The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-09-03
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 neutrality-suspicious. for
Heirs Is Difficult.

Wheaton, III. - 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 few weeks they would
be rich. Rich is the only applicable
word-wealth to these people had been
nothing hut a dream.
Judge :. l.. Rathje of the DuIage
county court had Just indicated that
five Of the nine were legal heirs to the
81 OOO, 600 estate of William p Cowan.
former president Of the Standard Oil
company Of Indiana. who died ut his
Wheaton country home in the summer
of 1913. The other four We're hus-
bands and wives Of the heirs.
Nine to share $2.50o,ooo.
With the establishment of heirship
by the five relatives of the wealthy oil
man the total number Of heirs who
will receive Il share of the estate is
nine. After expenses have been de.
Quoted. according to attorneys. the es'
tate will total more than $2.5OO,O0O.
Each of the nine heirs will receive
something like 100000 when the in
heritancc taxes are paid.
Three Of the heirs are more than
seventy years Of age. one is ninety
the Youngest is forty-fonr years old.
None of them remember personally
the man whose death brought then
this benefactiOn. But two ever saw
him. They look upon their inheritance
as some 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. r. Colby, forty-four years
old. Cadillac. Mich.
william and Walter Saxton arc
twins. William is married and hi
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 to Mr. Cowan to win an indica
ton of equity from Judge Rathje are
Judson Phelps. ninety years old, De
troit. Mich.
| Henry Il. Stillwell. seventy year
old. Gloversville. n. 7.
William G. Stillwell. seventy-tw'
years old. Springfield. Mass.
Heirs at law Of Mrs. Helen Shad
bolt, Plymouth. n. Y. who was ninety
| five years old when she died a fev
weeks ago.
All of the heirs are cousins-firs,
second. or third. No nearer kin coul
be found by Alfred c. Hoy. public ad
ministntor Of DuPage county.
The days hearing before Judg
Rathje did not close the case. A fe,
1
few more weeks must elapse befor
the jurist can enter a decree. But tn
Saxton boys are happy.
When in 1918 it was learned thu
Mr.. COwan. Il successful business ma
and one of the rich residents of til
Chicago Golf club colony at Wheaton
had died md left no will, WheatO
wondered. Then 1t was announce
that there we're no heirs in this stat
Mrs. COwan's death had preceded he
husbands, and there were no childre
and no brothers or sisters.
Public Administrator Hoy took in
mediate charge of the estate and al
pointed Charles w. Hadley and Georl
Thoma his attorneys. Mr.. Hadley
states attorney of DuPage count
and has q weakness for faring tie