The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1920-04-02
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. M - Satisfied smiles
spread over nine faces in the corridors
OF the red courthouse here recently, for
nine persons. whose lives Lad been
llrgely filled with hartlships, knew
that within few weeks they would
be- rich. Rich Is the only applicable
word-wealth 10 these people had been
nothing but a dream.
Judge s. L. Rattle Of the DuPage
county court had Just Indicated that
five If The nine were legal heirs 10 the
*, OC0.0pO estate OF William r. Cowan.
former president Of the Standard OIL
company Of Indiana, who died at his
wheaton country home in the summer
~ 1918. The other four were hus-
bands and wives Of the heirs.
Nine 20 Share s2.5oo. 900.
with The establishment Of helrshlp
by the FIVE relatives Of the wealthy oil
man the total number Of heirs who
nine. After expenses have been DE-
Quoted. according 20 attorneys. the es-
tate will tota. more than s2.50o.0OO.
Each of the nine heirs viii 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 benefactlon. But two ever saw
him. They look upon their inheritance
a. some vague dream Of paradise.
The heirs who established their
claims are:
William Saxton. seyenty-two years
old. Eagle, Mich.
Walter Soxton. seventy-two years
old. waucausta. Mich.
Charles Saxton. sixty-eight years
old. Elsie. Mich.
Mrs. Caroline Saxton Hart. nifty
eight years old. Grand Ledge. Mich.
Mrs. n. r. Colby. forty-four years
old Cadillac Mich.
william and Walter Saxton are
twins. william is married and his
wife was In Wheaton with him. Mrs.
Colby and Mrs. Hart had their hus-
bands along too.
Other cowsn Heirs
The other heirs who have estab-
Ilshed sufficient evidence of relation
shin 10 Mr. Cowan TO win an indica-
ton Of equity from Judge Rathje are;
Judson Phelp,. ninety years old, De-
tr0it. Mich.
Henry u. Stlllwell. seventy years
old. GIoyersville. y. Y.
william g. StiIlwelI. seventy-two
years old. Springfield. Mass.
Heirs ut law Of Mrs. Helen Shad-
holt, Plymouth y. T., who was ninety
FIVE years old when she died n few
weeks ago.
All Of the heirs are cousIns-frst,
second or third. No nearer kin could
be found by Alfred G. Hoy. public ad-
mInistrntor Of DuPage county.
The days hearing before Judge
Rafhje did not close the case A few
more depositions must be taken, a
few more weeks must elhpse before
the jurist can enter decree. But the
Saxton boys are happy.
when In 1918 II was learned that
Mr. Cowan. n successful business man
and one OF the rich residents Of the
Chicago Golf club colony NJ Wheaton.
had died md left no viii. Wheaton
wondered. Then n was announced
that there we're no heirs in this state.
Mrs. Cowan's death had preceded her
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 Il
states attorney Of Outage county
and has Q weakness for faring ties.