New-York tribune., 1910-04-08
FIGHT WILLS AND COD|C|[S
Woman Wants House and Par
rots Instead of Money.
PICTURE FAILS TO SATISFY
Thirty three Cousins, Including
w. w. Astor, Concerned in
Contest Over Testaments.

one Of the most remarkable and comph-
Gated will contests brought in many years
was begun in the surrogates Court yes
terday over the estate of Miss Charlotte
Van Den Heuvel. valued at more than
5000 in which are involved two wills and
two codicils. one Of Miss Van Den Heu-
veTs thirty-three cousins and heirs at law
is William Waldorf Astor. who may share
in the estate. although not one OF the con-
testants
Some of the contestants are Gertrude
Baroness de Granenreid and Miss Karolina
Koch, who was the testatrix's house
keeper. Charles F. NJ. Stark. another
cousin and beneficiary under one of the
wills makes the charge of fraud and undue
influence against some OF the benehclares
under the other will.
Miss Van Den Heuvel died at her home,
No. 1os East 18th street. on January 10, at
the age Of eighty-two. Her will was fled
In the Surrogate's office on February Is By
Attorney General Wickersham. who was
named as executor This instrument was
dated October Z. 1896. With the will was
also filed a codcil. executed on October 70.
1897 The will provided for the payment OF
Miss Van Den Heuvels debts and funeral
expenses. and left her cousins. William
Bibby, Justine Van Der Heuvel Fisher,
Julia Livingston Bibby and Emma Marie
Cooper, S10ec0 each. There was left in
trust $1,000. the income OF which was to
go TO her cousin, Susan Inman Mottelay.
for life. and the principal. on her death, to
her children.
Josephine Houghtaling received $500. as
did Amelia Foulee. Every servant in Miss
Van Den HeuveTs employ at the time of
her death who had been in the household
at least one year received S250 Several
charitable bequests of $500 each were also
made
Miss Van Den Heuvel divided the residue
OF her estate among her cousins. William
Bibby, Justine Van Den Heuvel Fisher,
Julia Livingston Bibby, Susan Inman Mot
telay and Emma Marie Cooper and their
issue in case they should die before her.
She named Mr.. Wickersham as her exec
utor.
The codicil revoked the iegacies to Amelia
Fouiee, TO her servants and one OF 5000 to
the Society for the Prevention Of Cruelty
to Children. 1t left 81 900 TO Maggie Moore,
a domestic. provided she remained in
her service until her death. and $500 TO
Morris Stark received a portrait of Mrs.
Thomas Morris
Now yesterday came the law firm Of
Swanstrom & Keyes and filed another will
Of Miss Van Den Heuvel, bearing the date
Of October 81, 1903. The attorneys repre-
sented Manley A. Raymond, another attor-
ney, who was made executor.
In this will the testatrix leaves to her
dear friend" Mrs. otto Bourne, the sum
Of $500 Charles F. NJ. Stark receives the
portrait OF his great-great-gT gTandmothcr.
Mrs Robert Morris Mrs. Karolina Koch
under this will was to receive S2,OO0.
The residue of the estate was divided into
six shares of which one was to go TO Will
lam Bibby. a cousin; one TO the children of
his deceased brother. TO be equally divided
between them: one to the children of de-
ceased first cousin. Schuyler Hamilton; one
TO the children of Charles Hamilton, an
other deceased first cousin. one TO Charles
f. VI. Stark and one to Zela Gibbs, a first
cousin.
Mr.. Raymond. in his petition for the pro-
bate OF this will, said the estate amounted
10 more than $4,000 in real and more than
$1,000 in personal estate He said he did
not know of any cOdicil nor was there one
I'm existence. to the best Of his information
ana Deiiet. All except Two OF Ele tflflN-
three cousins. whose names were given,
were said to be Of age.
The latest will had hardly been placed on
file yesterday when a representative Of
House. Grossman & Norhaus, lawyers, ap-
peared at the Surrogate's Office, with a codi-
Gil to the 1903 will, which was executed on
February y. 1906, leaving to karolna Koch,
who had previously received 5000, a house
and lot at No. JOG East 18th street, its furni-
ture and the personal belongings in the
house and two parrots. The cOdicil adds
that in all other respects the last will re-
mains unchanged.
Miss Koch alleges that the will OF 1896 and
the codicil OF 1897 are not Miss Van Den
HeuveIs last Will and testament and were
revoked and cancelled by her during her
lifetime by the will of December 1893. which
is alleged 20 be her last will. with the addi-
ton of the codicil leaving her the East 18th
street house. Mary +. Ingersoll and George
/ p IngersUn cousins Of Miss Van Den Heu-
vel who were not mentioned I'm any OF the
wills. say that the will and codicil of 1886
and 1897 are invalid, and assert that they
were procured by undue influence exercised
over the testatrix. SWanstrom q Keyes
asked that the will of December, 1908, be