The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1920-03-26
Forgotten Poor Cousins Share in
Estate of Wealthy
Oil Man.
MILLIONAIRE left No WILL
Wealth Comes to Aged People Whose
Lives Have Been Largely Filled
With Hardships-Hunt for
Heirs Is Difficult.

Wheaton, Ill. Satisfied smiles
spread over nine faces in the corridors
of the red courthouse here recently, for
nine persons, whose lives had been
largely filled with hardships, knew
that within a few weeks they would
be rich. Rich is the only applicable
w~ord-wealth to these people had been
nothing but a dream.
Judge S. l.. Rathje of the DuPage
county court had just indicated that
five of the nine were legal heirs to the
$4,000 600 estate of William z. Cowan,
former president of the Standard Oil
company of Indiana, who died at his
Wheaton country home in the summer
of 1913. The other four were hus-
bands and wives Of the heirs.
Nine to share $4,000, 600.
With the establishment Of heirship
by the five relatives Of the wealthy oil
man the total number Of heirs who
will receive q share of the estate is
nine. After expenses have been de-
Quoted, according to attorneys, the es-
tate will total more than $2,50O,OOO.
Each of the nine heirs will receive
something like 100000 when the in
heritance taxes are paid.
Three of the heirs are more than
seventy years of age, one is ninety,
the youngest is forty-four years old.
None Of them remember personally
the man whose death brought them
this b~enefaction. But two ever saw
him. They look upon their inheritance
as ONE vague dream Of paradise.
The heirs who established their
claims are:
William Saxton, seventy-two years
old, Eagle, Mich.
Walter SaxtOn, seventy-two years
old, Waucausta, Mich.
Charles Saxton, sixty-eight years
! old, Elsie, Mich.
Mrs. Caroline SaxtOn Hart, fifty
eight years old, Grand Ledge, Mich.
Mrs. r. b. Colby, forty-four years
old, Cadillac, Mich.
William and Walter Saxton are
twins. William n married and his
wife was in Wheaton with him. Mrs.
Colby and Mrs. Hart had their hus-
bands along, too.
Other Cowan Heirs.
The other heirs who have estab-
lished sufficient evidence Of relation
ship ( 0 Mr.. Cowan to win an indica-
lion Of equity from Judge Rathje are
JudsOn Phelps, ninety years old, De-
trolt, Mich.
Henry y. Stillwell. seventy years
old, GIoyersville, n. Y.
william q. Stillwell, seventy-two
years old, Springfield, Mass.
Heirs at law of Mrs. Helen Shad.
bolt, Plymouth, ". ", who was ninety
FIVE years old when she died a few
weeks ago.
All of the heirs are cousins-first
second. or third. No nearer kin could
be found by Alfred c. Hoy, public ad'
ministrator of DuPage county.
The days hearing before Judge
Rathje did not close the case. A few
more dispositions must be taken, q
few more weeks must elapse before
the jurist can enter a decree. But the
Saxton boys are happy.
When in 1913 it was learned thai
Mr.. Cowan, a successful business ma
and one Of the rich residents Of the
Chicago Golf club colony at Wheaton
had died md left no will, Wheaton
wondered. Then It was announced
that there we're no heirs In this state
Mrs. Cowan's death had preceded hei
husbands. and there were no children
and no brothers or sisters.
Public Administrator Hoy took i'm
mediate charge Of the estate and ap
pointed Charles w. Hadley and George
Thoma his attorneys. Mr.. Hadley Is
states attorney Of DuPage COUNT
and has a weakness for fiaring ties