The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-10-26

heVed Herse1f Rtch-Mr. Mac
DoweII VIII Receive but $4,000.
NEW YORK, Oct. 25.-When Fanny
Davenport made her will In 1892 she
considered herself to be rich-one Of the
wealthiest American actresses of the
day In deciding the bulk of her for
tune to her husband, Melbourne Mac
DOWell, she considered that she left
him at least 100000, and, If all went
we'll with her investments, that he
might receive even more. That was in
1892. When Miss Davenport died re-
Gently those who knew her best said
that her wealth was greater than gen
orally supposed; that Fanny Daven-
port was business woman, as we'll as
an actress; that she attended to her
own affairs and kept her own counsel,
letting no one know all that she had
accumulated in long and prosperous
career; that the minimum of her for
tune was $350,000, its maximum $780,
600, and that in leaving $50, 900 to her
relatives she had cut them off with a
comparative shilling and that Mr. Mac
Dowell by the will became possessed
practically Of $500, 600; that the young
actor was made wealthy for life
OWN BELIEF IN HER WEALTH.
1t was this that lent itself in the re-
port that the relatives, to whom the ac-
tress was greatly devoted would con-
test the will and dispute Mr.. MacDow-
ellis receiving such an enormous sum.
AS further evidence of her wealth a
letter that she left was pointed to-not
holding in law, but binding In affection
distributing additional remembrances
to relatives in the way Of jewels esti-
mated at $4,000 and costly library on
which she was said to have expended
$4,000, and many valuable personal
effects. That was in 1S98
How rich she considered herself to be
was shown in this addition of perhaps
$4,000 to previous bequests. But she
was not cutting deep into Mr.. McDow-
ellis fortune, for all the balance, all the
great bulk Of her estate, was to go to
her husband-houses, lands, bonds.
There were those who believed that
when the Danbury county house was
searched, safe deposit companies visi-
ted, her lawyers interrogated, land reg
listers searched, it would be found that
even the 100000 mark would be passed
in the final accounting Of the accumu-
lations Of some eighteen years "star-
ring" of one of the most popular wom-
Ell on the American stage "Wait till
the estate is examined" they said.
ESTATE VALUED AT $55, 900.
The estate has been examined. A
careful search has been made for dee DIS.
bonds of nd Il;
1t has been counted up in money and
estimated where it was in property and
here is the result:
The relatives will receive about $780,
600 iE legactes. Mr.. MacDl nald will re-
ceive $4,000. That is believed to be
all that is left of Miss Davenport's
estate. That it was once great es-
tate is considered undeniable-how
great no one know. What has become
of it is not known now How it dwind-
led, shrunk, took wings, flew away,
it is impossible to say.
Former Judge A. J. Dittenhoefer,
Miss Davenport's lawyer and counsel
for Mr.. MacDoOwell, was seen and ask
ed If he could give any information as
to the dWindling of the estate. He
declined positively to say anything
upon that subject Or answer any ques-
tions about the will or the value Of
the property.
The authority for the statements in
regard to the discovered state of affa' rs
is undoubted. And the same authority
said that when Miss Davenport drew
her will she undoubtedly believed her
self as rich as or richer than the public
| estimate her wealth.
NET WITH SERIOUS LOSSES.
'It is true that she was very rich,
but values in some of her investments
have sh1unk greatly since she made
her WILL" says this gentleman. Then,
again, she had met with some serious
losses in her theatrical ventures, as
to which she kept her own counsel.