The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-26
.IuST HAVE QUARTER BILLION.
roWAN SCORNS S185, OOO.OOO FOR
SLICE or NEW YORK.

y&aiiaN Man says Weu bueet HSn0iVSsS
with Newport Spokesman IL Climbing
n Ills Figure Meantime There's y
Letter Asking s7S Of Detroit Heir.
,o.eph T. Cowan Of Dallas, Tex, who
.,,n. here several days ago with Lieut.
o"v ], p. Carter OF Mississippi to lay claim
10 considerable slice Of the most valuable
rorton OF Manhattan Island. said yesterday
,h.t S,s5, OOO, 900 had bean offered him for the
interests he represents but was holding
an for an even quarter OF billion. he
w.. tben asked II he had written the follow
,..,stter, which a local lawyer had received
rom an attorney in Michigan with re-
ousst to Investigates;
HOTEL MARLBOROUGH,
s,o.dway and Thrty-sixth street. New York.
s"eeny I. H. TiEs MHsf. Manager Nan
NJ, wn, Van No.''ona. Richmond, Mso0mO
DIR G1', S T,s"' You have undoubtedly read in
sn' he M" Hartsheld estate here.
wall "s street fnancers to sell out my interest
wv. ND those i represent, but as yet the offer y
moi not large enough, and am satisfied will
seII need Need money M to meet the great expense
an, at here. and "a don't want any ieglum9atee
heir to lose his interest. and az l don't ieel
h.va not a sisted me in this investigation.
Tam giving each an opportunity to chip In
saina it H. 100 late.
heir. You will remit me by telegraph, u pos
sIbe. il not, by p o. money order. S2S I'M
media!ey There Is no tine emo, now Tor asisy
80 Do. be|S one Of the principal heirs and
s who H McrR the viii Be apa fo
those left out ever to secure anything from
the syndicate. ,,
Hoping will receive telegraph or money me-;
colnted in ms one of the benenciaries when
settled, remain, yours sincerely cor.v
Send care of the Marlborough Hotel.
Mr.. Cowan blushed when the question
vas propounded.
81 have myself expended over $4,000 In
ns1ecting the claim" he said, and have
III the principal heirs with me. Many Of
them, like Lieut.. Gov. Carter, have also
advanced large sums our e e;ns lure
have been large, but we have plenty OF
money left. Even II we did need money,
there isn't the slightest doubt that We
could secure it from any one OF the parties
belonging to the syndicate which has
already made us an offer OF SlsS,0 oo 600.
who are the members Of this syndicate?'
he was asked.
Il do not care to have their names pub
Nbed,- was the reply. -They are prom
insnt financiers of Broad and Wall streets.
Ins Of them lives at the Casino at New
port and it is he that Is conducting the
nesotations for the syndicate: On its
hebsif he made me an offer Of $40 900 900
for fifteenth interest over q week ago.
Lterward the offer was increased to
$4,000 900 for all the interests represent.
and q few days later they came up to $685.
10000. Forty millions more and not
penny less will satisfy me and my asso-
But is not this William Van Nostrand,
10 whom it is alleged you wrote the letter,
also an heir to the property was the next
question.
sThere are over 200 heirs, a. told, but only
holdings which would descend according
to the English law Of primogeniture. This
Van Nostrand may be one Of group Of
heirs residing in Michigan. He wrote me
q letter a couple Of weeks ago, but sent 1t
10 Texas and have but recently received
It, | have not answered it..
Mr.. Cowan then dug into q suit case
full Of documents and produced the letter:
I'M Mr.. Van Nostrand said that he had read
On advertisement in Detroit paper In which
heirs were directed to communicate with
Mr. Cowan. He offered to supply M
(OwQn Win QOt'lIHeuto CcuIh6 W 5uD-
stantiate the claim.
Mr. Cowan went on to say that the papers
have magnified the amount OF property
he claims
they have said." said he. shat We claim
all the property between Seyenty-Nfth and
l2ith streets, North and East rivers. l
distinctly told all the reporters that we
claimed only the 100 acres which Andrew
Hartzfelder leased to the city in l795 for
ninety-nine years and day. The re-
porters show woful ignorance Of the city,
Tor the tract they speak OF is much larger
than leo acres.
All we claim is the strip between Seventy
fifth and Eighty-sixth streets, Riverside
Drive and Second avenue. When the
case comes into court it will be found that
We can prove our title without difficulty.
Ihave better maps and blue prints that they
have in the Hall of Records, and can prove
that the lease from the original Hartzfelder
was recorded in book 8, page rs. This
book IL now missing, and has been for q
long time"
Mr.. Cowan cor Moulded his remarks with
datril'e against the crookedness which he
ays has re.ulted in the loss Of the book In
question. He then broke OF the interview
to answer a telephone call.
1T i probably tho syndicate representa-
tive who lives in the Casino at Newport
he said. Il cannot keep him waiting