The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-11-01
How Mr.. and Mrs. Bryan Dis.
tributed the Bennett Fund.
GIVEN TO COLLEGES.
The South Carolina College Got Foul
Hundred Dollars of the Fund.
Other Colleges In the South
We're Also Given a Share
of the Fund.
of the Fund.

VSIS hlSU uiVSn noA
of the Fund.
Now that the Bennett estate Is
finally settled MI. Bryan submits the
following statement to the public:
In the spring of 1900 Mr.. Philo 5.
Bennett, living at New Haven, Conn. p,
and engaged in the mercantile business
In the city Of New York, visited Ne
braska and asked Mr.. Bryan to assist
him in preparing certain paragraphs
of his will (all the otbsr provisions BE-
ING copied from q former will } The
paragraphs referred to were: First,
for q library at Salem, Ill. ut proYid.
ed for g beQuest Of 81, 500 to which
MI. Bryan was to add 81, 500 } Second
$40, O60 to establish a fund at twenty
i've colleges, to be selected by Mr. Bry-
an, the annual proceeds to be used Tor
q prize to encourage q study OF the
principles of free government. Third,
$40, 900 to be distributed among col
leges, to be selected by Mr.. Bryan,
the annual income to be used to aid
poor boys to obtain an education.
Fourth, SIC, 900 to be distributed
among colleges, to be selected by Mrs.
Bryan, tho annual income to be used
to assist poor girls and obtain an edu-
cation. Fifth, $50, 600 to Mrs. Ben
nett, in trust for a purpose set forth
In q sealed letter deposited with the
win. This sealed letter directed Mrs.
Bennett to pay the amc unit to Mr..
Bryan (Mr. Bennett proposed it as a
direct bequest but at the request OF
Mr.. Bryan it was given to Mrs. Ben
nett In trust, because Its acceptance
was cond1tional.) The sealed letter
directed Nj. Bryan to distribute the
$50, 600 among educational and chartt-
able institutions In case he refused to
accept it for himself and family. The
residuary legates contested the three
e10, 900 items and the CSC, 600 item.
The court confirmed the SIC. 600 items
but on technical grounds held that
the CSC, 900 bequest was imperative.
The readers CT The Commoner have
already been informed of the main
facts, namely, that the widow and
other relatives were bountifullY pro
vided for; that the testator's intention
was never questioned and that the
charge of undue influence was with.
drawn; and that Nj. Bryan announc.
ed In the beginning that he would not
accept the bequest without the con-
sent of the widow, but that he felt in
honor bound to insist upon the dis
tribution of the $50, 600 as directed by
MI. Bennett. .
Mr.. Bryan was thus drawn into q
contest In which he had but q remote
and contingent pecuniary interest, II
In fact he had any at all, but which
he could not In conscience abandon.
The contest cost him q little more
than fifteen hundred dollars for attor'
ney's fees and court costs, besides
travelling expenses and loss Of time
In submitting his report as e1ecu
tor he claimed the customary fee q,
500, explaining that the amount would
not DO used by him for himself, but
would be spent in completing the plans
made by MI. Bennett. The fee was
allo~ed.by the probate court and wa
used AZ follows:
Fourteen hundred and eighty.n mint
dollars and forty. three cents was used
to pay that part Of the Inheritance tai
which was not covered by interest, sc
that the 81, 500 library fund, and the
three $4,000 funds might be used IL
full. Three hundred and fifty dollars
vas given to the city Of Salem as ar
endowment for the library (Mr. Bry.
an besides giving 81, 500 to the Salem
library gives the site, worth consider
ably more than s350.) Two hundred
dollars has been deposited with Mr.,
Sloan, MI Bennet's surviving partner
to pay for q bust Of MI Bennett fol
the Salem library. The balance, $780,.
81 lees the cost Of fling reports, will
be paid to Rev. Alexander Irvine, Mr..
Benefits pastor, to be used by him
in the education Of his sons.
The three $40, 900 funds have been
distributed as follows:
BENNETT PRIZE FUND.
-Four hundred dollars each to the
following colleges:
Delaware College, Newark, Del.
Bowdoin College, Brunswick Me.
A. and NJ. College Of Kentucky,
Lexington, KY.
Harvard University, Cambridge,
Mass.
Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.
d.
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Tenn.
St. Johns College, Annapolis, Md.
University Of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.
University Of Montana, Missoula;
Mont.
University Of Utah, Salt Lake City,
Utah.
un3voroitv of WARRINGTON. Seattle.