Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-19
MAY CONTEST SMITH WILL
RELATIVES OF SILENT" MIL
LIoNAIRE ARE HEARD FROM.
Aged Mother Still Living and There
Are Nephews and Nieces Galore
Deceased Liberal.

NEW YORK, April 19.-Mysterious in
death as he was in life. James Henry Smith
left fortune of 100000 900 or $50 600, 900,
for which an aged mother. a brother and
sisters and other relatives never before
known to the world may enter contest.
There are frequent and persistent reports
of fight in the courts, but close personal
friends express the belief that Mr. Smith
partitioned his great fortune 80 fairly that
his relatives will find no grounds for con-
test.
One sister, of whom the world has known
Lady Mary Cooper of London, will leave
tomorrow for New York with her husband,
Sir George Cooper. They will meet the body
Of Mr.. Smith when it reaches Chicago from
the orient, where Mr.. Smith died while on
a honeymoon trip around the world with
his bride OF a few months, formerly Mrs.
Rhinelander Stewart, who was Miss Arm
strong of Baltimore. Few of Mr.. Smith 8
closest friends knew that his mother still
lives and that he left a brother. sisters,
nephews and nieces and other relatives.
His mother, Mrs. Beatrice Smith, now
eighty years old. is living at 1920 Bridge
avenue Evanston, ILL.,, and although she
feels the infrmities of age she Is still a
well-prcserved woman. 1t had been the in
tention Of Mr.. Smith to present his bride
to his mother for the first time on their re-
turn from the east. Sir George and Lady
Cooper had planned to be in Evanston at
the same time and there was to have been
family reunion and quiet celebration.
Two Other Sisters.
In Evanston also live two other sisters
of Mr.. Smith. They are Mrs. Victor Ross
bach. wife of a business man. whose head
quarters are in Chicago, and Mrs. j. N.
Mills, wife of a well-known Presbyterian
minister. George A. Smith. the brother,
formerly lived in Chicago. but has been in
Philadelphia several years. The nephews
are William S. Mason, vice president of the
City National Bank, Evanston and George
G. Mason of Aberdeen. s. D., superintend-
ent Of the Aberdeen division Of the Chicago,
Milwaukee and ST. Paul railroad. Mrs.
Frederick P. Vose. wife of an attorney of
Evanston. is a niece.
If contest of Mr.. Smiths will is brought
about 1t will be because Of the discomfort
Of some of these relatives. A well-known
lawyer In this city. one who transacted
some legal business for Mr.. Smith, has ex-
pressed the opinion that the estate can
hardly be settled without litigation. To
reporter he intimated that he had been
employed to guard the interests Of client.
presumably one of the relatives referred to-.
The attorney mentioned said yesterday:
Now that Mr.. Smith Is dead, 1 am at
liberty to say that he was the author of
many benefactions and that he bore the
expense of educating nearly fifty of his near
and distant relatives. There are at present
twelve or fifteen young persons attending
various institutions through the generosity
of himself and of Sir George Cooper They
assumed this responsibility Jointly. perhaps
in recognition and memory of the fact that
Mr.. Smith and Lady Cooper owed their
educational advantage to Mr.. George
Smith"