The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-09-26
JOHN LEWIS HINTON'S
WILL AGAIN in COURT
Grand Children Of That Eccentric Pasquotank Mser
Seek Share In His Million Dollar Estate

tank is wrestling with one of the
hardest fought will cases ever
docLeted in the courts of north
EASTERN North Carolina. The
children of the late John Cleve-
land Hinton are trying to upset
the will of their paternal grand
father. the late John Louis Hin
tou.
fanl Louis Hinton, one of the
mos eccentric and unreasonable
cIss~-s.ers this county ever pro-
du,-... died in 1910 leaving an es-
tate alued at a million dollars.
He .-c the entire estate to five
soa- E. Y. Hinton, w. E. Hin
ton. -dcian Hinton, R. L. Hinton
an /. Hinton. To the desti-
tut 5rphan children of his de-
cea-.d son John Cleveland Hin
ton lie left not sou.
Tohn Louis Hinton was 81
wears old when he died. His will
was made in 1902, at which time
he was 70 years old. Even be-
fore he made his will, the s''n
John Cleveland had died, leaving
four destitute little children. Old
man John Louis provided in his
will that these children should
have a ramshack1e, run down
place in Camden county, known
as the Gordon farm and consid-
cred worth less than ST 500. But
before he died he wrote across
the face of his will in red ink The
gift of the Gordon farm I re-
voke," leaving the grandchildren
penniless.
s. These grandchildren, the offspring of
John Cleveland Hinton are demanding
a share in the Hinton estate. They are
seeking to show that their grandfather
John Louis Hinton was not of sound
mind when he made his will. And the
evidence indicates that they are making
headway.
John Louis Hinton had eight sons in
ALL At the time he made his will (1902t
one Of these sons, Emerson by name,
was in an insane asylum. Old. man Hill
ton made no provision in his will for
this insane son.
\ few years later another son, Law
renee Hinton. committed suicide.
Evidence adduced in the trial this
week shows that John Louis Hinton
never attended a church, never took part
in political election or neighborhood
meeting, was never entertained in the
home of any of his neighbors and never
received visitors under his own roof. He
was never seen to wear so much as three
dollars worth of clothing at any time.
Worth a million, he had no modern con-
yeniences on his own farm and preferred
washing his face and hands in the horse
trough in his yard, to making his ablu-
tiOns in a basin more suited for the pur-
pose His only pastime was playing
checkers. his greatest extravaganza
chewing tobacco and his hobby was lend
ing money to the poor and taking mort
cages their possessions.
He had a very mania for taking mort
gage>. One witness testified this week
that he loaned 81 800 on one mule. He
first loaned 500 on the mule, to Ne
gro. The Negro loaned the mule to a
neghhor who went to old man Hinton
and borrowed a like amount on the same
mule. 1t was so easy that 10 Negroes
first and last borrowed that mule and
borrowed money from John Louis Hin
ton. The old man never recognized tn~
mule
An1 yet, this, man John Louis Hinton
an@-~.3 a fortune of million dollars
and r,o biggest, handsomest business
bloc N Elizabeth City to-day bears
bis 1acae.
II fgundation of the Hinton fortune
va when John Louis Hinton mar
H-+ S Mary Griffin. back in ante
De lv<. His wife brought him
te of lands and slaves. By
oncy to suit himself he loan
III over Pasquotank and Cam
forecI0sed on delinquents
time and accumulated thoC-
Of land. The rapid rise
values in this section with
larter of century did the
linton estate waxed fat be
Industry. of the people of
.' not because of any enter
r. Of the owner. No great
for the Single Tax could
than that very Hinton es-
-oo in the case on trial
volume of interesting read
shown that John Bradshaw
-Dle Negro, had business
ar, - With Hinton involving $15,-
r. ." 1t was shown that one
H, nad mulcted the old man to
thousands of dollars.
cr.- 3"hh Louis Hinton was a hard
oy., Jn one occas ion he went
an "lnden county and claimed
" widow OVerton Mrs Over