Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-07-03
Hetty Green, Wealthiest
Woman in World, Dies at
New York Home.
INHERITED GREAT
FORTUNE AT 30
Wealth Greatly Increased by Loans
and Investments - Mrs. Green Had
Stormy Business Career and Became
Involved in Many Lawsuits-Ambi-
ton to Make Son Wealthiest Man in
World Not Realized.


woman, who was so years old, died
here today. She has suffered three
strokes of paralysis in the last two
months and for some weeks had been
almost helpless.
Her death occurred at sos at the
home of her son, Col! Edward Il. K.
Green, adjoining the plain brick four
story house on the corner Of Central
Park, west, where Mrs. Green had lived
lately in seclusion except for her son
and several Japanese servants and
three trained nurses.
For some weeks Mrs. Green had been
unable to walk and had spent all Of her
time in a wheel chair. The nurses
occasionally lifted her into her auto
where, propped up by pillow and pro-
tected by furs, the mistress of finance
enjoyed few afternoons in the park.
Most of the time, however, she sat In
the wheel chair at front window OF
her home and gazed over the park.
Size of Fortune Unknown.
Her son, Colonel Green, and her
daughter Mrs. Matthews Astor .Wilks,
who were the only children. had been
with her much Of the time, and 1t was
said recently that Mrs. Green had
turned over all her financial affairs
TO her son.
Wall street estimates of Mrs. Green's s
fortune arnge from 500, 100000 to $780,
100000. Officials Of the Chemical Ma
tional Bank, in which she once made
her downtown headquarters, declined
to hazard a guess about the size of her
estate.
Until few years ago Mrs. Green was
a familiar figure in the financial dis
trct, but lately her appearance there
had been very infreauent. 1t is be-
lieved that a considerable part OF her
money was invested in first mortgage
and high class railway bonds.
Mistress Of Finance.
Hetty Green was the worlds most
remarkable mistress Of finance The
fortune she has left is close to $780,
100000. The richest woman in Amer
ica she lived almost as frugally as a
shops 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.
Her eccentric extremes Of economy
led to popular misconception of her
as self made woman" AS matter
Of fact she was born rich. In 1865 she
inherited s10,o00,OOO which accumulat-
ed upon itself until in fifty years it
had multiplied nearly ten times. She
also inherited family traditions which
had been pride for three centuries.
t.,v r,e,ft
ate in her children.
She was born at New Bedford, Mass.
Sin November, 1884, about the 2Cth.'
according to her testimony at one time
In court. She was a descendent on
her mothers side Of Henry Howland.
brother Of Pilgrim John Rowland Of
the Mayfower. In succeeding genera
tons the Rowland family became ia
nous II the whaling industry and
shipping trade. with China, and had as
irreproacha BILE social standing. Ed
ward Mott Robinson, who had also
amaSsed fortune in similar way in
New Bedford. married Abby Howland,
Of whom Hetty Green. the future mis-
tress OF finance. was born. She was
sent to a Quaker school on Cape Cod,
and to seminary in Boston, and got
her first lessons in finance when her
ageing father entrusted her with some
Of his books.
Inherited Great Wealth.
She was Just 30 years old when her
father died suddenly leaving her his
nine millions, one million outright ano
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 belle in
New York society. According to her
own stories she often danced the
whole night thru" Even then, how
ever, she lived in boarding house and
was so saving that rather than pay
cabfare, she would pull pair of heavy
woolen stockings over her shoes ant,
walk thru the snow to parties.
Almost at the same time that her
father died, her aunt, Sylvia Ann How
land, passed away. leaving several mil
lion dollars 1t is said Hetty Robinson
had been brought up from childhood to
count this money as hers, and that the
aunt expressed the hope that Hetty
would some day become, as she did.
the richest woman in the country.
The division of the aunt's estate.
however, was not as expected. Three
years after the aunt's death Hetty
Green appeared in the United States
circuit court In Massachusetts with a
will which she wanted substituted for
the one already probated. This will
was in Mrs. Green's own handwriting,
and some Of the most famous experts