New Britain herald., 1918-03-16
JAMES STILLMAN,
 MONEY BARON, DEAD
New York Bankers Wealth ESti-
 mated at S10O,000,000

New York, March 16.--James Still man, chairman of the board of direc- tors of the National City bank, the presidency of which he resigned in 1908, when he was succeeded by Frank A. Vanderlip, died suddenly yesterday afternoon at 5:30 o'clock at his home, 9 East Seventy second street. MT. Stillman had not been in good health for a month, and during the past week he had been confined to his room. Though not unexpected ! by his relatives, his death came sud- denly.
 When MT. Stillman returned from ] Europe in August of last year and be- gan to take an active interest in the management of the affairs of the Ma tional City bank, it was rumored in Wall street that a serious controversy had arisen regarding the policy of the bank
 It was predicted that Frank A. Van derlip, the president of the institution, had decided to retire and that the control of the banks affairs would be again dictated by MT. Stillman. The instalment of James A. Stillman, a son, as executive manager of the bank, was taken as corroboration of some of these rum Ors.
 If there was any real foundation for the rumors of discord among the in terests connected with the bank, the dispute was well concealed. When MT. Nanderlip continued in his position as president, and the management of the bank continued with very little alter ation, 1t was generally accepted either that the controversy had been smoothed over or that the rumors of internal dissension had never had any real foundation
 Before his retirement from the pres idency of the National City bank in 1908, MT. Stillman was reported to have suggested to the late E. H. liar rtman, the late J. P. Morgan. and William Rockefeller that all four of them should wind up their financial and industrial careers and retire.
 He was said to have held prolonged interviews with each of the three for the purpose of convincing them that their retirement would be a public service by putting an end to the cam
 paign against Wall street and the so- called Money Trust" which cam raign was, in the opinion of MT. Still man, undermining the confidence of the country in the financial world. The panic of 1907 had just oc- cured. In every city of the coun- try speakers from the street corners were charging that the wealth of the nation was controlled by half a dozen ;2len, and the four men, who took pert in these conferences were among the conspicuous objects for this form Of attack
 MT. Stillman is said to have argued
 that the retirement of these four
 prominent leaders would show more
 clearly than anything else that the
 country was not held in the hollow
 of the hands of small group of I amen of great wealth.
 Others Would Not Retire l Neither Hartman, Morgan, or l Rockefeller could see the necessity Q for their retirement or would admit. l if was reported, that their retireme ent e would be likely to result in a restora- f ton of public confidence in the lead | CTS of finance and industry. a Mr. Stillman, shortly after this, re.
 tired voluntarily from the presidency a of the National City bank. The other T three men were not long to be active . in big business. A little more than 6
 year later F.. H. Hartman died. J. r :. Morgan gave less and less attention tc N finance, and was known more anC Il more as 8 traveller and art collector
 Because of ill-health. William Rocke-
 feller was forced to give up the active
 management of most of his affairs
 Stillman was in reality the last Of the !, four to remain in harness, as he re. [ stunned an active place in finance after
 the war.
 2 Mir. Stillman was one of the wealth t jest men in the country, although his d financial affairs were never the sub S iect of public discussion as were those = of other extremely wealthy men. ant t their details were known to only d very few of his closest associates. Ii f was estimated by men familiar with
 the affairs of Wall street, however