The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-09-22
H. VICTOR NEWCOMERS STORY.
ONCE 4 POWER ~ WALL STREET
AND TWICE ~ Az ASYLIM.
IBrinish, start ef the Man Just Declared
sane . second Tim Wss worth Many
Mtnions at Oue Time and wss Gen.
Grants Friend His Unhappy Marriage

sane . second Time Wss worth Man,
Miiions at One ume and was Gen
Grani's Friend - iits Unhappy Marriage
n Victor Newcomb. who for years was
one Of the most prominent operators In
Wall Street. has hesn restored to the con
troll ~ his property. His family made q
vigorous c6ect 20 rave him continued In
the legal state Of i~ncompetency into which
he had twio- h-en thrown. hut on Aug ~.
Justice Fitzgerald Of the Supreme Court
connrnei the report Of Peter h. Oln-y
who, as refer-e, had taken testimony On
IN. application Of Mr.. Ne~comb for res
t~orstion 20 tho control Of his property.
In this report Mr.. Newcomb WAS declared
to h. ~ sound mind and competent TO
manage his own Affairs.
The story Of Mr.. Newcomb forms one
Of thoss strange episodes which occur
in the workadsy world Of Wall Street
II differs from some ~ the manc Of
tho Street. because Mr.. Newcomb was
born with n silver spoon in his mouth.
lie turned the silver spoon into a gold one,
and at n time was on. Of the richest men
ia the Street.
Mr. Newcomb'- father was Pre- sident OF
the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and
] u IMAM tl wealth.. Ulr ffilNf "a w if'hA~
Vile, where the Interests Of tho railroad
system over which he presided centred.
and there his son, II. Victor Newcomb.
was born ON July 20. isi4. Early Ia life
the Younger Mr.. NewCoinb showed an
3 aptitude Tor commercial and financial
AFFAIR. which gave promise 81 a brilliant
future lii disposition wac entirely toward
business and when a young boy he came
~ this city and went into the commission
business with his uncle Warren.
4 large part Of their trade wa IN cones
Young Newcomb touk up this part 81 the
business with enthusiasm. He soon becaIn"
al expert IN distinguishing the various
grades and qualities OF CoHee, After he
had established himself a. an expert in
the trade. he went to England To com
plote hi- education and there he sp+'nt
several wears. His stay In England would
have been longer. but his father formed
a business partnership with him with head.
quarter at Louisville and this called HIM
lack to- his birthplace In 1880.
la England, he had learned ali the aC-
| compli-hments Of English society, ana WIN
hi exIeri.ucc a. a traveller and a business
man. To say nothing of the influence an.
standing 81 his family. le became one on
the most popular Young men IN Louisville
II Wa there that he met the young woman
whom lac married She wa a Mi-s Dan,
forth. Their court-hip lasted an weeks ana
their wedding was on Dc 20, i>oo lhe
W AA W. fNA'F 49,
ed under oetb several times.
In all 81 the examin tionS 10 which MT
Newcomb has h-on subjected he hAs shown
the greatest reluctance IN referring 20 IN"
unplaA.antneS- which Developed tetw"eh
them. but Il was necs's-ary Tor u TO come
out la the course Of the legal proteedingS
According Ia his sworn testimony. three
DAYS after the wedding the honeymoon
waned and thcre trgan a series OF hicker-
ings 10 ul.ch Mr. Newcumb believes the
final unhalancing 81 his mind was due
Burton y Harrison, who Appeared as az
tornay for MIR. Newcomb In the prnfs-|d-
ings which resulted In the restoration 70
la rights Of Mr. Newcomb on u ~
went deeply in hi- examination into the
cause Of The trouble between the hushahu
and wife -
One OF the things which MIR Sewcomb
said he objected 10 in his wife's conduo'
was that she painted her f"~ anu W.
He said that she used the -auccr ana nrush
To do this and that whom, on his return
from business In the evening, I've efnDracea
her. his face tAcaIne s~inesred with me SUN
which she used. lie also declared THAI IN
hi. residence In England he had found tina,
only m.mt.r- Of the hemi-monde painted
Mr. N.wcomb r-forpd to the process OF
decoration employed 10y hi- wife A. daubiis
Mr. Harrison al-o extracted from him he
statement that this habit OF nus Vic
spoiled tho harmony and future and hap
pina-- 81 his early life Mr.. Newcotnh
| hlrth.r testified that his wife was untrIth-
full and that on her knees she would swear
! 10 hun that sh. did not paint, calling Goa
"a her witness. while the eNidencs' OF her
| Lutruthfulne~- lay upon her chs~'ks
Nr Newcumb testified also That his
wife wa aVcr-, Ia bathing and that she
did po, keep herself or her clothing cIeai'
IIo Aaid that he tried In every NAV to IA.
dnr,a her To take baths regularly and al
.ueGcicnrlv freanent intervals, but tina he
was unable to do So. and he dpscrilcd her
a. wearing a duty, greasy gown from
morning until night
4, "a only fair tu Mrs. Newcomb To sAv
that she positively denied these allegations
ON the part 81 her husband. Sh" Declared
thai she was a. cleanly Ia her habits as "
was possible for any Tsrson to u. Shc
deniad utterly that she painted ana tWnr.,
that Ia the hest of her knowledge ana prhe'
4 she had never, 90 Use her husband : phfsrs'
auled her face except upon one occa-ioh'
when she was going Ia character To a fancy
dr.-= PARTY and the facial d-coratioh was
necessary la order To carry out the pefl'
II will H. --.n that the domestic VI"
| of hi. co,upl. must have been All unhappy
one. They had two children, on" Herman
! ID. who - now ~ wears old and a lawyer
AT Louisville. the other = daughter. ME-
Reginald Ward u England.
Fairly IN his business lie Mr.. Newcomb
Was elected "a director ~ the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad. A year after nv
election va the directorate he was made
Vic--Prc~idcut ~ the road. and IA 1873 u"
was tlsCteu President, StNt hi''I " inNu't :
death While ~. MAS still President 81 IN"
| cad he showed his business ability by an
operation in indianapolis which was very
profitable To HIM
Thirt.-n rail- uads centred Ia Indianapolis
and the problem confronting IN" com
| munity was how 10 connect their terminals
| The city OF Indianapolis offered a prifr
of SID 90 tn the man who could devise a
| practicable scheme % uniting the-' roads
MIR. N.wcomb examined the situation,
| formed a company, hull, a helt-line entirely
surrounding The city and then established
s~iockvards whose convenience Ia all the
railroads gave him practically the monopoly
Of the livestock business In the city ms
was very profitable and at one time II was
asserted that from this In ve-tment alon"
Mr.. Newcomb Was ia receipt 81 an annual
income OF tsa.00.
IL 1881 MIR Newcomb resigned the prr-i-
denCy uf ia. railway company and came
To- this city A. that time he was reputsd
10 IT, worth - .Upo.UD OF tlO.eS,up. Ono
80 hs first ventures here was the orgsnisa-
tiun of the United States National Bank,
IN which ten. Grant was Interested. lie
Wa President 81 the bank fourteen months
and the shares ru~s' to lWl IA tina Time.
Then h. solI out a. a graf profit. Mr
NrwCumb was y warm personal friend OF
-. s1..ut v.latp ha rxaaaniaI Ms the