The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-10
THE DUCHESS MISSION.
She and the Duke Can't Live on
100000 Year
From the Ne,o York World

From the Ne,o York. World.
The Duchess of Marlborough has come to
New York for the purpose of inducing the
trustees under the will of her first husband
to sell some of the real estate which is
yielding TO revenue and reinvesting the
proceeds of such sale so that her present in
come may be increased.
The duchess simply has life interest in
the property left by her first husband and
at her death it goes to the son of her hus-
bands cousin, j. Hooker Hamersley, if he
has son, and if he has not it goes to chart
tiles. The duchess, therefore, is anxious,
naturally, to get all the income out of the
property that she possibly can. Part of the
unproductive property which she wants
sold is near to the Fiftv-ninth street en-
trance of Central Park, and it is understood
that j. Hooker Hammersley is opposed to
any disposition Of it. If this opposition is
persisted in the matter will probably be
brought into the courts and a second litiga-
ton over the Hamersley estate will be pre-
cipitated.
Those who are we'll informed as to the
Hamersley estate and it's makeup say THAI
it aggregates about S5,000,000 OF this
amount 50, 600, 600 is invested in real estate
and buildings which yield a revenue and
in stocks and bonds. The other SO. O00. 900
is represented by real estate which
is bringing in no money whatever,
but, on the other hand, represents an act
ual annual outlay for taxes. The duchess
income from the stocks aud bonds
and productive real estate is stated to be
over $125,000 year. Out of this the taxes
on the other real.estate have to.be paid and
various other expenses met, so that her en-
tire income is 100000, or perhaps even less.
This, of course, she regards as a very mad
equate revenue, when the value of the en-
tire property is taken into account. and
probably a great many people will agree
with her.
the present time, for the reason that, during
the first litigation over the estate and sub
sequently the income accumulated, and
since her marriage to the Duke of Marlbor-
ough, in July, 1888, she has been able to
draw out from these Accommodations nearly
100000. Now that this surplus Is ex-
hausted, and she is getting down to a bare
800, 600 year, she finds it necessary to be-
stir herself Twenty thousand pounds a
year is very small sum to support Blen-
helm castle and a London establishment,
even when it is eked out with such small
remnants of income as are left to the Duke
of Marlborough.
If the duchess is able to make the re-
arrangements she desires, and the So, 000.-
600 arising from the real estate sale, are
we'll invested, she expects that about $75, 900
a year will be added to her present income
As she will be relieved at the same time
from the necessity Of paying taxes upon the
unproductive property her aggregate in
come will reach nearly $500, 900, and on this
amount even a duke and duchess in Eng
land can manage to worry through exist
ence The opposition Of j. Hooker Hamers-
lev would come from the fact that his sou,
if he has one, is int ested in the future of
the property, and real estate in the neigh
borhood OF Central park is liable to increase
very much more in value than any other
property in which the money it represents
would be re-inyested. The fac that it is
unprc ductive at present is matter of no
concern to him particularly, as the taxes
are paid out of the present income of the
duchess
III. Hooker Hamersley should withdraw
all opposition to the sale of this property,
and should, in fact, signify to the trustees
that he would indorse such proceeding the
duchess might still have some difficulty in
selling because of the fact that the trustees
would not be able to give perfectly clear
title. What has been referred to as the
first litigation over the Hammersley will Is
practically settled, but the questions at
issue have been carried from one court to
another and are now pending in
the court of appeals. The decisions
have up to the present time
all been against the contestants and in favor
of the wife. There is every probability that
the court of appeals will confirm the de-
cisions in the lower courts, but few people
will care to buy property when there is the
slightest possibility of the title to it ever
being in dispute. OF course a good title
could be passed if all the parties in interest
should come to an agreement The trustees
of the Hamersley estate believe, however,
that a decision in the court Of appeals will
be had in saort time, and then the situa-
ton will be very much sinplifed.
1t is understood that the duchess is not
accompanied by the Duke of Marlborough
because she believes that, to use the French
phrase, as femme senL she will be able to
do more than if those opposing her felt that
they were really fencing and fighting with
the English duke who has married her. She
says that she expects to remain here until
the end Of the present month. She is de-
lighted with the reception she has met with
at the hands Of her old friends. Mrs.
Paran Stevens entertained her at dinner on
SUNDAY avanirc while on Saturday even