Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-02-28
LAWYERS RACE AGAINST
STORK.'

machinery Of the Law we're used
in New York Saturday by A law
yer representing the Delano estate
to carry out the last step in par
tition Of that estate before the expected
arrival OF new heir in the family OF
Mrs. Laura Astor Delano again tangled
up the process Of partition that the courts
have taken months 10 straighten out. At
least, this was the explanation made for
he haste of the lawyer.
II a new heir had arrived before the
judgment settling the division had been
filed with the county clerk. a guardian
would have had to be appointed for the
baby, and a new partition suit would
have been necessitated. This would
have meant lot of trouble and the adj
ditional expenditure OF $1,000 it is
said.
AS soon as the judgment was entered
in theSupreme Court the lawyer who filed
the judgment paid over to Equity Clerk
Newman s6S, this big fee showing, it is
said, that the judgment wss the largest
ever recorded in the county clerks office.
1t shows that the property in this State
alone left by Mrs. Delano amounted to
almost 81, 900, 900. This will now be
distributed among Mrs. Delano's heirs.
Mrs. Delano died at Geneva, Switzer-
land, June Is, 1902. She was grand
daughter of the first John Jacob Astor
and sister of the second John Jacob Astor
and William Astor. Her father, William
B. Astor, left an estate estimated by the
late Peter Cooper at s20o, 100000 Pant
of this was accumulated while William
B. was member OF the original Aston
| firm with his father, but most of it was
accumulated in the real estate business
which William b. Aston entered after
leaving his father firm. He had erected
several hundred stores aud dwellings in
New York city, and owned vast tracts
of land there on the leading streets and
avenues. Much of this was tied up in
trust funds for the benefit Of his child
rem, and could not be sold during the
life OF Mrs Delano.
He had inherited halfa million dollars
from his Uncle Henry and also held the
Astor House in fee simple from his
father. 1t was under the management
of Mrs. Delano's father that the Astor
estate grew into millions. He endowed
the Astor Library, but left the bulk OF
his estate to his two sons, John Jacob
Aston and William Aston. Mrs. Delano' S
share of the estate was placed in trust,
and she received the income from the
trust fund during her life. But she had
received power to dispose of the trust
fund by will, and it is this trust fund
left by her father which will now be
distributed with her own personal estate.
Her property in the State is estimated in
the papers filed yesterday at S., 800, 1855.
The portion of this left to her by her
father in the State isgiyen at "a, 555, Ala.
The Union Trust Company was named
as trustee under the will. The property
consists mostly Of real estate situated in
New York. although she owned consider
able property at Monte Carlo. The
property in New York includes the cold
Cozine farm, which has been in the As
tor family for many years. The value OF
the Cozine farm, as given in the papers
filed Saturday, is 81, 2SS, 22l. In add.
ten to this the property to be divided
among Mrs. Delano's heirs includes the
following Nos. 34l, 3i3, 345 and S47
Fifth avenue, valued at 1922, 500 prop
erty at Sixth avenue aud Seventeenth
street, Appraised at 1920, AL; personal
proL erty, $l,672.57. Mrs. Delano
also left considerable property at Monte
Carlo, where she residedfor many years
By the judgment the estate will be
held for most OF the heirs for life. John
Hubert de Steurs, Margaret de Steurs
Oberndorf and Herbert de Steurs are to
share 81, 14S, $50, each of them receiving
1882, 1885 The eight children Of
Mrs. Margaret Astcr Ohsnler are to
receive s5,T4l, 9O4. These heirs, who
are to receive sTl7, 1888 each, are john
Aston Chanler, the committee OF whose
estate, Thomas I. Sherman, is TO re.
ceive his share; Winthrop A. Chanler,
Elizabeth Winthrop Chapman, William
A. CHAMBER Lewis Stuyvesant Chanler,
Margaret l.. Chanler, Robert W. Chanler
aud Alice Beekman Emmett.
The fees to be paid to the executors,
J ohn Jacob Astor, Mrs. DelanO's nephew,
Warren Delano, jr., and franklin B.
Lord, are 500, 900. The expenses Of
settling the estate are given at $40, 900.