Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-10
|GETs ADOu $4,000
Brother Of Millionaire Evans
Lives at Chevy Chase.
NEARLY 9osHEARs OLD
COMPROMISE AFTER -FOUR YEARS
OF LITIGATION.
Nephew Of Famous Dentist Tells Of
Latter's Eccentricities- Museum
for Philadelphia.

BY the settlement of the suits brought by
heirs Of the late DR.. Thomas w. Evans
VINO left a fortune of several millions OF
dollars, amassed in the practice of the den
tai profession in Paris, Mr. r. H. Evans
of this city will receive as his share Of the
compromise one-third of about $500, 900.
Mr.. r. H. Evans is a brother of the &C.
centric millionaire. He is eighty-nine years
old, and lives at Chevy Chase. Although
advanced in years, he is still hale and
hearty. He is the father Of DR.. w. War
rington Evans of this city, who has q ma
tional reputation as "a prosthetic dentist,
and who is now engaged in writing book
on that subject.
Dr. w. Warrington Evans said this after
noon that the suits settled in New York
were compromise suits, and that they had
been pending in the courts for about four
years His father, he said received $40,
GOO direct by the will OF DR.. Thomas w.
Evans, as did himself, as nephew of the
dead millionaire.
my uncle was cratic eccentric and
egotistical," DR.. w. Warrington Evans
said. He thought that his family were
after his money. He had two or three men
about him who pampered him, 'soft-soaped'
him, and made him think that he was the
only person in the world My uncle, with
inordinate vanity, liked this. He trusted
these men. Others, Including his relatives,
who were straightforward in their dealings
with him and in their suggestions were
distrusted.'' =
This special dispatch from Philadelphia
to the Baltimore Sun Of this morning tells
the story of the settlement:
"A message received by the law depart
ment. announces the ending in favor of
Philadelphia before the supreme court of
New York city of the last suit in this coun-
try over the will Of DR.. Thomas w. Evans,
a $4,O00,O0O fortune in Paris France, and
left the bulk of it to Philadelphia for a
musuem and dental institute.
Assistant City Solicitor Joseph w. Cath
arine said today that this legal victory left
but one suit undetermined before the
money can be distributed. This litigation
is pending in Paris, and according to Mr..
Catharine,- is of minor Importance and with
out substantial merit.
In Litigation Since 1897.
The fortune of DR.. Evans has been the
subject of litigation in this country and
France ever since his death in Paris, No
vember II, 1897. The early part of his
career was enacted in this, his native city.
After taking up his residence abroad he
still retained real estate here, in Maryland
and New York, and occasionally visited his
relatives in this country. 1t was IN Paris.
where he lived in his later years, that he
won fame by helping the Empress Eugene
to escape during the commune, and made
a fortune as the dentist of royalty. 1t
was, therefore. necessary after his death
to have his wills probated in both America
and Franco. go
1.-THE distribution of the property was ap-
proximately as follows: In Paris, $1,000
600 real estate. s756, 600 personal property;
and in Maryland and Pennsylvania. $780,
GOO real estate. s7'la
'"Three wills were found, one made in
Platz, Switzerland, in 1896. All were pre-
scented to the courts in Paris. When an
attempt was made to get letters Of pro-
bate in this city in the spring of 1893 the
heirs started contest
AFTER making several personal requests
DR.. Evans bequeathed all his estate to the
Thomas w. Evans Museum and Institute
Society for teaching dentistry and the
display Of his royal presents and personal
effects, with a building at 40th and Spruce
streets, this city. A charter was presented
to common pleas court No. for the in
stitute, under the direction of the municipal
authorities, but meanwhile some Of the
heirs had begun suit in France to recover
the estate. claiming that as the institute
did not exist the provision relating to 1t
lapsed and the money must be divided
among them under the terms Of the wills.
Claims were also made that the Wills were
technically defective. A suit to recover
the property was also begun in New York.
Compromise Effected.
''While affairs were In this confused con-
dition a settlement was effected between
the city and the heirs. by which the heirs
were to be paid 100000 in addition to
specific Iegacies amounting to $4,000. and
all contests over the wills were abandoned.
This was said to be more favorable to the
city than If the case had been left to the
determination of the courts
1.-TWO litigations still remained, in New
York and Paris, before the way was cleared
to a final settlement. The New York city
suit was brought by an attorney claiming
to represent some Of the legatees for the
division of the real estate In that munich
pality. His clients claimed share In the
property, and he sued under their grant
to him. The attorney held that this grant
gave him a vested interest in the real es-
tate. Counsel for this city denied such a
right and the Supreme Courts decision up
holds the contention of the municipality.
1.-THE remaining litigation~was brought by
Count Durley in the courts Of Paris. He
was not a beneficiary under the wills, but
claimed a share as q nephew of Mrs Evans,
the dentists wife. Under the French law,
LAWYER Cati1arine said, all relatives Of a
dead man have rights in property indie
pendent of Will III. he ADDED, however, that It
successful. refer to only small portion Of
the property"
Dr. W. warrington Evans. after reading
this dispatch. said:
some time ago was tanning Win .oile u
the chief benefciaries Of my uncle's will in
New York. / asked him about the museum
and the Evans Institute, provided for In the
will.
If there is any likelihood of the museum
being an assured faet,'-iI said to him, I
have one of the beStA collections Of pros
thetic dentistry in existence, and 1 desire to
win it to my uncle-s museum. If 1t is not
an assured fact shall will it to the United
States governments 5a9e
II got very little satisfaction in his an
swer. and / was inclined to the belief that
the executors of sfhe oestate would likely
make it point to get all sthat was possible,
regardless of the museum"
FOUND DEAD IN HIS BED.