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Show HIT tllIILL10M Douglas Stanfield'g Suit For a Fortune Revives His Marriage to a New Orleans Creole. A RICH GRANDFATHERS FAVORITE Lotg Before the Old Man Died aud Made His Will He Was Out of His Head. Skw Yohk, Aug. 2$. Douglas Stan-licld, Stan-licld, heir under tho will of Mark Stau-ticld, Stau-ticld, came to town front New Orleans today to defend his claims against the attack niado ttpou them by his father and Uncle. Mark Stanliel'd in 1872 was worth $1,500,000. He lost nearly all his fortune in tho great Boston tire, but at the time of his death was the proprietor of the Victoria Hotel in this city and was estimated to be worth $500,000. Ho had three sons Henry, the eldest, George and Hugh. In i'm Henry went south aud there met Miss Florentine Totu nes, a beautiful Creole, the daughter daugh-ter of a member of the board of underwriters under-writers of New Orleans. He married her against his father's wishes and brought her to this city to live. She lived with hira here a year ami then returned re-turned to New Orleans hor friends say because he did not treat her well. She never returned to Xew York. Mark Gtanfield died in April, this year, and iu his will bequeathed to his son Hugh the interest on $25,000 during his life, to George the interest on $20,-000 $20,-000 during his lite, to Henry the interest inter-est on $10,000 during his life, to Mrs. Florentine Stanrield the interest on $20,-000 $20,-000 during her life, and all the rest of his estate, amounting to over $425,000, to his grandson Douglas, son of Henry, who was born shortly after his mother returned to New Orleans, and who is now 17 years old. The Knickerbocker Trust company was made executor of the estate and trustee of tiro funds. The will was offered for probate last week aud notice of contest was served by the three brothers on the ground that their father was not in his right mind wnen he niado the will, aud that ho was unduly iulluenced by Mrs. Florentine Flor-entine Staulield. Henry Stantield is a member of tho Union league club and is well known by club men in New York. Since the contest of the will begau, his married life has been discussed as well as the relations of his father to Mrs. Stanfield and her son. Mrs. Stanlield's lawyer said today that Henry Stanlield deserted desert-ed his wife within a year alter their marriage and that he remained away from her for six years. During that time her son was born and she lived with her mother and brothers iu New Orleans. In 1877 Henry returned to New Orleans, sought her out and promised to reform re-form aud become a devoted husband. These promises he did not keep, sho alleges, and she refused to have anything any-thing more to do with him. Finally his conduct became such that she applied to the courts for a legal separation from him and secured it, Ho left the city some time afterward and for nearly twelve years she has seen nothing of him and has only heard of him through his father. The past three years she kept up a correspondence with her father-in-law. Tho letters which Mark Stanlield wrote, the lawyer says, are of an affectionate nature and clearly show that he . intended to provide for his grandson when he died. The lawyer further said that Mark Stantield told many of his friends iu this city before his death that he intended leaving his fortune to his grandson. Henry Stantield was not in the city today. " His brother George, w ho is in business in Fourteenth at rent, said that the trouble between Henry and Mrs. Stanlield was her fault. "My father and her father were opposed to the marriage in the first place." he said. "My brother was my father's favorite, and he wanted his companionship. They were both lovers of music, and father did not want him to marry. When he was married, though, and brought his wife here, father purchased a house for them. They did not live very happily. Khc did not make his homo as pleasant as she might have done. When she went naek to New Orleans it. was against bis wishes and the wishes of my father. After she had gone Harry went to Europe to finish his education. When he returned he went to New Orleans Or-leans and lived wilh his wife there. He tried to induce her to como with hint, but she would not, and ho came back alone. He did not see her again until two vears ago. when; he returned lo NewOrleaus against my father's wish ! and lived with her until he received a telegram telling him of his father s serious seri-ous illness. He knew nothing about her having obtained a separation from him until a year ago, and he was tb'indcr-struckwhen tb'indcr-struckwhen he heard of it. 1 he 1 1-lowauce 1-lowauce spoken of by Mrs. Stantield lawyer was not made to Mrs. Stanlield alone It was to her and her husband, and they were living together when it was made." , , . Rcarding the character of the undue influence it is alleged was used to get-Ins get-Ins father to make his will in favor of Douglas Stanlield. tlio brother said: It consisted chiefly of letters which Mrs Stantield wrote to him to prejudice iiiiii' against my brother. We have copies of the loiters she wrote, and those he wrote in reply. The-c are the letters which Mrs. Stanlield's Stan-lield's lawyer has copies of, and he thinks the'v . w ill . be good evidence o prove that Mr. Stanlield intended to do what he did long before he made Ins will. George Stanfield farther said that for a long time before his death his fa-her fa-her was out of his -head,., and he was susceptible to any influence that might be exerted. In tSe letters that Mrs. Stanlield wrote, he said, she represented represen-ted that she was illtreated and neg ec-! ec-! ted bv her hnsband, and thus1 so worked ! on the old gentleman mind that he practically cut Henry off in the will be Mre. Stanlield. who has come to New York with her son. is now W years old. She is still a handsome woman She has a tall and stately figure She is well educated. Douglas stanfield s tall and a line-looking bov. They will "av in this city several months aud ma'v take up their permanent residence here- The trial will not take place for seeral weA.k- r ,. ' |
