The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-12
THE GILMAN WILL FIGHT.
Great Legal Battle Probable over
the Vast Estate.

NEW YORK. March 1.-THE fight for
the Gilman millions is on. The first
steps in the litigation which promises to
be long and costly. We're taken today. As
the laws Of two States are involved, it
may not he decided until it reaches the
United States Supreme Court.
Mrs Blakeley Hail. who is in practical
possession of the Brightwood property,
came to New York today 20 consult with
her lawyer. She said she had in her pos
! session evidence which would prove that
she was the heir to the estate left by
George Francis Gilman. Her claim. she
insisted. would prevail above all others
| but when asked to explain the grounds
on which she based it she said this was a
matter which she had been instructed by
her lawyer not to talk about to anyone.
Irs. Han said she regarded herself as
absolute mistress of the Black Rock es-
tate and that the distant relatives of Mr.
Gilman, who were nosy in the house, were
there merely on suffrance. one of the
deN elopments of today was that Frazier
Gilman, the oldest haIf-brother of the
late millionaire. who is leading the fight
! on behalf of the blood relatives, is per-
fectly willing that Mrs Hail should keep
the Bridgeport estate
and is not worth struggling for. 1t was
apparent today that the serenely conf
dent attitude of Mrs. Hall is a source Of
great perturbatiun to the lawyers who
are acting for the full-blood and half
blood relatives As one of them described
it today. she had them guessing
The legal combat will be upon the qaes-
tion as to the residence of the late Mr.
Gilman. If it is held chat he was resi-
dent of Connecticut. the descendants of
the five brothers and sisters of the dead
man. headed by Edward l.. Norton. Will
divide the estate, as The laws OF Con
necticut do not recognize half blood rela-
tives. MIR. Gilman's half-brothers and
their children will endeavor to prove that
his legal residence was in this State.
Frazier Gilman. q half brother of the
tea merchant, arrived here today from
Dakota - aid his brother Theophilus, of
Brooklyn. in the fight they are about to
begin for a share of the estate. For i3ore
than twenty years Frazier Gilman has
lived in Dakota. In looks he is typical
Westerner He wears his hair down TO
his shoulders, and is tall and 1.-the. lie
said:
''Our father died forty-three years ago.
leaving a fortune of about s5G01.elO which
he made by running blockades In the war
Of 1872 and in the South African trade. At
the time of his death he was reputed TO
be the third richest man in the United
States When he died George and a CO.
executor. named Edward Mcclellan, took
possession of the estate. Immediately
George began to live high. lie bought
fast horses and all that kind of thing. IL
was on the money he thus had control of
that he huilt the laege fortune ne had
when he died.
When my mother, my brothers, and
sisters and myself tried to get share of
the estate that we were entitled to George
refused to give up anything. In 1871 ] at
tached his stores and other property ana
after lot of litigation a compromise
was effected whereby the ten heirs were to
receive $500 each and share in $3.50 600
worth of Arkansas bonds owned by my
father Mother was the only one Of us
who got the SIS. .Gi9
George refused to pay out the rest of
| the money on the technical ground that
! one of the heirs had failed to sign the
| agreement For myself. 1 did not mind
| much because | thought eventually /
would get the money. ] went to Dakota
and began farming. As made about
ST.. .G09 "A year for some time | did not
trouble my brother. But for two years
in succession the grasshoppers came, aud
at the end OF that time | was out 100000.
| settledtalhelaims except about $1,000.
Il came to New York intending to get
the money necessary to pay these debts
from my brother When met him at his
Office in this city | told him what / want
ed and lie told his clerk to draw a check
in my f;cvor for $1,000 When / went with
the clerk to draw the money the bank
had just closed. Next day when | went
to m" brothers Office / did not see him
until after bank hours. This went on for
about two weeks when | began to get
mad and then he ordered me out OF the
ors- G. telling me he would not give me
q cent. a few days after / met him on
the street and he offered me , cents /
smacked his face. Then | went on the
warpath for fair.
1t was in 1877 that the Broadway incl
dent happened. George had gone to the
Equitable Building to attend a confer
ence. AS he got into his carriage | went
to speak to him when his coachman hit
me with Il loaded whip, splitting open my
head. My brother, who came to my as
sistance, also had his head laid open. I
drew my pistol and ran af,2r the cab /
ca,ght up with it in a few blocks and
had my brother arrested.
IN retaliation 1 was locked uj for at
tempting to shoot him and his coachmau
/ was tried before Justice GildersIeeve
and acquitted. The judge ordered my pis-
tol to be returned to me. After that l
was continually doggcd by toughs. one
day WAS set upon ut Thirty-third Street
and Avenue Il and was stabbed in the
face.
Il may tell you that my two brothers
and myself had agreed among ourselves
that if either of us was killed, we would
Ilill George. When | drew the pistol
on hiIn in Broadway 1 certainly thought
/ would murder him. At that time had
no money. was living on 10 cents a
and on money that partly belonged to us
well. after this sort of thing and Jaw
suits had been going on Tor about i've
years George gave me $2S.N1 on a quit
| claim But all | made out of il was about
s, 40 I ht. rest went To pay legal ,N-
ususes Since then / have been On good
terms with nay brother. comparatively
speaking | met him several times ana
| staved in the same hotel with him in
| S.ritng;t about twelve years ago. ] don't
| think he lett Il Will because he could rot
! hear the thought of death and 10 one
| ever dared mention death in his pr-s.n.,e. ..
| Mrs BlakeIey Hall is thirty-eight years
| old Her maiden name was Helen Potts.
| She came from Pennsylvania When she
was about twenty-five years old she
wont on the stage. taking the name of
Helen Staudish. She a member of
| tha Eostou Museum Company for time
| ard later was of the support Of Maud
| Granger III u piece ciiieu me + i9het
she met BlakeIey Hall about twelve