Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-03-27
$500, 900 CASH,
STEWART RICHES,
ROLLS FROM BAG
Currency Bulges From Parcel
Tossed About by Travellers


ing reading to Wausau people, mas
much as the Mrs Stewart was born
in Wausau in about 1870. She was
the youngest daughter of VIM. o.
Butler; the latter was principal of
our city schools in 1851. Her maid 1
en- name was Julia Butler, and she
left Wausau with her parents in the
early seventies, and when a young
lady was united In marriage to J. K.
Stewart who became immensely
wealthy. Mr.. and Mrs. VIM. o. But
years ago. The following article,
which was taken from the Chicago
Tribune, tells most wonderful ex-
perience. Since the article was pub
lished, further developments have
shown that the estate of J. T. Stew
at amounts to s,7OOO,0OO and Lee
LaChance, who is a nephew of Mrs.
Stewart, has been appointed guardian
of her two daughters. The article in
question is as follows:
"When suitcase, the property of
Mrs. j. K. Stewart, who died in Aiken,
S. c., last Monday, was opened in the
offices of the Merchants Loan and
Trust company on Adams street
Saturday $690.GJ0 in currency-in S.,
600 ana $4,000 gold bills-rolled out
on the table.
Certified checks to the amount of
1896, 600 also were found in the bag,
which was supposed to contain arti-
Giles of small value-clothing and
some jewelry, and possibly a second
will. Scant attention had been paid
to it on its trip to Chicago.
Mrs. Stewart was the widow of the
late founder and president of the Stew
art Warner Speedometer company
He died ten months ago in New York.
The body of Mrs. Stewart reached 4
Chicago Thursday morning and was
taken to vault in. Graceland ceme-
terry. Mr.. Ste warts body is in vault
in Brooklyn. 1t will be brought to
Chicago and the two will be buried
side by side in Graceland.
Unless second will is discovered in
the vaults in New York the entire
Stewart estate, now placed at approx
daughters-Mario IA years old, and
Jean, 5 years old. The eldest daugh-
ter came with the funeral party from
the south and is now at the home of
Mr.. and Mrs. Leander HI. La Chance,
1920 Ardmore avenue. Jean was left
in Aiken under the care of her COVER
ness.
The finding of nearly 100000 in
the suitcase was as great surprise to
friends of the family as to the officials
of the bank, which is trustee of Mrs.
Stewards estate under the only will
her Chicago attorney, John d. Black,
who drew this will, has any know
ledge of.
1t was reported that the suitcase
with its precious contents was check
ed in the baggage car when the fun
eral party left Aiken the fore part of
the week and that the baggage mas
tiers threw it about like any ordinary
bag. While members of the family
would not talk about it, acQuain-
tanceS said it was carried in the Pull
man car along with other hand lug
gage and no heed was paid to it, as
none of the party knew what it con-
tanned.
That it should be sent to the bank
in Chicago was generally understood
and 1t was known that some vaiuabeS
were in it which the bank should take
charge of, as trustee. But that it
contained nearly $1,000,000 was not
suspected.
When the funeral party arrived in
Chicago an official of the local bank
met them. The suitcase was then
turned over to him with the remark
that it should be left in the custody
of the trustees until they had an
opportunity to itemize the contents.
The official took it to the bank and
put it in vault, little dreaming that
he carried hundreds of thousands of
dollars in currency, besides other
hundreds of thousands in certified
checks.
The denomination of the currency
is the largest now in circulation.
Few $4,000 gold bills are seen in any
of the banks and only occasionally do
the larger denominations turn up.
From all that could be learned yes
terday the members of Mrs. Stewards
immediate family had no inti1nation
that such fortune was kept in the
winter home in the south, especially
in currency that was Immediately
available for use.
The suitcase was forgotten until
after the funeral services at Graceland.
The death of the widow revives in
terest in the disposition of the estate,
accumulated by Mr.. Stewart with the
invention of the speedometer.
AT his death, ten months ago, a
contest was instituted in the effort to
break one of two wills he was said to
have made, the last will, except for
what purported to have been copy,
having been lost.
In his first will, made two years be-
fore his death, he bequeated Sl25,O0O
outright to Thomas +. Clark of Pasa-
dena, a son of MIR. Stewards former
partner, created trust fund of 81, 0OO,-
600 for the two daughters, and provi- !
ded life interest III the remainder |
for the widow.
The second will, the original of |
which was lost, and which was made
two weeks before his death, gave only |
the income from $4,000 TO young |
Clark and divided the remainder of |
the estate equally between the widow |
and the two daughters. This is the |