Elverton R. Chapman (1848-1928)

Born at New York, he was educated at Fredonia Academy, New York; Mount Union College, Poughkeepsie; and, Columbia University (LL.B., 1871). During the Civil War, he served in the Union Army with the 86th Ohio Infantry and the 77th Regiment N.G.S., New York. He became a Civil Servant at Washington D.C., and from 1875 to 1879, he was Chief of the Stamp Division in the Internal Revenue Department. He came to New York in 1880 as a banker and broker with the firm of Moore & Schley.

In 1894, he was at the center of a scandal involving several U.S. Senators (chiefly Nelson Aldrich) that saw him jailed: the Sugar Trust had hired a broker (Chapman) "to help the Senators speculate in the stocks of the refiners and profit by their votes to ensure that the tariff on refined sugar was restored after a committee had placed refined sugar on the free list. This led to hearings at which the broker, Chapman, and various Trust executives including Havemeyer and John E. Searles, refused to testify. Chapman was convicted of contempt and sentenced to (30 days) jail." It took 3-years until the authorities finally placed him behind bars and further scandal ensued over the favors he received:

Elverton R. Chapman... who refused to divulge the secrets of his business to the Senate Committee appointed to investigate the scandal... appeared as cheerful yesterday when speaking of his imprisonment as if it were a Summer trip to Europe... It need not be supposed that Mr Chapman will live on prison fare... Nor will he wear stripes and live in a small stone cell with a single iron bedstead and a chair as its only furnishing... According to advice from Washington, the prisoner's quarters will be a large and roomy apartment in the jail building. Here, he will enjoy "all the comforts of home," such as easy chairs, elaborate furnishings, an abundance of books, newspapers, periodicals, and, more important still, a stock quotation ticker and private telephone and telegraph connections, which will enable him to keep in close touch with the outside world.

He (Chapman) chatted with the Deputy Marshal, who had him in custody, and he referred to his favorite seasonings and sauces to Proprietor Roessle, of the Arlington Hotel, who will have the direction of his cuisine for the next twenty-five days... It was exactly 4 o'clock this afternoon when the distinguished visitor surrendered himself to Marshal Wilson. He drove up to the City Hall in a coach drawn by two coal-black horses, who in turn were guided by a coachman in livery. On the box seat rested a leathern steamer trunk, plastered with foreign labels... With Chapman (in the carriage was among others) was Mr Roessle, of the Arlington... Chapman was the first to alight and he sprang nimbly up the broad steps of the building. He wore a tweed suit and an alpine hat. Over his arm he carried a tweed great coat, and between his smiling lips was a good cigar...

In 1901, he established his own firm, E.R. Chapman & Co., before retiring and selling his seat on the New York Stock Exchange in 1916. He was President of the Hudson Trust Co., Equity Gas Co., Jamaica Gas Co., the Flatbush Gas Co., Newton Gas Co., Woodhaven Gas Co., Richmond Hill Gas Co., Elliott-Chapman Coal & Coke Co., Chapman Investment Co., Elverton Land Co., Alabama Iron & Steel Co., and also of the New Amsterdam Bank. He was Treasurer Director of the Brooklyn Union Gas Co. He was a director of the National Reserve Bank and the New York Mutual Telegraph Co. His clubs were the Metropolitan in Washington D.C., and the Union League, New York, Automobile of America & New York Athletic in New York. He lived between his townhouse at 132 West 57th Street, New York; Elverton Lodge/Meadowhill, Great Neck, Lakeville, Long Island, N.Y.; and his winter residence at LaBelle, Florida.