New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-07
DIR. KNOWS TITLE CLEAR.
liz. AZ LAST GETS A DEED TO HIS BROAD
WAY PROPERTY.
MORE THAN FIVE SCORE HEIRS OF THE LOI;lL-
LARD ESTATE INIEHEslED-AN INTRICATE
REAL ESTATE CASE SETTLED AFTER
YEARS OF WORK.

REAL ESTATE CASE SETTLED AFTER
YEARS OF WORK.
What has been declared to be the most COM
plicatcd land title in Ncw-ior1 was quoted yes
to-day by the transfer of the full title deeds of
the property No. ala Broadway to Edward NJ.
KNOX, the wcll-known hat manufacturer. Tho
interests involved We're those Of l37 heirs Of the
Iorard estate, the smallest representing l-l352O
Of the property, and the lowest common denomina-
tor of all the interests being over 100000. Tho
property las been before the courts in
partition proceedings for over ten years,
the li.t Of plaintiffs and defendants
including members of many prominent New-(ork
families among them. besides the LOrillards, be-
ing the Kps the Barbcys, kernochans, Cam
n1nn:. !cckshcrs. Ronalds and the Costers. Over
forty members of the last-namcd family alone have
ben az various times represented in the proceeI-
ings The abstracts of title make pile OF legal
Papers more than foot in height. Philo T. Rug
giles, the lawyer who was made referee and re-
cciyer for the Lorillard estate just ftyhree years
ago. has continued in that place ever since Now
the last Of the legal complications in connection
with the property has been cleared up and the
recording of the deed 10 Mr.. Knox yesterday
marks the end Of the lawyers professional career
lie i, now eighty nine Years old. and will retire
10 his Staten Island home.
The property is the Knox Building at Broad
way and Futon-st. The following facts are a
part of its voluminous history: When George
Iorilard died. in lSio, he left provisions for
the payment of annuitic> of $500 TO thirteen of
his relatives the payment 10 be made from the
rents and profits of three pieces OF property-No.
2O2 Broadway. No. a2 Broadway and lot IN
Wcst-st In course of time No. POP Broadway
and the Wesf-st lot were sold under tho pro-
visions of the will and left the annuities to issue
from the Fulton-st corner. This property had been
bought in 1875 by George Iorillard for $4,000,
and served a variety of uses ranging from a dwell
ing house TO a soap factory. After his death "
was tied mp. with the restriction that ii shonld
not be- sold until after th" death of all OF the
annnitants Its value increased enormously, and
soon was far more than sufficient to pay tho
SO, 800 annuitcs Finally it passed under lease
into the hands Of the father of Mr.. Knox, who
had established the hat business. The lot adj
Joining it, where The Herald building now
stands, was then the site of Barnum's Museum,
and when that burned in 1865 the KnoA Build
ing went with it. II rebuilt, and again
leased ly Mr. Knox for twen.y-onc years The
title to tho. property was jealousy guarded by
those who had a, CURED an interest in it through
the intricate raniiicaions Of the Lorillard rcla-
tionships.
So matters remained until about fourteen years
ago when Edward VI. Knox's attention was called
to the sale, among other effect. OF Mrs. L)rilard
Spencer. of u onc-twcnty-ifth interest in No. 81?
Broadway. lie sent real estate broker named
Lynch TO the sale with instructions to buy it at
any price. lie did so, paying $4,000 for it, or
nj the rate of $4,000 for the whole. IL was
supposed that he bought il for some member OF
the family bur his rcticcncc when questioned led
to "a suspicion that some outsider, as they term
il. had secured loothold in the property inter-
tsts.
When they fohnd that Mr.. Knox was the pur-
chaser they tried to buy il back at Il premium,
finally Offering $4,000 for the reccnveyance.
Mr. Knox replied that the property was not In
/ the market and could not be purchased at any
pricc Then some Of the heirs offered to sell him
their interests at the same rate that he had paid
for the first, and in less than q week he owned
more than onc-half of the property, and in the
course OF few years he owned almost ninc-tenths
of it. II was the requirement Of that remaining
tcn.h that has caused ten years of constant legal
effort.
In 1883 George Ronads who owned one one
hundred-and-twcnty -ifth Of the property, insti-
tu.ed partition proceedings. Mr.. Knox, who still
held the property under lease, refused to consent
to partition and was made defendant. There
were besides Mr. Ronalds, about 30 heirs to be
taken into account and every time one died, or
new heir was born, the proceedings had to be
opened and the parties, complainant or defendant.
changed accordingly. the total number appearing
in the proceedings being 1871 All had 10 BE- per-
sonally served with the papers in the case and
for this purpose three messengers were sent ut
different times to Rome. where the Princess Cenci.
who was u Iorillard, lives When after years OF
manipulation and legal ral-tape, all proceedings
were completed last February and sale was or
dcled Mr. Knox bought the property in for $780,
600, over $500, 600 Of which was due to himself
as his share Of tn" proceeds.
Then began the great labor of searching the
titles. In the first place. two Of the original
thirteen annutants are still living. They are
Peter Ronalds and Catherine Ann Duncan. The
provision that the property could not be disposed
IF until all Of sr annuitants were dead was
avoided by purchasing a $500 annuity for each
in u trust company, and thus taking the burden
.v.lsx an2A AnAtAA