The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-24
FIGHT FOR A TITLE
LONDON ORGAN GRINDER rs THE
ACTIVE CLAIMANT OF AN
EARLDOM
DENIED BY HIS FATHER
That VIII Be the Claim the Son of
the First Wife of William Henry,
Earl POulett, VIII Set Up-Death
of the Aged NObleman Brings Ont
the Sensational story of His Mat
rfmOnial Adventures.

LONDON, Jan. 23-William Henry.
Earl Poulett, died in this city yester-
day in his seventy-second year
1t is probable that the succession to
the title and estates will be disputed.
The deceased earl was thrice marie d.
According to gossip, he made a wag r,
when harum scarum youth and trav-
cling about, that he would marry the
first woman he met on landing in Eng
land. Accordingly, at Portsea, in 1S4s
he married Miss Elizabeth Virg; MIA
Newman, daughter of a Landport D.
lot. In few months she gave BIZ tn
to a son, whose paternity her husband
denied. The couple from that time
lived apart, the wife dying in August.
1871. The child, who calls himself Vis-
count Hinton and claims the success
sion, has long been living on the
streets Of London as an organ grinder,
and his pretentions were always
stoutly denied by the deceased earl.
About six weeks after the death of
his first wife, Earl Poulett married NJ SIS
Emily Sophia Johnson, who died in
1875, without issue SURVIVING. In 1876
he married Miss Rosa De Melville,
daughter of Arthur Hugh De Mel
Vile, and their son is generally recog-
nized as the rightful earl.
The long-standing quarrel between
the late Earl PouIett and the London
organ grinder has furnished material
for many scandal. Only short time
ago the claimant to the succession
made an appeal to the public to take
philanthropic interest in the condition
Of the poor, among whom he has lived
and earned his living. He prefaced it
with a brief biographical statement,
which is interesting just now as Likely
to form the basis of important litiga-
ton between him and the son of the
late earl by his third wife. In the
course of the appeal "the noble organ
grinder" as he is known in London,
said:
1 am Vscount Hinton William Turnour
Thomas Poulett, eldest son Of Earl Poulett, of
Hinton St. George, Somerset; hence my title.
On the death Of the present earl, against
whom he'd no enmity whatever, l expect to
inherit Hinton St. George, still magnificent
domain of 10000 acres. The estate IS worth
f12,GG0 per annum, which 1 am soon to en-
Joy.
The late Earl Poulett involved him
self in debt, sold every family posses
sion he could sell and mortgaged the
remainder up to the limit in order that
the noble organ grinder in the event
of ultimate succession to the title and
eptailed estates, might benefit as lit
tie as possible. At one time the courts
refused him a petition for relief In
bankruptcy on account of eXtravagant
living. He made no secret Of his prod
igality. The old earPs hatred for him
whom he called the "usurper" was ir-
tense, and his animosity extended to
the wife of the claimant, who has in
viariably accompanied him with the
piano on the streets of London Some
years ago the claimant and his wife
were in the habit Of taking the organ
each day to a position in front of the
earPs town residence at 60 Queensgate
and playing airs, which. whether the
organ grinder intended it or not, had
peculiarly maddening effect upon the
earl
Lord Pou1ett died uncertain as to
what would be the outcome of his life
long efforts to defeat the aspirations
of Elizabeth Newman's son. The child
was born in wediock, and the claim
ants legal advisers have all along as
sured him that his claims to the sue
cession cannot be defeated.