Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1901-03-13
A FIGHT FOR MILLIONS
Heirs to the Gilman Estate Clash
in Court.
QUESTION ONE OF RESIDENCE
The Heirs Ask For Letters Of Adm mis-
tration mt Bridgeport. Conn.-Iaws OF
Inheritance In Two States Involved
In the Long Legal Fight - Fortune
Estimated at $4,000, 900.

Inheritance In Two states Involved
I'm the Long Legal Fight - Fortune
Estimated at S.6.OOO, 900.
Bridgeport. Conn. \ formal appli-
cation was made in the Probate Court
I'm this city for letters of admiuistra.
tion to he granted To Edward l.. Nor
ton and Edward =. rercival. Of New
York City. on the estate of George
Francis Gilman the millionaire. of
Black Rock. The hearing in The Pro
bate Office was held by appointment.
Probate Judge hobbs holding court
after the regular hour of closing.
Ther" We're present in the party A,tor-
ncy Charles = Brush. Attorney Nc
Cormack. Alfred Gilman. Edward l..
Norton and Edward =. Percival. the
last three hcirS-at-law, and George
w. Smith. Of this city. who. ii trans
pircS i'll the last minute, is not nm
heir at all.
The latter gentleman was present
for the purpose Of giving the court
and the parties interested local infor-
nation. The gentlemen present repre-
sonted To Judge Nobbs that there were
would be sent for if their presence
were required.
Attorneys Brush and Mccormack
represented that Mr. Gilman died
without leaving aEy heirs In Bridge
port. and that ut the present time
strangers were in charge OF the local
property. They thereupon offered u
petition asking that Il proper person
be appointed az temporary admins
traitor to take charge of the Black
Rock property. The object OF the
motion was tn force Mrs Blakeley
Hall aud hcr mother tn give up the
possession OF The house.
Judge Nobbs denied their petition
for the temporary receiver. The coun-
sci then formally presented an appli-
cation that Edward l. Norton and
Edward :. Pcrcival he granted let
icrS of administration on The estate
The application was signed 10y all the
heirs-atlaw. as follows
Georg" Gilman. New York City.
nephew. George Mcclellan. Northamp
ton. Mass. nephew: Edward =. Per
cival. New York City, nephew; Caro-
line Scammon. Brooklyn. I1ece: Olivia
Drew. Lynn. Mass. niece; Nellie Tut
tie. milwaukee,. Wis. aiect; Lydia X.
bradford, Skowhagan. Me-. niece:
u.
niece; Caroline q. Mcclellan, Daricn
Conn. niece; Edward c. Norton, New
York Ciiy. grandnephew; Minnie L..
Little, New York City. grandniecc;
Ellen y Starr. Manila Philippines
grandniccc: Mary Ford. California
Erandnecc; the infant children of
Milford II. Norton. n granddaughter.
and Georgc PrrciVal, rhiladelphia
i;randnrphcw.
Unless Millionaire Gilman left will
his large fortune will he divided
among persons whom he avoided.
feared and hated. High and low
lavr The searches been made for amy
document that could he filed in the
Surr0Gatc'S office. No nook or granny
where he would have been liable 10
place II Will To conceal ii has escaped
observation.
GilmIn'S business interests were
enormous. Persons who are conser-
VatiVC say he was worth less than
S20.0Ho.0Oo. while others assert that
his property may amount to $50 .OOO.-
200. Tie was very wealthy. and any
hgurr thnt may he given is nothing
more than n guess.
His relatives assume that he has
LEFT Eo will and have begun fight
over the SpDils on that basis Should
without question. SO great is his
estate thai The allegations Of mental
unSoundncSS ana undue influence are
inevitable with the usual rakIng over
Of every unpleasant feature OF his
career.
The PROBATE Court here assumes that
ii has jurisdiction over the settlement
of aH the property of Mr.. Gilman. of
whatever kind or description. except
real estate situated outside of the
State OF Connecticut The legal rep
tesentative of the half-blood relatives
intimated that they could prove that
MIR. Gilman was n resident OF New
York City. and by producing such
proof. would transfer the Jurisdiction
nf administration front Connecticut
10 New York The whole blood rcla-
tives asserted that such a move would
be met with ample proof to the con
trary. The contest will he due to the
fact that the probate law OF the States
rontiict. Under the statute of Con
necticut halfblood relatives are ex-
r!uded entirely from participa ion in
the distribution of intestate estates
willie Who'll" blood relatives are liv-
ing
1t will he Il pretty fight for lawyers
anyhow, and the estate will be tied
mp for months. or years until the high
rst conrts have passed upon the qucS-
tiOns involved
In the meantime the beautiful cs.
tate here is in the joint possession Of
Edward :. Percival. of New York
city. one of the heirs-at.law. and
Mrs. Blakelcy Hall.
No Promotion For Morgan.
Gunner Charles MorGan. l.. : X