The sun., 1903-11-13
RUINED BY BEQUES1, SHESAYS.
A S25, 900 MAUSOLEDM LEFT MRS.
WEISEN BANKRUPT.

Husband Gave Her All, with Expensive
Conditions Attached-NOw She Wants
TO BE Rid or Her Debts-han She
boards With Got Some OF the Estate.
AS woman driven to financial ruin by
the provisions OF will which apparently
left to her the greater part OF considerable
estate, Mrs. Elizabeth w Weisen has resorted
to the bankruptcy laws for relief. She
voluntarily filed petition the other day.
showing that her liabilities amounted to
$a2,947 and that all she owns is cemetery
lot worth $1,000. on which Ia very fine
mausoleum in her husband 8 memory.
Henry Weisen, a retired grocer, who lived
at 2O83 Bathgate avenue. The Bronx, died
early in 1901 and left will thus disposing of
his estate, which was supposed to amount
to about SOS 900:
-, After my Just and lawful debts are paid !
give and benueath all my real and persona
property. OF whatever description to my good
wife. Elizabeth W. Weisen, but on the cond-
lion That she so purchase & nod ddemetery t Iot at
and that she erect thereon a. monument or
mausoleum for the proper Identification OF
snS San pSe of yse 9s % sb.
my neighbor. Flee Mork, that is. Edna Mork,
TO have her perform my dying injunction and
living wishes and to erect such monument
or ma,lsoleum.
This will was drawn by Seymour M ork,
son Of Flee Mork and sister OF Edna
Mork. He is a young man with some
real estate law practice. He is named in
Mrs. Weisen's petition as a creditor for $50
for legal services.
Mr. Weisen was retired grocer. His
business was downtown, and he gave it
| up TO devote himself to the management
OF his real estate ownings when he was but
little more than 40 years old. His neigh
bors remember him as somewhat &C.
cent ric and very vain man.
When the will was read Mrs. Weisen
studied the provision about Edna Mork.
| husbands residuary estate going to the
young woman, who is extremely good
looking and who was graduated into long
skirts only recently. She offered the will
for probate and. hen asked if the provision
about the monument was agreeable to her
! said:
"Why, OF course III build that monument
| You don't suppose those folks in the next
house are going To- get that money: do youf"
The Mork family at that time lived next
| to the Weisen house. which is q four story
frame building back from the street.
There was some litigation by relatives
Of Mr. Weisen, who thought that they ought
| to have a share in the estate, but Mrs.
W'eisen fought them OF; Had the will
been set aside she would have been Ell
titled to her dover rights end would not
have been obliged to put up that SIS 900
| ma,lsoleum
There was little ready cash in the estate
when it came to be settled. With 5000
Mrs. Weisen bought the lot 20 by 20 feet.
She decided to put mausoleum on it.
She still owes 5000 to the architect who
made tie plans. 1t is an imposing struct
ure Of granite, with front fifty feet high.
1t is one Of the most conspicuous in Wood
lawn.
In order to furnish the money to build
IT, Mrs. Weisen began mortgaging her
real estate; On some OF the parcels she
put second and third mortgages. But
ehe finished the thing and her husbands
body was put in it, and if his shade hovers
about the cemetery nowadays it cannot
but be gratifed by the inquiries Of visitors
as to the name Of the great man who is
buried there.
In the course Of the somewhat tangled
transactions through which Mrs. Weisen
went in order to get that mausoleum built.
she found it necessary to give up great
deal Of her property, Some OF it came
an elevated railroad engineer. who, with
his sisters and other members Of his family,
now lives in the house which Mrs. Weisen
used to own at 2o83 Bathgate avenue. Mrs.
! Weisen boards with the Simmonses.
Reporters who called there yesterday
were told that Mrs. Weisen was not at
home. A reporter who called last evening
when Mr.: Simmons was chatting with the
hOuSehOld was INFORMED tnat MrS. Weleen
had now nothing which she could fairly
! call her own. Mr.. Simmons described the
maueoleum.
1T is built Of granite. fifty feet high.
at least, he said, "and has statues along
the top of it Of women who were in the Bible.
! They are as fine statues as ever saw
f; In her struggles to comply with the con-
! ditions Of her husbands will and to save
enough out of the estate to live on, Mrs.
Weisen has had many lawyers Her
who drew the will and who has claim
against her. according to the bankruptcy
schedules, Of $50 for legal services. Other
lawyers who have acted for her have been
Fernando Sollinger Of 23l Broadway, Ferdi-
| nand Eidman. Jr., Of 1872 Nassau street,
and her present counsel,'J. Homer Hildreth
| OF 2sO Broadway.
Some Of them predict that the bankruptcy
proceedings are likely to be interesting to
many Of those who have had business re-
| lations with Mrs. Weisen.