Page:The Wizard of Wall Street and his Wealth.djvu/281

 CHAPTER XVIII.

THE GREAT FORTUNE AND ITS INHERITORS.

Five days after the death of Jay Gould, the contents of his will, or at least the substance of it, were made public in the press. The will itself remained under lock and key in the safe of ex-Judge John F. Dillon, counsel for the executors.

"The original will," said ex-Judge Dillon, in giving out the summary, "is dated December 24, 1885, during the lifetime of Mr. Gould's wife. It made various provisions for her benefit which failed of effect by reason of her death before the death of her husband. After and in consequence of her death, Mr. Gould, on February 16, 1889, executed the first codicil to his will, making such changes as became necessary. A second and a third codicil were executed on November 21, 1892.

"Taking the wills and codicils together the summary I give you is accurate and complete."

The specific legacies came first. The three sisters, who with their brother Abraham got $25,000 and an annuity of $2,000, were Mrs. Sarah Northrup, Mrs. Anna G. Hough and Mrs. Elizabeth Palen. Mrs. Northrup and her daughters received in addition the three lots of ground in Camden, N. J., on which their dwelling is erected. The annuities were to be paid in equal sums quarterly.