma n,iv
RED Miss Margaret Josephine Lous MIS- ne civ
daughter ~ Martin Loughnah' OF t"is 49,
,rbe nrlv living child OF the first union Is hJI
ton plant who is identified win many ~ 81 ~ n
companies organized 10y hIs Isrl.ss comnanv
p1@nt organized the Southern Express CuliIpansd
"a was its president till he died He orsaIlzJIu
The Texas Express Company IN lot' NJ Jus So
~ Atlantic and Gulf Railway Co4lIstIy anu "a
" at.od ~ as the Savannah, Florlda anu
oreahlLeu 70 u,yav Company In 1880 he bought
Wtst~' ,,,jlt tbe Savannah and Charleston Ran.
way He induced number Of ms ,5er he out
100 10 90 in with him, ana win thth ic - -
iIlehus ~ H1road and steamship lines under the
Vsri naSed name OF the Plant Investment Sonl
pany In 1896 Mr. Plant esiapis ryae 'n between
Steth LII Kev West Havana and Jamaica
ports Then there vas brought Into s sne
company the Canada and Al; AtiaN North Atlantic
ION a. Tampa and in its neghoorhood MI
p pIe ana his associates built immense hotels