The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-17

FANNY o VIEWPOINTS WILL.
she Leaves the Bulk of Her Estate TO Her
Husband,

| The will of the late Fanny DayepDo +.
the celebrated actress has just been made
public. In it Miss Davenport leaves
nearly the whole of an estate whose
value is variously es mated at from
$500, 900 to s6o0,o00 to her husband, Mr..
Melbourne MCDOWELL who is now in
| this city. While the bulk of the estate
| is left outright to MIR. Mcdowell, the
will was not the only expression of the
wishes of the late Mrs. Mcdowell, for
in addition she left a letter addressed,
my dear sister," and expressing a de
sire that her valuable jewelry should be
distributed among relatives whom she
names in the letter. The iewelry is said
to be worth $780, 900. When seen at the
Falmouth last night, Mr.. Mcdowell said
that he did not care to talk about the
matter except to say that so far as any
legal question involved were concerned
Judge A. j. Dittenhoefer of New York
Miss Davenport married Mr.. Melbourne
Mcdowell in New York in May, 1889. He
had then been the leading man of her
company for several years, and continued
to hold that position until she was taken
i'll in Chicago last spring and closed her
professional career.
Early this season with Miss Davenport's
appreciation, MIR. Mcdowell and Miss
Blanch Walsh began starring tour,
which was suspended for three weeks
after Miss Davenport's death.
Mr.. Mcdowell was the actress second
husband. In 1879 she married Mr.. E.
f. Price, an actor in her company. who
afterward became her business manager
She secured divorce from Mr.. Price in
1888.
The New York. Herald of yesterday
printed the following despatch from
Boston:
The will of the late Fanny Davenport
has not yet been submitted for probate,
but have been furnished with data con-
corning the disposition of the big fortune
which the actress accumulated.
The will was made in 1892 and leaves
absolutely to her husband Melbourne
Mcdowell, the bulk of her great estate,
variously estimated from $780, as
minimum to 5000, 900. The special be.
quests are as follows:
10 Miss Davenport's sister Blanche,
5000 and half interest in the old Daven-
port family home in Canton, Pa. 10 her
sister May (Mrs. William Seymour), $4,000
in cash and lot of bonds of the Omaha
Water company, the value of which is
not known here. 10 her sister Florence,
(Mrs. Tier) $4,000 in cash and half in
terest in the Canton house. 10 her
brother Edgar $4,000. to her brother Harry,
5000, and to seven nieces and nephews,
$4,000 and $4,000 each.
70 Nv
in the will and hence the only ones bind
ing upon the executors, gamount in all to
only $50, 00C, not including the Omaha
Power company bonds. Mr.. Mcdowell,
therefore, will receive practically the
whole of the estate to the exclusion of
relatives. except in the named small
sums bequeat he'd to each, II he insists
unon the terms of the formal will being
ex actly adhered to.
Bat Miss Davenport left long letter
addressed my dear sister," evidently
meaning Mrs. Seymour, in which she
requested that her valuable collection of
Jewels, estimated at 500, GOO; her great
library of 10000 volumes and certain per-
sonal effects be distributed among rela-
tives, naming to whom each article is
to CO.
Although this is an expression of her
desires, it Is not legally binaing docu
ment, and in case of any contest, Mr.. Nc
Dowell, as the residury legatee, would
gain q distinct advantage from the fact
that the letter has not the legal force of
a will and would not stand if its terms
seemed to conflict with those of that
instrument.
There Is no doubt that the terms of the
will are a surprise to Miss Davenport
immediate relatives. None of them had
any knowledge of the amount of her
property, for she kept her business affairs
strictly to herself, but they all regarded
her as distinctly wealthy, and naturally
expected considerable sum in requests.
The surprise came in finding that her
husband received so nearly the whole of
her property.
Commenting ON tbs despatch, the Herald
says:*
AS Miss Davenport kept her business
affairs strictly to herself, 1t is difficult to
correctly estimate the amount OF her for
tune.s and the exact figures will probably
not s. be, forthcoming until her executors
have made up the schedules of her estate.
A careful estimate has placed it at $780,,
OCO. with the proviso that it may fall to
$3.50. 600 or rise to $500, 900, according to
the manner in which the estate ia
"nursed. -
A gentleman who has long been close
~ connected with Miss Davenport's affairs
believes that it will be found to consider
ably exceed the sum first mentioned.
miss Davenport. he said, yesterday,
''owned several lots on Drexel boulevard,
Chicago, estimated to be worth $780,, 1000,
and several residence lots in Denver,
which, however, are unproductive. She
owned residence at San Monica, Cal,
worth $1,000, and the homestead at Dux
bury, 81 miles from Boston. for which she
was offered $4,000 The later is hand
somely furnished. She also owned
house at Canton. Pa, near the old +. L.
Davenport homestead, worth $4,000.
'She had large library the value of
which is problematical. 1t probably cost
her $50, 900. She owned a large amount
of ieweiry, worth 500, 600, should say.
''Mss Davenport acquired the rights
in several Sardou plays. Tho value OF
these rights is hard to determine now,
as it depends on what they will con-
tinue to bring in. But they should still
prove profitable.
':Soon after she began starring in 1879,
she WAS able to purchase Fedora, and al
terward she purchased La Tosca, follow
ing with Cleopatra. for which latter she
paid Sardou $50 600, said to be the lars
est sum ever paid outright for play.
She also bought theodore outright. her