Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-21
THE LETTER WILL
Divides Property Between Widow and
Children Of the Deceased.

who died at Bar lIarDOr, Me-, last week
was filed. today, with the register of
wills in this city. 1t is deated June l.,
names Mary r. Letter and JOS. Letter
his widow and son. as executors. ana
they, together with lis daughters
Nancy Lathrop Carver Letter and Mar
guerite Hyde Letter and Seymour
Morris of Chicago, are designated as
trustees.
The witnesses are his lawyers, Wal
ter V. r. Berry ana Benjamin S.
Miner and Fl. r. Rowland. all of this
city. The mill leaves one-third of the
estate, outside of specific reservations
of coal lands in Illinois. to the widow
and the rest is left for equal distribu
ton per stripes among the children.
There is nothing in The will which indi
Gates the total value of Mr.. Letters
estate.
After the death of the widow her
portion of the estate goes into the gen.
eral estate which is distributed equal
ly among the children per stripes. eX-
cept the 1900 acres of coal lands in
Illinois. which is vested in fee simple
III JOS. Letter. the son, as soon rs he
pays the amount advanced thereon by
the tcstltor. Specific provision is made
to guarantee Joseph Letter an annual
income of at least $4,000 under any
circumstances and to ensure him an
annual income of $4,000 i'm any event
after the fuliilment Of the trust Great
cd for the estate under the terms of
the will. Chaunccy Keep of Chicago,
l.. =, oil n 70 l,,
offered the first vacancy among the
trustees, whose number is fixed at
three. Seymour Morris as trustee is
given $1,000 4 year for such service. The
will specifically revokes all previous
wills.
Mention is made of the marriage set
tlement of 100000 previously made on
one of the daughters. Lady CurZon. in
addition to which the will beQueatheS
$1.0G0.000 more az a trust fund for her.
the total of $l.7000OH to be charged
against her rs an advancement in the
distribution of the estate.
The trustees named for this indepen-
dent fund are Joseph Letter, Robert
II. Lincoln of Chicago: Francis Nathan
i"l Curzon. and ST. John Fremantle
Frederick of London.
Except as to the coal lands mentioned,
Ill of the rest of the estate wherever
situated is bcquoathed to the widow.
Mary T. Letter. the son. Joseph, Letter
and the daughters, Nancy Lathrop Car
Yer Letter and Marguerite Hyde Letter
and TO Seymour Morris rs trustees to
hold the property and to pay to the wild
ow on her individual receipt one-third
nf ~ NO of
She may require. Upon her death and
during the continuance of the trust her
allotted part of the income is to be-
come part of the general income of the
trust and subject to the distribution
among the children. The trustees are
authorized to nay off Membranes or
make property improvements out Of the
net income.
The will cites that during his lifetime
Mr. Letter gave the following amounts
lin advance"
TO Lady Curzon, 81 700 900 (inc'udinr
the 81 900. 0G0 trust created by the Wild,
to be charged to her in the general cs-
tate: to each of the daughters, Nancy
and Marguerite. 1000 shares of capital
stock of the Chicago Railway Co. to be
valued Mt $155 a share and 1000 shares
of the capital stock of the Edison Co
of Chicago. to be valued at $4,000,
making Il total charge against each of
$@oo.o0o to be treated as advancements
in the division of the income
and principal Of tho trust. To
Joseph Letter, the son, advance
ments partly evidenced by notes
signed by him but cancelled and not to
lac taken into account and partly evil
denced by entries in books. amounting to
$2,~0cd0, the latter to bc charged as an
advancement. Each Of tho children e to
he charged with per cent interest on
adVanccm"ntS, beginning With the trus-
tpCShip, and the total int, rest Is to, he
added to tn" two-thirds oil the net annual
income from the trust estate. and to the
whole of the net annual income after the
death of the widow. ami the amount
thereof is to De divided equally among
the four children or their descendants
pcrStirpCS.
The will says that Mr.. Letter had pur-
chased title of 1Ipl acres of coal lands in
franklin and Williamson counties of I'LL
nois. and certain shares of the capital
stock of the Universal Fuel Co. and di-
reefs that Il corporation hr formed under
the Illinois laws to operate these lands,
the shares to stand in til" place OF the
land and the fuel company stocn The
trustees are directed 10 permit Joseph
otter to manage and control these lands
and the dividends and profits are to heap
piled as credit to the amount invested in
the coal lands. the earnings to bear inter
est ut , per cent. per annum. Whenever
Joseph Letter rcpayS the estate left Mr.
Letter in full with int, rest the whole
amount invested in the coal lands and
the fuel company is to be conveyed alb
SolCtely to him.
Under the terms of the will trustees
are to hold the estate intact by investing
:ts nearly as practicable one-half Of it
in real property and one-half OF it in
personal property None of the estate is
to pass tn any of the children absolutely
and the ultimate conveyance of the prop
ertv is forbidden until the death of the
last surviving member of the testatOr'S
family; that is, the widow and the four
children Mrs Letter is given all the
furnishings OF the Letter residence in this
city.
trust fund. S1.0ta.G00 for Lady CurZon. she
is prohibited from disposinG of it lin the
way of anticipation and on her decease
il is to go in trust to her husband. and
il on her death she leaves one child. the
amount is to be divided equally between
the husband and child, and if more than
one child than Mt least one-third is to
he given to the husband.