The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1900-12-14
Dismissal Of Administrators S
Petition Leaves Carrie
Jones's Money in Mr..
Hilton's Hands.
WILL TO Be PROBATED
Then Will Follow a Legal
Fight Between Former EN-
ployers of Deceased.

Vice Chancellor Pitney's Court this
afternoon was rich in sensations during the
continued hearing of William B. Hilton,
the Brooklyn millionaire, whom Assem-
blyman John A. DENIM, as administrator,
sought to restrain from drawing out up
wards of $4,000 from Brooklyn and Jersey
City banks belong to Caroline L. Jones,
once a servant in his employ, but since
dead.
AS THE News" told its readers yester-
day. a will had been discovered among
the effects of Miss Jones after death, and
excepting legacy of $500 to a friend all
the remainder of the estate goes to Major
2. X. Psngborn.
Ex-senator William Brinkerhoff, coun-
sci for tht administrator gave Mr.. Hilton
a verbal lashing when it came to the
summing up and this in part is what he
said
Has this man no refinement of senti-
ment? Has he no regard for public
thought or expression? Has he no pride
in the proper requirement of wealth
This man, old in life and experience this
Svengali, surfeited with hypnotic power
and influence over the Trilby of his
kitchen sought to obtain from her not only
all the money that he had paid to her for
thirteen years of mental service, but the
whole accumulations of her life time. She
told him that she haGAforty-four hundred
dollars in savings bank, and had no rela-
tive whom she recognized. He then told
her that he had made provisions for her
in his will. He satisfied her of his piety
and affection, he seats her at the family
tablet bats his deceitful and designing
book with $500 legacy to draw in 4,4oC
from the vaults of savings banks. Were
he a man of honor he would prefer to be
disgrace with his pockets lined with the
plunged into poverty rather than stand IN
money of his dead servant girl
January TO- 1900, when her life was dis
paired of, he carried the entire deposits in
three banks to be made payable to himself
and Caroline-'to the survivor of them,
either to draw'-on the 18th day of the
same month he permits her to be taken to
the hospital, where January 81 she died
OF an organic disease of the heart. which
had developed in the preceding October,
and when dead instead of having her re-
mains taken to his house he had them
taken to an underta ding establishment.
and all this within twenty-one days, and
now he appears in Court of Conscience
TO uphold his inequitable, suspicious and
unconscionable conduct not only against
the decedent, but against her next OF
kim
Lawyer Chas. H. Hartshorne followed
for the defendant, insisting that his con-
duct was proper in every way.
The Vice. e-Chancellor said that the ques-
tion of gifts inter vivos and gifts CAUSE
mortis had never been settled by the
Court of Errors and Appeals. He hat
written, he said, an opinion on the sub
ject to be found in Dickson 8, N. ]. Equity
Reports, Skillman vs. Wiegand, and tina
so far the Court of Chancery was the au
thority in the State. He would disnis.
the petition. Counsel for the administra
tor intimated that he would appeal.
1t came out that the will giving every
thing to Major Pangborn makes him no
only legatee but executor and as such h.
will offer the will to probate.
An odd thing about the will is that Mrs
Lizzie Smith, one of Mr.. Hiltons wit
nesses. found the document in trunk con
tanning the effects of Caroline Jones. Thi
was after the death of the latter, and i
has never been revoked. Since Mrs. Smitl
and Mr.. Hilton were in communication
with each other after Miss Jones's dealt
it is considered peculiar that he was no
aware of its discovery and its content
leaving the estate to Major Pangborn.
Now will follow, after the will is pro
bated, a fight between the Major and Mr.
Hilton as to the ownership of the 81, 400
AS for Major Pangborn. he says, tha
the existence of the will was surpris
to him. Miss Jones was a servant in hi
family for eight or ten years. In 1883 sh
came to see the Major about some lots sh
owned in a cemetery here and the Majo
adjusted her difficulties.
Miss JONES'" said the Major, told m
that she had no relatives to whom sh
cared to leave the money and she sal
that she would bequeath the money t
me. but advised her not to do anything
of the kind and never supposed she ha
any intention Of doing so. I introduce
her to Mr.. Gilbert Collins, now Justice
and told him that Miss Jones desired t
have him draw will I don't kno,
whether it was drawn or not
The will it is said was drawn by Lawye
Hughes of the law office of Corbin
Corbin.