Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-29
TREASURES FOR CREDITORS.
Stanford Whites Widow to Turn Pro
ceeds Over to Partners.

NEW YORK. March Cot was learned
yesterday that at the direction Of Mrs.
Stanford White the proceeds of the sale Of
the former home of the Whites. at 121 East
21st street. and the great quantity Of art
treasures 1t contains are to go to McKim.
Mead & White to pay at least In part the
debt which Mr.. White owed the firm when
he was killed by Harry K. Thaw on June
%. 1906. Also, 1t transpired that Mrs. White
had given instructions that the amount re-
ceived from the insurance on her husband
life should be applied to the same account.
A short time after the killing it was said
that Mr.. White had overdrawn his account
with the firm, but the amount was not
stated. One report was that it was $500, 900.
The lawyer for the White family declined
to discuss the subject, saying that an
nouncement would be made at the proper
time. No such. announcement has ever
been made. 1t was ascertained yesterday,
however. that the amount overdrawn was
about $GG0, 600.
The sale, which will begin on the after
noon of April and continue until every
thing in the house has been sold. will be
in charge of an auctioneer, who will knock
down to the highest bidders the wonderful
works of art gathered by Mr.. White, a
widely recognized connoiSseur.
Firm Members Reticent
The members of the firm with which Mr..
cent regar riding their financial relations with
him. An effort made yesterday to get a
statement from them about the prospective
settlement of the account met with no
more success than previous efforts. An in
innate friend of Stanford Whites. speak
ing soon after the killing. declared his be-
lief that there never was time when MIR.
White was unable to pay off his entire in
debtedness If it had been necessary for
him to do So but he added: 1T is true
that he was a heavy spender and that he
anticipated his income, but never did more
than anticipate receipts of which he was
absolutely certain"
Asked If it was not true that Mr.. White
was in debt to the firm at the time of his
death, the friend said: Not to any I'M
usual extent. He was always more or less
overdrawn."
In addition to Mr. Whites indebtedness
to his firm. it Is understood that he lost a
large amount of money in Wall street spec
ulations, but this is not now an Indebted
ness against his estate According to the
story told by intimate friend Mr.. White
lost about 100000 in stock specu.ations
about year ago.
Appealed to His Friends.
He appealed to his friends for assistance.
They held a meeting, and after eXamina-
ton of his brokers accounts they agreed to
take up the account and carry it until his
losses We're wiped out, provided that he
would sign promise never again to specu-
late. Mr.. White agreed to this, and his
losses were taken over by a syndicate,
which subsequently recovered almost all
that had been advanced by a rising market
Mrs. Stanford White is understood to
have been wei provided for by her rela-
tives, who are wealthy. She was Miss Bes-
sic Smith, daughter of Judge J. Lawrence
Smith of New York. and descendant of
Col. Richard Smith. the original patentee
of Shutdown, L. 1. The family had been
prominent and wealthy for many genera
tiOnS.
When the matter of the proposed settle
ment of Mr.. Whites account with the firm
of Mckim, Mead & White by the sale of
the house and contents was mentioned to
De Lancey Nicoll who was Mr. Whites
personal counsel, Mr.. Nicoll sad he knew
nothing about 1t.
. John l.. Cadwalader refused to talk with
reporter on the subject. When a note
was sent to him about it he sent this mes
sage: Il have no knowledge on the subject
and will not speak to anybody concerning
it."