Waterbury Democrat., 1902-06-09
PLANTS VAST ESTATE.
Two States Want the Will Probated
 Within Their Borders.


 The situation now enveloping the es- tate of the late millionaire, Henry B. Plant, is said to be quite complicated, something like that which came near embroiling the states of Kansas and Colorado in serious trouble over the latter damming it's river that flowed into the former and thereby prevent ing irrigation Both the state of New York and the state of Connecti- cut have decided that the case against the Plant estate can be tried ill it's respective state; that is, each state has said that the estate of MT Plant belongs to it and therefore there is no reason now why the case should not, even if it shall not, be tried in each state
 There is a difference of opinion even as to which state first said the estate belongs to us. Some say Connecti- cuts court said it; others say it was first said by New York A great deal depends upon which state or it's courts first determined this point. h speaking of the matter Attorney O'Neill said that in eases like this, where various bodies have the power to say what shall be, it is determined that the issue shall be according to the decision of the power or body that first decided. Some time ago, for in- stance, in this city. the board of alder men decided that the closing hour for saloons should be midnight; later. the common council decided upon II o'clock as the closing hour, and still later a town meeting determined up on some other hour. Here were three conflicting bodies, each with the same power to decide the point in issue. and yet each decided against the other It was certainly a complicated question, but eventually it was decided that the hour for closing the liquor saloons should be as was determined by the power that first decided.
 Of course whether this will be the case with the Plant suit, he would not say.
 It was a big point for Colonel Bur- pee, counsel for the heirs. the Hoad- ley brothers of this city, to have Judge Robinson decide that the estate shall be administered in this state; in oth- CT words, that Mir Plant was a resi- dent of this state when he died. But the New York courts have also decid- ed that Mir Plant was a resident of New York and that his estate shall be prObated in that state. And to further complicate matters the admin istrators have paid to the state sec retary of each state the customary state tax, thus admitting that each state has Jurisdiction over the prop erty.
 The contention was first created by the widow. Under the will she is left only $f5.O00 year during her life. Her friends wondered why she was not left the entire estate and it is said now that the reason for this ity as a member of the Catholic church. Mir Plant was we'll aware of this. He was not Catholic nor had he any cause against the faith of his wife, But she had, it is said, q singular penchant for giving away things, and he feared that if she were given the whole of his estate she would dispose of it to the Catholic church. He was ambitious. He pre- ferred to see the name of Plant grow in the many enterprises that bore his name. At his death his estate was worth about $10.000,000. but to-day it is said to be valued at about $25,0OO,- 900. His desire was that his name should become famous and to that end he constructed his will. Mrs Plant. having been given some encourage ment by the courts of New York that the will would be broken; that she would be given the life use of the en- tire estate. planned for the erection of a magnificent Jesuit college in the south. Thereupon the heirs became anxious; they immediately began to see the huge estate dwindle into re- ligious aims and they set the law in action. Now the issue is between two very lively states of the union. An enormous estate is to be settled either by one or the other. Great fees are in sight and the collateral in heritance tax alone Is sufficient to pay the salary of the president of this country for a whole term.
 HONORINGr THE DEAn