Eckert and Powell

[RJNorton]

Betty, did you ever talk to Mr. Hall about the final meeting? If so, do you recall what he thought?

[BettyO]

(07-25-2012 05:59 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Betty, did you ever talk to Mr. Hall about the final meeting? If so, do you recall what he thought?

Oh yes....Mr. Hall and I had so many conversations and much correspondence as well. We'd call each other and talk or talk at Surratt meetings, outings, etc. As far as I know, Mr. Hall was like me, uncertain that JWB and company could or did meet at the Herndon House on the night of the 14th. They most certainly could have met at the Herndon House before Powell's 3 PM checkout. He seemed to agree with me that if a meeting by "the boys" was held the night of the 14th that it wasn't at the Herndon.

[Linda Anderson]

Eckert may have suffered from dementia in his final years.

Eckert’s younger son, James Clendenin Eckert, contested Eckert’s will. “By the terms of the will, Thomas T. Eckert, Jr., received about $1,500,000 while his brother [Clendenin] was left $50,000 outright and a life interest in $100,000. Clendenin contested the will on the grounds that his father, who died in 1910 at the age of 92, was not fit mentally to make a will when this instrument was executed... and that he was unduly influenced.” Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar. 8, 1914.

"James Miles, a general utility man at the Eckert estate in Elberon, N.J., was a star witness at the hearing in Surrogate's Court. He testified to witnessing Gen. Eckert's will. Gen. Eckert, he said, was ill from August, 1908, until the time of his death. The aged man, he said, saw visions of pictures in space, saw faces at the window when no one was there, and spoke as if his bedroom were a cabin on a ship sailing to Washington, and asked what deck he was on." New York Times, Feb. 7, 1911.

It was disclosed that Minnie Egan, Gen. Eckert's housekeeper, was given the late Mrs. Eckert's jewels, worth $100,000, as a "wedding present." Minnie and Thomas, Jr. had announced their engagement in August 1910 and married Nov. 23, 1910, one month after Gen. Eckert’s death on October 20. The private secretary to Gen. Eckert testified that, "Following the General's directions...I gave the jewels to Minnie Egan, his housekeeper, as a wedding present two days before he died." New York Times, Feb. 11, 1911.

Thomas Reilly, a "trained nurse" was "with Gen. Eckert from August 15, 1908 until his death." Reilly testified that Gen. Eckert told him that "his wife's jewels were to go to Joanna, the eighteen-year-old daughter of the contestant [Clendenin]...

"General Eckert gave various versions of the capture and burial of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin who killed Lincoln, Reilly said. He insisted that he identified Booth by his thumb and broken leg. One time he said that Booth had been dumped into Delaware Bay, and another time, Reilly said, he described a land burial and gave the location of the grave." New York Times, Feb. 15, 1911.

The Surrogate's Court upheld the will. New York Times, Dec. 16, 1911. Clendenin appealed and Joanna, who had been deprived of the jewels, joined in the suit. New York Times, Feb. 19, 1913.

The case was heard in the NY Supreme Court. Witnesses testified as to Eckert's state of mind when he signed the will on August 30, 1910. "Joseph Finn, a carpenter, gave a description of the catnip bed, which, he asserted, the General had caused to be built in his Elberon home for 'Honeybubbles,' his cat. According to the carpenter, it was a miniature greenhouse. When the family was in New York, he said, it was customary to have catnip shipped there daily.

"Bessie Tracy, a servant, was asked about the cat.

"'The cat came to the table for every meal,' she said. 'He had a chair like the rest of the family, and the same food that the family ate was served to him. During meals he would walk all over the table and eat the flowers.'

"'Would he eat food from other plates than his own?' Justice Greenbaum inquired.

"'No. Only from his own plate.'" New York Times. Feb. 25, 1913.

On March 5, 1913, after only forty minutes of deliberation, the jurors "returned to Justice Greenbaum a verdict breaking the will of General Thomas Thompson Eckert..." "By the verdict, James Clendenin Eckert, the contestant who was cut off with $50,000 and a trust fund of $100,000, gets an equal share of the $1,650.000 estate with his brother, T. T. Eckert, Jr." Joanna was "the most joyful person in the courtroom when the verdict was announced." New York Times, Mar. 6, 1913.

Thomas, Jr. appealed but he lost again. "The decision of the jury... was affirmed today by the appellate division of the Supreme Court." Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar. 14, 1914.

[L Verge]

I know nothing about Thomas Eckert, the person. Anyone know how he amassed that considerable estate for that time?

[BettyO]

(07-25-2012 05:34 PM)Linda Anderson Wrote:  Eckert may have suffered from dementia in his final years.

Eckert’s younger son, James Clendenin Eckert, contested Eckert’s will. “By the terms of the will, Thomas T. Eckert, Jr., received about $1,500,000 while his brother [Clendenin] was left $50,000 outright and a life interest in $100,000. Clendenin contested the will on the grounds that his father, who died in 1910 at the age of 92, was not fit mentally to make a will when this instrument was executed... and that he was unduly influenced.” Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar. 8, 1914.

"James Miles, a general utility man at the Eckert estate in Elberon, N.J., was a star witness at the hearing in Surrogate's Court. He testified to witnessing Gen. Eckert's will. Gen. Eckert, he said, was ill from August, 1908, until the time of his death. The aged man, he said, saw visions of pictures in space, saw faces at the window when no one was there, and spoke as if his bedroom were a cabin on a ship sailing to Washington, and asked what deck he was on." New York Times, Feb. 7, 1911.

