The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-01-19
A CONTEST FOR MILLIONS.
One Brother Accuses Another of De-
sfrOyinE "a VIII.


strOyinE "a Will
YORK Pa. Jan 19.-The contest over
the will Of the late Stephen D. Miles. who
was born and raised in the lower end Of
York county. has aroused great interest
here. The Miles estate is valued at So
100000. Tie dead millionaire drove d
stage 10 the county seat until he was thir-
ty years Old. when he went to Nebraska.
in 1874. and became a squatter in a rich
valley
Miles secured the contract for carrying
the first Salt Lake mail from Missouri
over the Rocky Mountains at 900 a
year. besides large grants Of lands This
was the beginning Of his fortune. He got
more contracts and more land, and soon
became known as a cattle king. The
money he received for carrying mails was
all clear profit, as the packages and pas
sengers he carried paid all expenses. His
stage coaches were frequently attacked by
robbers and Indians. and once Miles barely
escaped with his life
In 1870 he sold out his stage business
ard devoted himself TO looking after other
interests. He founded a couple Of BANKS
IN Nebraska, and in 1883 he organized the
Miles Nationa. Bank az Delta, this coun-
~. He had safe deposit boxes all over tie
country, where he kept Government bonds.
stocks, deeds, and other valuable papers.
But with an his great wealth he had
little domestic happiness and in his Old
age he was divorced from his wife, who
had borne him four children. one day I'D
1883 he called his eldest son Joseph TO his
ranch. near Falls City Neb.. and drew up
a Will making Joseph the principal lega-
tee. and giving his son Samuel $4,000 in
trust. A year later SamueIs share was
changed 10 l4GO acres OF land.
The old man. few years ago. fell out
with JOsephs wife. and il is alleged by
Samuel that on this account his father
made a later will in 1897, giving him a
large share Of the estate. In October
1888. the father broke down and went back
to Fails City 20 die. He refused 20 enter
MS son Joseph's home and died Al a no
tel He had the largest funeral ever held
ia that part of Nebraska During the last
year Of his lie ne gave away S-O0.O0o Of
which Joseph received $4,000. samuel
$4,000. and the Odd Fellows. $4,000
No will could be- discovered after his
death. The two brothers conducted the
search Jointly They hunted over his ranch
and then went 90 ST. Louis and Baltimore.
finally reaching York county. but they
discovered no testament. u vas then.
SAMUEL alleges. that he made his fatal
mistake. He never thought OF searching
the room in the hotel where his father
died. and allowed his brother Joseph 10 go
home alone, whil1 be fingered with friends
in York county.
The room where the millionaire had died
remained locked. and there Joseph went On
mis- return 20 Fails CRY. and found the
missing will of 1855. which cut Samuel on
with ] 400 acres OF land Samuel alleges
that Joseph also found the viii % 1897
and destroyed g. The viii was discovered
In an old vsIise that the old man would
never allow Co leave his side samuel was
bitterly disappointed. and upbraidcj him
self Tor his rarele-suess IT'D allowing Jo-
seph 90 search the room alone RE allow
ed the viii 20 BE prO1lLed bur IN Two
months began to take steps 20 break IT.
Old stephen Miles. when in s.. Louis.
had made the ST. James Hotel his stop
ping place. and became quite intimate 81 it'll
the landlord. Thomas p. Milier 10 yss az
the ST. James that the VIII OF 1887 was
made, Miller and his clerk being The Wit
ne-sos. The latter testified that strange
lawyer drew Cp Uh9 VIII The son Samuel
al once advertised in the leading Western
papers for the lawyer who drew mp The
Will He was answered last month by
James G.. SNOW, q 81. Lo-ts. who declared
that ne had drawn the VIII ~sich divided
the property equally between Cne TWO sons
But when snow was placed ON the witness
stand he denied point blank thar be mad
ever known old Colonel Miles
Witnesses have- testified thar the old
millionaire never carried anything I'D his
old vdlise but sOiled linen and cigars. and
that he had told them that all his friends
and relatives would be remembered when
he died The trial has not yet ended.