The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-07
The PAST OF SUSAN Van MORT
4 MOTHER AT Is. DIED HERE As
GEO VI. VAN Norris WIDOW.
While Probate OF His WIN In Her Favor 10
Disputed, II Appears That Such Prop.
erty AZ She Left When She Died AZ 20
VIII Go to the Child Of Her GtrlhOOd.

VIII Go 10 the Child Of Her Girlh0Od.
After prolonged litigation, and much
taking Of testimony before Thomas A.
Foley. as referee. IL il probable that the
estate of sos 900 left by the putative widow
Of former Commissioner of Public Works
George VI Van Mort, Mrs Susan Hyland
Roberts Van Mort. who died in July, 1900.
aged 70 will go TO her only child. Mrs.
Isabella Dufyy Of Tyringham. Mass.
The referees report shows that Mira.
Susan Van Mort had a remarkable history.
II was only after Lawyer W. II Willis had
spent several months in England. Ireland
and France. looking II up that Referee Foley
was able definitely to decide that Mrs Duffy
really il her child
Susan Van Mort was born In Wexford.
She vas a Miss IIyland. and her daughter
Isabella was born when the mother WAS
but is. Isabella never saw her mother
from infancy till about 1880. Susan Hyland
became governess for a wealthy Southern
family, then in Europe. and travelled over
the Continent. In lsi0 she came TO America
and married Henry Roberts. She lived
with him until 1865 when he was killed In a
sawmills accident. Two years later she
married William Joseph Niles. at Romo.
~. Y They lived for a while at Washington,
d. c.. Niles being a Government employee
and they adopted an infant boy. whom they
called Charles Ferro Niles. This boy. il
still living, should he nearly ~ hut no
trace Of him has been found. Niles died in
1888. Thirteen years before his wife had
divorced him for non-sipport
She made several trips to Europe, resum-
ing the name Of Mrs. Roberts. On one Of
these trips she sought out her daughter
and found her in Liverpool. married 10
Andrew keegan.
The mother begged forgiveness and prom
ised TO care for her daughter. The daugh-
ter became a WIDOW. about 1880. and mar
ried Thomas Duffy. The mother brought
the couple 20 America in 1893 and bought a
tfty.acre farm at birmingham. Mass, on
which Mr. and Mrs. Dufy have since lived
In 1855 Susan Hyland Roberts met George
NJ Van Mort, who had recently separat ed
from his wife, Emma Becmer Van Mort
Mrs. Roberts and Van Mort from that time
lived together as man and wife until he
died. in 1895, 0j years old
Mrs Bnemer Van Mort sued Mrs Roberts
for alienation of her husbands affections
but the case was never tried, and il believed
70 have been settled ont Of court Mr.
Beerler Van Mort has been dead several
years
When Van Mort died Susan Roberts or
Van Mort, As she called herself offered
FOR probate a will which gave her everything
The will was probs'cd in Rockland county
and she called herself his widow Tina,
will Is still the subject of litiga, ion C. F
Van Mort OF Scranton, Pa, and B. F. Os-
trander, who has been for years river
pilot in this vicinity, are con,es'ing IL.
They are cousins Of G"org. VI. Van Mort,
and through their lawyers. Palmer 4 Somer-
vile, alege tina, the will produced by Susan
Van Mort was prohated without notice
either to Mrs, Beemer Van Mort, the
original wife, who was then living or to
the testator's other heirs
Proceedings in this contas, have been
begin before Surrogate Fallon Of Rock
lani county u have tn, probate revoked
on the ground of fraud. Susan Van Nor,
diei intestate. AMI the contestants claim
tina, all TIN estate sh, lift was what All,
hal inhNritei un ier Ia, probate Of Van
Nort's will Iftha prob1t. is sat aside her
estate would probably g 10 Van Mort
and OstranCer, but 'he legal difficulty con-
fronts them that. as rule, after a year
has elapsed probate cannot b. contested
After Van Mort : death bis ALLEGED widow
continued TO he known as Mrs Van Mort,
Sh" travelled extensively and lived sump-
'uousIv. Az ono time she resided al $40
futh avenue, AMI in 1906 she entered the
Now York aw School When shc lied in
1900 ST." was living a. 25i NJ iispn avenue.
Her daughter Mrs, DuNy. visited her in
1890, during the Dewey celebration, but
never saw her alive again.
several relations Of tho dad woman
have turned w AMI have engaged CHORD.
Stcarns Hobbs to look after their interests.
They includ" Mary Doyle, a sister. living
IL ireland. Emma Dnran and Thomas Hy-
hnl, niece and nephew. If Liverpool.
an! James Hylsn !. another nephew. who's.
whereabouts are unknown