It was disclosed that Minnie Egan, Gen. Eckert's housekeeper, was given the late Mrs. Eckert's jewels, worth $100,000, as a "wedding present." Minnie and Thomas, Jr. had announced their engagement in August 1910 and married Nov. 23, 1910, one month after Gen. Eckert’s death on October 20. The private secretary to Gen. Eckert testified that, "Following the General's directions...I gave the jewels to Minnie Egan, his housekeeper, as a wedding present two days before he died." New York Times, Feb. 11, 1911.

Thomas Reilly, a "trained nurse" was "with Gen. Eckert from August 15, 1908 until his death." Reilly testified that Gen. Eckert told him that "his wife's jewels were to go to Joanna, the eighteen-year-old daughter of the contestant [Clendenin]...

"General Eckert gave various versions of the capture and burial of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin who killed Lincoln, Reilly said. He insisted that he identified Booth by his thumb and broken leg. One time he said that Booth had been dumped into Delaware Bay, and another time, Reilly said, he described a land burial and gave the location of the grave." New York Times, Feb. 15, 1911.

The Surrogate's Court upheld the will. New York Times, Dec. 16, 1911. Clendenin appealed and Joanna, who had been deprived of the jewels, joined in the suit. New York Times, Feb. 19, 1913.

The case was heard in the NY Supreme Court. Witnesses testified as to Eckert's state of mind when he signed the will on August 30, 1910. "Joseph Finn, a carpenter, gave a description of the catnip bed, which, he asserted, the General had caused to be built in his Elberon home for 'Honeybubbles,' his cat. According to the carpenter, it was a miniature greenhouse. When the family was in New York, he said, it was customary to have catnip shipped there daily.

"Bessie Tracy, a servant, was asked about the cat.

"'The cat came to the table for every meal,' she said. 'He had a chair like the rest of the family, and the same food that the family ate was served to him. During meals he would walk all over the table and eat the flowers.'

"'Would he eat food from other plates than his own?' Justice Greenbaum inquired.

"'No. Only from his own plate.'" New York Times. Feb. 25, 1913.

On March 5, 1913, after only forty minutes of deliberation, the jurors "returned to Justice Greenbaum a verdict breaking the will of General Thomas Thompson Eckert..." "By the verdict, James Clendenin Eckert, the contestant who was cut off with $50,000 and a trust fund of $100,000, gets an equal share of the $1,650.000 estate with his brother, T. T. Eckert, Jr." Joanna was "the most joyful person in the courtroom when the verdict was announced." New York Times, Mar. 6, 1913.

Thomas, Jr. appealed but he lost again. "The decision of the jury... was affirmed today by the appellate division of the Supreme Court." Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar. 14, 1914.

I had heard that poor Major Eckert suffered from Alzheimers before he died. It is hard to fathom that he had that much money so as to afford $100,000 worth of jewels for Mrs. Eckert. One hundred thousand was a huge amount of cash in the 19th Century. I agree with Laurie.
Someone needs to write a bio of Mr. Eckert. He'd make a facinating subject...and this is the first that I ever heard about "Honeybubbles" the cat - love it! Thanks, Linda!

[J. Beckert]

Who did Eckert go to work for in his later years? Was it Western Union or another communication company? I would guess that's where he made his fortune.

[BettyO]

(07-25-2012 06:11 PM)J. Beckert Wrote:  Who did Eckert go to work for in his later years? Was it Western Union or another communication company? I would guess that's where he made his fortune.

Major Eckert worked for Western Union - became President and then retired in 1902....you are right, Joe.

[L Verge]

Yep, president of Western Union in the post-war years would do it...

[RJNorton]

Linda, thank you for a wonderful post. I am a cat-lover and really enjoyed the material about Honeybubbles.

Abraham Lincoln also had a soft spot in his heart for cats and kittens. There was a White House cat, and his name was Tabby. Abraham would feed Tabby who was seated on a chair next to the president. Lincoln used White House utensils to feed Tabby. Once Mary Lincoln suggested that it was in poor taste to feed the cat at the table with White House utensils, and Lincoln replied, "If the gold fork was good enough for Buchanan I think it is good enough for Tabby," and he continued to feed the cat throughout the meal.

SOURCE: p. 274 of "The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln" by Michael Burlingame.

[BettyO]

(07-26-2012 04:15 AM)RJNorton Wrote:  Linda, thank you for a wonderful post. I am a cat-lover and really enjoyed the material about Honeybubbles.

Abraham Lincoln also had a soft spot in his heart for cats and kittens. There was a White House cat, and his name was Tabby. Abraham would feed Tabby who was seated on a chair next to the president. Lincoln used White House utensils to feed Tabby. Once Mary Lincoln suggested that it was in poor taste to feed the cat at the table with White House utensils, and Lincoln replied, "If the gold fork was good enough for Buchanan I think it is good enough for Tabby," and he continued to feed the cat throughout the meal.

SOURCE: p. 274 of "The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln" by Michael Burlingame.

Love it!

Seward was also a cat lover and owned cats from what I've read....Linda, is this so?

Lew Powell also owned a kitten which, according to family legend, he would take up into his tree house with him. He also had a dog, pet mule and guinea hens.

[Linda Anderson]

The Seward family had many pets: dogs, cats, birds, even a fawn.

"When he returned to Washington after the exciting campaign of 1860, and just on the eve of the still more exciting prospects of disunion, he found time to write, 'I would not have believed it, but my pretty cat remembered me, and was wild with joy at my return. She attends me constantly, sitting on my shoulder when I write, and following me when I move.' Birds and cats and dogs always found a safe retreat in Seward's grounds." Frederic Bancroft, The Life of William H. Seward, Volume 1.

Fanny wrote in her diary on Sep. 1, 1861, the day she met Lincoln for the first time:

"Mr. Lincoln showed us the pretty cats, kittens
given him by Father Sunday. They were playing in one ^of the grand^ halls. Mr. L.
^seems quite fond of them. Says they climb all over him.^"