The times., 1898-11-13
HER FORTUNE GONE.
Executors Discover That Fanny
Dnvenport's Money Was Lost.


Dnvenport's Money Was Lost.
(From the New York Herald.)
When Miss Fanny Davenport made her
will in 1892 she considered herself TO be
Il very rich woman-one of the wealthiest
American actresses OF the day. In deed
ing the bulk of her fortune TO her hus-
band, Mr.. Melbourne MacDowen, she
considered that she left him at least $780,
600. and. If all went well with her invest
ments, that he might receive even much
more. That was in 1892
When Miss Davenport died recently
those who knew her best said that her
wealth was greater than generally esti-
mated that Fanny Davenport was Il
business woman as well as an actress,
attended to her own affairs and kept her
own counsel, let no one know all that
she had accumulated In a long and pros
porous career; that the minimum of her
fortune was $3.50 600. its maximum $500, 600.
and that in leaving $4,000 to her rela-
tives she had cut them off with com
parative shilling and that Mr.. MacDow-
ell by the will became possessed proba-
bly, of half million dollars-that the
young actor was made wealthy for life"
II was this. coming from people who of
all others should be .'in the know'-so
far as any one was in Miss Davenport's
business confidence-that lent belief In the
report that the relatives, to whom the
actress was greatly devoted, would con-
test the will and dispute Mr.. MacDowell's
receiving such an enormous sum. AS a
further evidence of her wealth letter
that she left was pointed to-not holding
In law. but binding in affection-distri-
buting additional remembrances TO rela-
tives in the way of jewels estimated at
$4,000, a costly library on which 1t was
said she had expended $4,000. and many
valuable personal effects. That was in
1895.
How rich she considered herself then to
be was shown in this addition OF perhaps
sl20000 10 previous loving but compara-
lively small bequests. But she felt that
was not cutting deep into Mr.. MacDow-
ells fortune. for all the balance, all the
great bulk of her estate, was to go to her
husband-houses, lands, boads-why, there
We're those who believed that when the
Duxbury country house was searched
safe deposit companies visited, her law
yers interrogated, land registers search
ed 1t would be found that even the six
hundred thousand mark would be passed
in the final accounting of the accumula-
tiers of some eighteen starring years
of one of the most popular women on the
American stage. wait till the estate Is
examined" they said.
Inc estate mas Deeil tSd1flliltu y care
full search has been made for deeds
bonds. property OF any and every kind.
1t has been counted up in money and es-
t.mated where 1t was in property, and
here is the result, which we are enabled
! to present on the best of authority:
The relatives will receive about $4,000
IN legacies.
Mr.. MacDowell will receive about S25 900
and her MSS. plays. That is believed to
BE- all that is left of Miss Davenport's es-
| tate-all that it would bring if disposed
| of now.
That 1t was once a great estate is con-
| sidered undeniable-how great no one
| knows.
What has become of it is not now
known How 1t dwindled, shrunk, took
wings. flew away, 1t is impossible to say.
Former Judge \. ]. Dittenhoefer. NJ SIS
| Davenport's lawyer and counsel for Mr..
MacDowell. was seen yesterday by a Her
| aid reporter and asked 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 questions about the will or the value
| of the property.
The Heralds authority for its state
ments in regard to the discovered state
| of affairs is undoubted, and the same au-
| when Miss Davenport drew her will she
| undoubtedly believed herself as rich as,
or richer than, the public estimated her
| wealth.
..It is true that she was very rich,
said the informant, but values in some
of her investments have shrunk greatly
! since she made her will. Then, again,
she met with some serious losses in her
theatrical ventures-as to which she kept
trt, hn n l.
lars was eaten up in no time by one play
that she produced. She was extremely
liberal to her family. She lived we'll but
| not extravagantly-still she spent mon-
ey. Some of her seasons presumably
successful were really at times disastrous
Her Chicago property, reported as i'm
mensely valuable, on examination proves
to be unimproved real estate that had
been of great value, perhaps, when the
boom was on in that section of the city,
but is of little or no vo:uc now-perhaps
$40. 900 or $4,000 above encumbrances
..It Is said that the Canton, Pa, prop
erty mentioned in her will she no longer
owns Her jewelry, believed to be wortf
s75, 900 has been collected by the executors
what they find she had at her death i!
perhaps worth $40, 900. Her plays are o
problematical value-not very much. per
haps. though they were of value to her
Inc DukDufS property "ouiu poi""f'
bring today half the amount she estimat
ed it at; some of the bonds she held arr
, practically worth little or nothing-and 81
on.
II don't mean to say that she never wa
very rich. She was very rich, but he
estate had dwindled at her death to onl!
enough to pay the special bequests t
relatives and s2s,0oo to her husband. Il
addition to the play manuscripts, of un
certain value. OF course, If nursed he
estate will bring something more. If it
sale is rushed it may not bring tn
, amount named"