The Topeka state journal., 1899-08-25
JUDGE HILTON DEAD.
Friend and Executor of A. L.
Stewart is No More.

Saratoga, N Y, Aug. 25.-Ex-Judge
Henry Hilton, of New York, died at 5:S5
o'clock yesterday afternoon at Wood
lawn Park, his Saratoga country home.
He had been in an unconscious state
several hours. and his last moments
were without pain.
At his bedside were Mr.. and Mrs.
Albert B. Hilton, Mrs. Horace Russell,
a daughter, and the attending physi-
clan.
have yet been made in regard to the
funeral, it is understood that the prin-
cipaI services will be held in Sara
tOga- The judges body will be buried
in the family plot in Greenwood
Mystery surrounded the birth of Hen
ry Hilton. His steadfast refusal to
speak of his parentage, the date and
place of his birth OccaSiOned many Stor-
les, some Of them romantic. It was
a subject which his closest friends care
fully avoided touching upon in his pres
ence-
Ex-Judge Hilton was born in this
city according to the best information,
about seventy-five syears ago, twenty
one years after his benefactor, Alex
ander Turney Stewart was born in Ire
land, near Belfast 1t has been said
that Judge HiltOn's father was New
York cabman, but this was never fully
established.
,
of Henry EIilton's life were passed is
matter about which he was always re-
ticent When he was a lad of about
fifteen he was employed in the law Of
flee of Campbell & Cleveland. in Grand
street, and it was there, several years
later that he became identified with
the interests Of the merchant prince
whose millions made of him such con-
spicuous figure.
The generally accepted story of the
meeting of Stewart and Hilton is this;
The law firm for which the young man
worked was an important one. me
senior partner, Campbell in time sought
public honors and became master in
chancery and register of bankruptcy.
Meanwhile young Hilton, an indefa-
tigable worker had advanced rapidly
from the humbleSt position in the office
to that of managing clerk and, by the
withdrawal of Mr.. Campbell from the
active affairs of the office, was en-
trusted with much of the important
business of the firm.
One of the clients of the lawyers at
this time was A. T. Stewart, who was
just beginning to be talked about as
very successful shopkeeper.
1t was a critical period with the mer-
chant Years before he had OutgrOWn
the little store at the corner of Cham
bers street and Broadway and now his
business was too great for the larger
stores he had moved into across the
street on the west side of Broadway.
He had been gradually buying up the
way and had about decided upon vast
project for those times, that of putting
uD a great white marble structure,
which would be the finest and largest
store in the whole country.
Frequently he consulted with his
lawyers about his plans, and he found
that they were turning his affairs more
and more over to the young managing
clerk Soon the shrewd merchant con-
suited direct with the clerk when in
need of legal advice.
Thus the big white structure, the
Stewart Building of today. the first en-
terprise of magnitude undertaken by |
the great merchant, was, in a measure, |
the result of Henry Hilton'S advice.
It was in 1S48 when work was begun |
on the erection of the building, and ]
apace with its growth moved the friend !
ship of the merchant or the young law |
yer. A couple of years later Hilton |
all other business interests to |
his attention upon the af- !
fairs of A. T. Stewart in the joint ca
1t was a position of ex- !
treme confidence, and Hilton knew to |
the minutest detail every project un- |
dertaken by the man who was rapidly |
achieving an international reputation |
for commercial shrewdness.
In the early ffties Hilton married a |
sister of James H. Banker, later presi- |
dent of the Bank of New York. After |
his marriage he became ambitious for |
other hOnorS than those connected with |
his intimate association with the mil |
came judge of the court of common |
pleas. He was on the bench until 1868, |
and then became park commissioner |