The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-11-05
THE VAN COTT ESTATE.

MEETING OF HOPEFUL HEIRs-EFFoRrs TO
SECURE AN ANCIENT EscHEAr-FIFTY MIL
LION DOLLARS INVOLVED.
BY special call published in the New York HERALD
those who were Interested in the Van Colt
invited 10 attend meeting Of the Van Cott Heirs Asso
citation yesterday afternoon three O'clock the party
TO meet in the basement OF No IA East Thirty ninth
street. At that time the place full OF people, most
OF whom were ladies' The object Of tho asscmbage
was to raise $3l5 TO defray the expenses attending Mr.
4. B. HUMPHREYS search after the record OF the Van
Colt estate in Holland.
The history OF this family is, TO say the least
romantic. In the year 1862 family lived in Holland
OF which an elderly burgomastcr known only as
"Kaats, tho head. He had four or SAID live
sons, named clacs Corneillus David Peter Prau John
and William. OF the last by the way nothing definite
is known; the other four came 20 America, whittier
they had been sent for safety their childhood by
their father during the celebrated eighty years war
They settled among friends in Long Island. IN the
vicinity, tits thought, of what is known Bush
wick, and marrying remained with their children in
that locality and became property holders. 1t is
corded Of Claes that he paid taxes on thirteen 'mor
gensn (something akin to acres) OF land and owned be-
sides great deal of live stock In those days a pro-
vsional law in Holland, made for such cases. gave
"Old Kaats the right to deposit a sum OF money for
the welfare OF his children in an orphan fund.- which
paid two and half per cent interest the investment
In 1911 this law was amended or changed and n new
one framed, under which all the moneys in the orphan
furd, IL is said, were cscheated to the government
after lapse of thirty years. Just here
arises difficult question TO settle In connec-
ton with tho "Kaats," or Van Colt, estate.
The heirs do not know whether the statute
applied to deposits made on after 1871 whether
embraced also those made prior 10 its enactment How
ever, the tradition continues:-The "Kaats y estate
was exempt and the law only affected moneys in
vested after the law Of 1911 made According 10
the showing of the association which met Yesterday
this must have been So because in 1s4l advertise
ment appeared in the newspapers in Holland and
Of those IN tins country, asking the heirs of the
"Kaats' estate to come forward and pro-
sent their claims. Anterior to that, by a century
or more, interest had been paid on the orig
inal investment in Holland in the shape OF merchan-
Use delivered to the sons descendants Long Island
This was continued according to the tradition IN To
the outbreak of the Revolutionary War Thereafter
nothing moro can DC said other than that the children
of Claes and his brothers lived and begat children on
Long Island, in the vicinity OF Bushwick. The
bers of the association say that nearly century ago
the record OF the births and marriages In the family
existed until 1t was destroyed by fire in church name
unknown in Brooklyn. Since that day the family
nomenclature has been changed from Kaatsbon" TO
von Kaas" first, and afterward TO Van Cot which it
now is.
Soon after the advertisement hereinbefore mentioned
as having appeared upward OF thirty years ago
effort was put forth by few OF the surviving heirs TO
recover the property, which believed to amount
to several millions Of dollars IL failed did one or
two subsequent attempts, and nothing more done
until recently, This last essay begotten by tho
present descendants of the brothers. and assoca-
ton was formed TO secure to them II possible the largo
fortune believed TO be in the hands OF the govern
ment of Holland under illegal escheat.
As the matter stands the heirs have undertaken to
recover the money, and the association is under the
guidance of Judge William H. Van Cott who Presi-
dent He was not at the meeting yesterday and the
Secretary John Coutrel conducted the business The
desire OF the members If the proceedings at East Thr
tynnth street be air indication OF the intent is to
invest Mr.. Humphres-now in Holland looking after
his wiics the Van Seidens' and Abertsons' claims TO
scquestrated property-with power to obtain a record
OF the Van Colt or "kaats estate and transmit the
to America He needs S315, 1925 OF which have
already been raised, Tor immediate use; and when this
shall been accomplished he will proceed duly
empowered, 10 recover the property, claiming as re-
Enumeration ten per cent of the released TO the
heirs.
There were some additional contributions made yes
terday, but not until Monday next will any complete
definite action be taken