New Britain herald., 1916-07-03
MRS. HETTY GREEN
 DIES IN NEW YORK
Richest and Most Eccentric
 Woman in the World HAD INTERESTING CAREER

Many MiIlions-Was Social Light
 in Younger Days-Added to Wealth, by Close Living.
 New York, July 9.-Mrs. Hetty est woman, who was 80 years old, died here today. She had suffered three strokes of paralysis during the past two mOnths and for several weeks had been virtually helpless Her death occurred at S:05 o'clock at the home of her son, Col. Edward H. R. Green, at No. West 9Oth street adjoining the plain brick, four story house at No ', on the corner of Gen. tral Park, West, where Mrs. Green had lived lately in seclusiOn, except for her son and several Japanese servants and trained nurses.
 For several weeks past Mrs. Green had been unable to walk, and had spent nearly all of her time in a wheel chair.
 Her son, Col Green and her dau ghter, Mrs. Matthews Astor Wilks, who were the only children, had been with her much of the time and it was recentlyAreported that Mrs. Green had turned over all of her financial af- fairs to her sons charge.
 Wall streets estimate of Mrs. Greens fortune ranges form S2O,0OO,- 900 to $100,00O,O00. Officials of the Chemical National Bank, in which Mrs. Green once made her down town headquarters, declined to hazard an estimate.
 Until a few years ago Mrs. Green was a familiar figure in the financial district, but of late her appearance here had been very infrequent. It is believed that a considerable part of Mrs. Greens money was invested in first mortgages and high class rail way bonds, although she was said at one time to have large sums invested in shares of the smaller southern and southwestern railroads, including several in which her son was actively identified.
 Mrs. Green was the reputed owner also of large tracts of land in Texas, Alabama and other southern states, but it is believed that she sold the last of these holdings a few years ago.
 She was the worlds most remark able mistress of finance. The fortune she has left is close to $10O, 1000, ,OOO. The richest woman in America, she lived almost as frugally as a shop girl. Her home, was wherever she chose for time to hang her little black cape and bonnet, often in the hall bedroom of some cheap boarding house, or in some remote and modest flat around New York.
 Was Born Rich
 Her eccentric extremes of economy led to a popular misconception of her as a ''self-made woman.' As a matter Of fact she was born rich. In 1865 she inherited some 1O,0OO,0O0, which accumulated upon itself until in fifty years it had multiplied nearly ten times She also inherited family tra- ditions which had been pride for three centuries, and which she was anxious to perpetuate in her children.
 Also a BIucblood
 She was born at NxW Bedford Mass, in November, 1884, about the 2Oth,' according to her testimony at one time in court. She was a de-
 
 Henry Rowland, brother of Pilgrim John Rowland of the Mayf1OWer. In succeeding generations the Rowland family became famous in the whaling industry and shipping trade with China, and had an irreproachab ble social standing. Edward Mott Robin son, who had also amassed a fortune in similar way in New Bedford, mar ried Abby Howland of whom Hetty Robinson, the future mistress of finance, was born. She was sent to a Quaker school on Cape Cod, and to a seminary in Boston, and got her first lessons in finance when her aging father entrusted her with some of his books.
 Inherited Millions.
 She was just thirty years old when Ger father died suddenly leaving her his nine millions, one million outright and the income from the other eight the principal to be held in trust for her children. It is forgotten that Hetty Green, then Robinson, was a belle in New York society," According to her own stories she "often danced the whole night through' Even then, however, she lived in a boarding house and was so saving that rather than pay cab fare, she would pull a pair of heavy WOOlen stockings over her
 Continued On Eleventh Page)