The Detroit times., 1916-07-04
Had Amassed Fortune
of More Than
$lOO,OOO,OOO
LIFE DEVOTED TO
MONEY-GETTING
Gave Up Home and
Friends to Gain
Wealth

NEW lOhh, July }.-Mrs. hetty
Green. died late Monday In her
home here.
Mrs. Green, who was In her $50
year, had been i'll for several weeks.
II was reported a week ago that she
suffered a stroke or apoplexy in
March. This was declared to be
slight. however. and Mrs. Green :
physician said she was doing as well
as could be expected, considering
her advanced years
Col. +. II. r. Green, Mrs. Green'-
son. had left the house at 1880 this
afternoon but IL was understood he
would return about o'clock when
arrangements for the funeral might
be announced.
Mrs. Green died In the apartment
which had been fitted up for her
above her Offices on 9th street. For
the past few weeks four trained
nurses had been attending her. dis
guised as seamstresses. Although
Colonel Green and his mothers ply.
stefan declared they did not believe
the aged womans illness would
prove serious. II was known that
she was steadily becoming weaker,
partly through inability TO get proper
sleep
Persons working near the apart.
ment said Mrs. Green was wheeled
10 the window OF her sick chamber
before dawn Of each day. There she
sat for extended periods, too weak
TO rise from her chair but unable
to sleep when In bed.
Hetty Rowland Robinson Green
WIZ woman with purpose. She
aspired to be the richest woman In
the world. Her love for piling UP
dollars dominated the thought and
action OF her entire career. She
gave M society. quarreled with her
family. antagonized her business as
sociates. lived misery. made money
and talked religion. She died ire
mendously wealthy woman.
Mrs Green's fortune exceeded
100000 900. How much II exceed.
ed that Is not now known. Both
Mrs. Marshall Field and Mrs f. II.
Hartman possess greater wealth
than that. Neither OF the last
named women, however. built up
their fortunes Mrs. Green added
more than SOC. 0OO, 900 to the So.
100000 her parents left her. Be
fore she got the 10000 900 she had
built up quite a comfortable fortune
OF her own from me neucleus of a
SIS savings account deposited to her
credit by her father.
No one ever questioned that Hetty
Green was the worlds greatest wom-
an fnancier. AS such she reigned
supreme for 80 OF her 80 odd years
She was Hetty Rowland Robinson.
OF New Bedford. Mass. where she
was born Nov. 81. 1885 Her parents
were OF old New England stock,
tracing their ancestors back to the
Maynower.
From the moment Hetty Robinson
got the s25 savings account until
the moment OF her death the &C
emulation OF money was the ruling
passion OF her life.
In the early days OF her career.
when she was a society belle and
heiress OF New York. Saratoga and
Newport. she lived fashionably and
luxuriously. Even then, however.
she interpreted her social activi.
ties with frequent visits to her faith
ers counting rooms. becoming even
tually his secretary and financial
adviser Market reports and In
vestments became a mania with
her. She read. thought. talked and
dealt with little else. II was upon
her advice, gained from her study
of conditions, thsNher father invest
ed In Chicago real estate In the
early days, later netting $4,000, 900
profit from the venture.
Until Hetty Robinson was nearly
30, she devoted her time to society
and money making Then Edward
Green, for 20 years United States
consul at Manila, and interested In a
big silk importing house In which
he had made several millions OF his
own. publicly announced at a New
York dinner that he proposed to
marry the weaithiest heiress In
America. Hetty Robinson, he was
told. was that person. Green OBJ
tanned an introduction and made
good his brag. They were married
July 7. 1867
II was rather a cold.blooded propo-
sition. however. Miss Robinson
agreed to marry Green only after
he signed contract pledging him
self never TO touch q penny OF her
fortune and to support both herself
and any children there might be,
from his OWE funfs.
The Greens had two children. syi
via and Edward Rowland Robinson
Green. In 1909. Mrs. Green mar
ried on Sylvia TO Matthew Aston
Wilks, a man with more than q mil
Hon OF his own. Financially Sylvia
,ouoarried waa n dsad loaa IN Heffv