Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1896-11-08
CHARLES G. HOPKINS REQUESTS
ENRICH THE STATE.
CAN COLLECT FIVE PER CENT.
THIS AMOUNT WILL BE GIVEN To
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
The Heirs Who Received Only Small
Amounts Are Threatening Legal
Proceedings Intended to
Break the Will of
the Deceased.


According 10 lEe Will Oi the ldle SIdfleS
c. Hopkins. sil.250 will so TO the state of
Missouri for educational purposes, under a
law passed by the last legislature. Three
fourths of this money will go to the state
university scholarship fund" and one
fourth to the seminary fund" This
amount will go 10 the state in the event
the state is worth ss00,e00. The law is the
result of a conviction on the part of the
legislature that rich man should arrange
for relatives satisfactory to himself before
he departs this life, and while he is Tot
fned personally for this neglect, his estate
Is burglarized by way of compensating the
state. 1t is more than likely that this law
had not been introduced to Mr.. Hopkins.
So far il has not been enforced, or, rather.
an opportunity TO apply it has not pre-
scented itself This lends unusual interest
to the case and places it far above. IN
point of interest, the usual scrimages over
estates.
May Contest the VIII.
The probating of the will by which he
practically disinherited his blood relatives
30 make his business agent and landsady
the principal berefciaries, promises now 10
be attended by a most remarkable legal
complication. A contest is probable in
wh:sl there will be at least three sets of
Etigants. and the outcome. as may be fore
seen. will be of such character as to
cause the bones Of the late capitalist to
demur with vain rattle OF speech. In spite
OF the carefully worded document by which
he sought to anticipate every possible at
tempt TO sss: 1t aGide. contingencies have
arisen of which the testator failed to take
account One Of them Is an action on the
part of his sister, Mrs. Nafcissa Nelson, to
contest the will; the other is claim which
the state of Missouri holds upon the estate.
No legal procedure has been instituted
as yet, but Mrs. Nelson has retained At
torney George L. Jones, brother of the
mayor, and E. n. Wright, a real estate
dealer, to represent her interests, and it
is probable suit will be filed within the
next sixty days. In combating her at
tempt TO break the will. Thomas NJ. Barr,
the business agent and principal bene-
hciary. will doubtless be assisted by the
regents of the state. 1t is to the interest
of that institution that the will stand as
drawn. II 1t remain intact the school will
get generous slice of the handsome es-
tate, which is now believed to be worth
something between 100000 and $780, 900.
The state legislature at its last session
decided that IL wealthy eccentrics will
leave their property to persons outside the
pale of their natural heirs, they must pay
the penalty. The university at Columbia
was in need of an endowment. SO the
solons decided to apply the forfeiture to
that fund, and made provision for the as
0essment in sections of the act pertaining
to the university and free scholarships, as
follows:
ProvfsiOns Of the New Law.
'Au property conveyed by will. or by
the death of an intestate, or by deed,
grant, bargain, sale or gift, made or in
tended to take effect in possession or en-
1oyment after the death of the grantor, or
eargainer, or any person or persons. either
directly or in trust, or otherwise, whereby
beneficial interest shall be created in pos
session or expectancy to any property or
the income thereof, to any person other
than the father, mother. husband, wife or
direct Eneal descendant of the testator,
intestate. grantoc or bargainer, except
property conveyed for some educational.
charitable or religious purpose exclusively.
shall be subject to the payment of 4 col
lateral succession tax of FIVE dollars for
each and every one hundred dollars of the
clear market value of such property, where
the money or property affected shall be
ten thousand dollars or less in value, and
where the money or property affected eX-
ceeds $40. 600 in value the same shall be sub
every one hundred dollars of the clear mar
ket value thereof. up to and including ten
thousand dollars in value. and a tax of $50
In addition. for every such 500 in value, in
excess of $1,000; and fer the enforcement
and collection OF such tax there is hereby
created against the property affected there
by first lien in favor of the state of Mis-
souri,, upon which a civil action may be
prosecuted in any court having competent
Jurisdiction: ard, when collected. such tax
shall be paid into the county Treasury of
the county where the testator, intestate
grantor or bargeiner resided. or in the
case where there is no such residence in
the state. then such tax shall be paid in
20 the county treasury Of the county where
such property exists or is situate. All tax
es provided by this section. which shall not
be paid within one year after the death of
the person rendering such property subject
to taxation shall bear interest at the same
rate from the death OF such n..rsnn ,s i.