The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-07-18
Belief That Col. Sloan Left
100000 to Mrs. Algsr.
THEY WERE TO Be MARRIED.
The Colonel Was Killed on a Yacht on Nor
walk During a Thunderstorm Struck
by Lightning.

New York. July 1s.-There Is much spec
ulstion as to tho contents OF the will OF
Col. Thomas Il. Sloan, major OF the Old
Guard. who died during storm while
boating off South Norwalk, Conn. early
in June.
Col. Sloan, IT is declared, had insurance
on his life amounting to 100000 and this
large sum he is said TO have left to his
fiancee. Mrs. M. f. r.. Alger. an attrac-
tive woman who was with him at the
time he met his death.
Owing TO the large amount OF insurance
he carried, the companies interested have
been at work investigating Col Sloans
mysterious death.
When Col. Sloan died 1t was reported
from South Norwalk that the boat on
which he was sailing had been overturned
during a storm. On the second day af-
ter the tragedy, however. William l.. Ed
wards, who was on the boat with Col
Sloan. said that the colonel had been
struck by lightning and that that was the
cause of death.
The stories were so contradictory how
ever that the insurance companies de-
amounts of the policies.
Col Sloan, who was president of the
Traders and Travellers Insurance COM
pany and was interested i'm various busi-
ness enterprises, Is believed to have left
will in which he gave to Mrs. Alger
his insurance and the bulk OF his prop
erty Mrs. Sloan had obtained a divorce
from the colonel in November. 1900, on
statutory grounds he offering no defence
ms m
taken place yesterday.
None of the intimate friends OF Col.
Sloan would discuss the possible con-
tents of his will yesterday, nor would
they give any information as to Mrs.
Asger or the circumstances under which
she met the colonel.
Mrs. Alger. who has an apartment at
NO. 81 West Eighty-seventh street has
attained prominence through her work
as a truant officer in this city. She is a
bright and energetic woman, apparently
thirty-seven years old, and is connected
with the truant school In East Twenty
first street. She was not at home when
reporter called last night, and IL was
said at the house that nothing was known
as to her movements
Mrs. Alger first became prominent as
a truant officer I'm 1895. She was the first
woman 10 serve in that capacity I'm New
York. She entered upon her duties mod
estly, and those familiar with her work
declare that she has made a success OF
IL. When she first took up the work her
district embraced Governors and Bed
loes islands and several blocks in the
neighborhood of the Battery.
She had some notable experiences with
street arabs who We're playing hockey"
but she soon taught the gamins in her
district that they must obey the truant
officer when she happened to be that
Official Her advancement in the tru-
ancy department of the board OF Edu-
cation was rapid. and she is now recog-
nized as one of its most valuable MEM
bers.
When Col Sloan started on boating
trip from the Mochackemo hotel near
South Norwal< on the afternoon of June
p last, woman. supposed to be his
daughter was In the party of four. Ii
subsequently was learned that the woman
was his fiancee, Mrs. Alger She was
greatly affected by his tragic death and
was the heavily veiled woman II is assert
ed, who attended the funeral and was at
that time declared to be Mrs. Alger Rob-
ertson.
Col. Sloan. besides being ono of the
leading members OF the Old Guard since
1885. was n member OF the Manhattan
Colonial Lawyers and Democratic clubs
In Manhattan, and the Algonquin and
Brooklyn clubs I'm Brooklyn. There was
a great surprise I'm Brooklyn when II was
known that Mrs. Sloan had sued for d.
vorce, and this surprise was Increased
when Judge Smith. In the Supreme court.
granted an absolute decree without oppo-
sition. Col. Sloan had made his home for
some time at the Metropole hotel.