Evening journal., 1901-10-17
MUSEUM PAYS
ROGERS HEIRS
Gives Chem $25O,OOO aud
Retains Millions
WILL TROUBLE NOW SETTLED
Members Of The Family Get Twice
as Much as Vas Allowed Them
Under The Testament

Settling contest that promised
years of litigation and great expense,
the Metropolitan Museum Of Art, Of
New York. has obtained for itself free
Of all further question and attack the
beQuest of Jacob S. Rogers of nearly all
his estate. valued at about $4,000 900.
BY this arrangement, effected yester-
day between representatives of the mu-
suem and Of a dozen contestants of the
millionaire locomotive builders Will,
the museum is definitely enabled for
the first time to take it's place by the
side Of the great purchasing museums
and art galleries of Europe
Fine collections IL now has, but it's
ability TO add to them has been limited
TO the expenditure Of a sum that will
not go far in purchasing works Of art.
With it's purchasing power multiplied
hftyfold the museum is put on pur-
chasing equality practically with the
departments Of the British Museum of
which the Metropolitan Museum has
counterparts Until on July . the heat
ended the eccentric life of Mr.. Rogers,
the museum was able to spend on.y
$4,000 a year in bettering its collec-
tions. Under the provisions of Mr..
Rogers will the museum will have
more than 100000 year with which
to enrich its galleries.
To effect the settlement with the
relatives Of Mr.. Rogers the museum al
| lowed them q total of $500 900 from the
estate. or double what Mr.. Rogers eft
to them. In other words, it gave $3.50
600 to which it was entitled under the
3, will to relatives who contested the will
D., that it might end that contest and the
4 jeopardy of its own bequest. With that
/ S250.0O0 the museum bought. so C
speak, immediate possession of the &c.
Z coo. 600 residuary estate. bought free
5 dom from contests chat IL was expected
2 would cost possibly more than IN,
4 S250.00O. and bought freedom from al
b attacks ON the will and on It's OWL
right to the residuary estate.
SAVED HEAVY COST
On the other side-that of the rela
tives-there has been gain of imme
ldiate realization Of their expectation
and OF the saving OF tho cost of extend
cd litigation. which. IL was predicted
would be carried to the Supreme Cour
of the United States.
There was only one contingency un
der which the relatives could expect L
obtain more than is now allowed them
and that is the breaking of the will
Their first contention to that end ha'
been admitted by their attorneys to b
without foundation. and had been dis
posed of by The PrerOgative Court o
: New Jersey. when Chancellor Magi
" admitted the will to probate on tn
b ground that Jacob S. Rogers was O
5 sound mind and capable of making
| testament Their second contention
was then brought forward. and It wa
after this plea was made on Septembe
that the compromise with the mu
scum was effected.
This second contention was that tn
, win was void because IL was In contra
! vention Of contract made many year
ago between the sons Of ThOma
Rogers. namely Jacob S. Rogers an
his brothers. that any one of them VIII
might die without issue should leav
his property TO the children of th
others. No written proof of this col
tract has been submitted to the courts
but the force of this contention ma
have been admitted by the museul
when TO avoid such an attack, 1t PAL
the relatives S250.000.
4 Robert W. De Forest attorney fC
, the museum. and one Of the two Law
yers who arranged the compromis
said yesterday that this allowance {
r S250.O00 represented probably Oh
C years income from the estate and wa
r a sacrifice thcmusoum could reasonabl
r make in order to obtain possession {
n it's new resources years before it Othcl
d wise would i'm addition to which.
+ said the cost OF the litigation planne
G by the claimants to the estate woul
l. certainly have amounted to $3.50 900.
BASIS OF SHARING SECRET
Just how the relatives Of Jacob
Rogers will share the $500 900 THAT
= to be divided among them has not bo'
:, ldivulged by the lawyers. but It is &c
= ltam that, in addition to increasing d
!, lallotments made by Jacob Rogers
individuals named in his Will the ty
,, linen wido effected the compromise ha
,, admitted to benefit from the estate pc
r. sons whom Mr. Rogers left out Of
i Twill Il is said that most of the ben
/, ficiaries under the will have had tht
q. allowances doubled by the cOmprOmi.
u and that half sister, Mrs. Heinsc
!, of Irvington. N. j.. and other relativ
(. who were not mentioned in the W
n have received allowances that will
n far toward making ihcm comfOrtat
4 in a modest way for life.
n There has been an intimation th
~ Theodore B. Rogers. a favorite neph'
4, lof 3he locomotive manufacturer. @
tanned little in addition TO the beques
10 to him under the viii, but as the
- amounted to six or seven times VIII
any other person obtained under q
testament. Mr.. Rogers. it is said is n
ID discontcnted TO him were left. in a