The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-23
CLAIM LOOKS GOOD
SAVANNAH HEIR LIKELY TO GET
SHARE OF HILL ESTATE.
WILL BE A LONG DELAY.
EIGHT MONTHS BEFORE RIVAL
CLAIMS CAN BE CONSIDERED.

Cash Now in the Hands of the Pub
lie Administrators Mt GrOtOn, 5. ID.
He Refuses to Give Out Any State
ment OF Evidences of Identity
Found Among Dead Mans Papers
and EGects-Interesting Tree of
the Hill Family-CharIes Hill Was
Wanderer on the Face of the
Earth-From All Parts of the
Country Come Claimants of His
Estate.
Elijah ]. Hill the Savannah carpen-
ter who is one of the claimants
for the estate of the late Charles Hill
in South Dakota, may put aside his
tools after while and take life easy.
His claim will be vigorously pushed
and it looks like a valid one. Mr..
Hills brothers and, sisters are with
him in the claim.
The longer it is investigated
and the various ramifications
Of the case pursued, the
more evident does it become that these
are the rightful heirs to Charles Hills
has already printed the fact of the Sa-
vannahians' claim to a part of the
estate, but new features are coming up
all the time.
1t will be remembered that Charles
Hill died on May II, in Los Angeles,
Cal. At the time of his death he had
with him in that city about $4,000 and
it was learned soon afterwards that in
Groton, S. D., where he made his
home, there was $142, 900 to his credit
in one of the local banks.
The claim of the Savannah heir and
Others occupying the same relationship
to the dead man are in the hands Of
Iwiggs & oliver. Yesterday morning
the firm received letter from William
Ashley, lawyer of Groton, giving in
teresting details of the condition of the
estate and the steps the heirs will have
to take to establish their claim.
In an Administrators Hands.
The cash is now in the hands of the
public administrator and the law re-
quires an advertisement for creditors
OF the estate for a period of ten
months. Two of these have elapsed,
so that it will be eight months longer
before any of the claimants, who be-
come more numerous with the passage
of the days, will be in a position to
have their evidences of identity con-
sidered by the Probate Court.
The natural difficulties of the sit
uation are not being pushed towards
very rapid solution by the actions of
the public administrator, Mr.. Kellogg
1e seems to realize very thoroughly
that to make public whatever evil
dences of identity he found among the
papers and effects of the dead man
would be playing into the hands of
Fraudulent claimants of the estate,
who might not hesitate to manufacture
testimony TO suit the condition of af-
fairs thus disclosed He has therefore
consistently declined to tell any part
of what he knows. Indeed. and this
hypothesis is as reasonable as any
other, he may know nothing himself
Was Man of Culture.
One thing in the letter of the South
Dakota lawyer there is that has raised
the hopes of the Savannah claimant.
This is the fact that Charles Hill was
man of education and good birth, ac-
customed to the society of cultured and
refined persons during his youth at
least This upholds the theory, fer
the Charles Hill who left this state for
the West, and who is now identified
with the wealthy citizen of Groton,
sprang from the same stock that pro-
duced Senator Benjamin H. Hill of
Georgia.
In the early part of the century two
brothers came to this country from
Europe and settled in Georgia. They
We're John Hill and Aaron Hill. The
TIL.
and of the others now claiming the
Dakota estate. while the second was
stne ancestor of Benjamin H. Hill.
Some of the Heirs.
John Hill married Elizabeth Pres
colt of Augusta, and had eight chill
dren. They were James, Moses p,
Elijah. William, Aaron. Harriet, Fan
ME and Sarah They and all their
descendants are dead, save the chill
dren of Moses P. Hill. Charles Hill,
who died in Groton, is believed to have
been the son of Elijah Hill and. in con-
sequence, the cousin of the children
of Moses P. Hill. These last are Elijah
j. Hill Of Savannah, James w. Hill
of East Lake, Ala, John A Hill Of
Rome. Ga. and Mrs. Fannie Boyles
of Floyd county, Georgia.
Charles Hill was born at Troup Fac
tory, in Troup county in 1910. He was
somewhat older than Elijah J. HILL
but the difference in their ages was not
sufficiently great to prevent them be-
coming playmates and comrades, and
until the war and afterwards they were
not only affectionate cousins, but init
mate friends.
A Tragedy of His Youth.
In 1858 Charles Hill killed William
Reed, in a fight that occurred at Har-
denis Court Ground in Troup county.
He was arrested and placed under
bond, but for one reason or another
in the excitement and stress of those
troublous times, when the air already
stirred with the murmurings of ap-
preaching war he was never brought
to trial.
At the outbreak of hostilities be-
tween the sections Charles Hill enlist
ed in a regiment of Georgia infantry
with which he continued until he was
wounded, in 1858. He returned to his
home on sick leave, stayed there until
he had recovered and then returned to
the seat of war.
After the termination of hostilities,