New-York tribune., 1912-04-17
EFFECT ON VAST WEALTH.
Titanic Disaster Likely to Change
Control of Fortunes.
YOUNG AST0R CHIEF HEIR
Estate About $3.50, 100000.
Guggenheim Girls Would Get
1- S1O,O00,OOO Each.

yVith the fuller details of the sinking Of
,bs Titanic that dripped from the wireless
Yesterday it became apparent that IN all
probability some Of Americas vast fort
rres were destined to pass from the HANDS
that we're TO the successors who are.
chief among these is the Astor fortui-
varjously estimated at from Sl25. .ooO. .oC0 TO
raIO.o00 William Vincent Astor, the
tventy-one- year-old son of Colonel John
Jacob Astor by his former wife. Mrs. Ava
Willing Astor, will, II the reports that
Colonel Astor Is among the lost prove true.
he the chief heir of this vast estate
In these days of trust fund executors
who handle and keep intact fortunes for
benehciaries it is considered unlikely that
Colonel Astor will have turned over TO his
son the full cont, oil of the Astor millions
speculation in the financial district yester-
dav was that the Astor money would 90
into a trust fund to be administered for the
benefit Of NinCen: Astor and his sister. Ava
Muriel, who was taken in charge by her
mother when the first Mrs. Astor moved Ia
London following the quietly sensational
divorce.
II Is supposed by men who have followed
the moves OF the Astors that the first Mrs
by pre-nuptial agreements and by the set
tlement which was made IN her benefit al
the time the divorce was granted. Their
daughter, it is said, will however, inherit
enough Of the vast estate to make her one
Of the richest of American heiresses.
Benjamin Guggenheim. who on account
Of his family connection as one of the IA
nous seven sons Of Never GugGenheim,
comes next in order of wealth Of the Titan
ics millionaire passengers, will leave a
fortune of at least 100000 to each of
three daughters, Een!ta, Marguerite and
Hazel Here again il is understood there
will be practically no division of the prin-
oipal Of the estate, hut the income will he
shared among the three daughters and the
widow, who IS the daughter OF james W.
solgnian.
Second Mrs. Astor's Position.
Reports that tho second Mrs. Astor,
whose name is given as among those saved,
would not be allowed 10y the courts of this
state to receive her dover interest in the
Astor estate because Of the fact that ner
marriage to the colonel was in opposition
10 the divorce decree issued by a court
Of New York state we've denied last night
y
barring pre-nuptial agreements to the con-
tyary. New York State courts would rec
osniae the marriage as LEGAL so long as it
conformed to the laws of the place where
it was solcmnized.
THE marriage Of Colonel Astor and Miss
Force was valid where it was performed,
said this lawyer. and the Court "f Ap-
peals. i'm decision handed down prior to
csicn eve since. acld that - louS IS
marriage concerned TO tn" laws of the
state In which il was performed it would
le recognized as legal by the courts of
this state even though a court Of this
state mad previously forbidden either Of the
contracting parties 10 marry again. As
matter of fact. the decision was. / believe,
intended at the time to protect the rights
Ct children by the second marriage but the
law would also perforce protect the
rights Of the widow and uphold her in her
dower rights"
II an heir should be- horn to Mrs Astor
her dover rights in the Astor estate would
be more strongly intrenched, il is believed
although the reported pre-nuptial agree
ment might keen her from anything more
than a life interest and prevent her from
deciding anything as to its disposition after
her death
Still Hope fer Guggenhein'.
Daniel Guegenheim, the eldest Of the sew
en- brothers. said Yesterday al his ONCE
No l6j Broadway. tnst his brother Benja-
min had gone abroad on a business trip.
we have not given UP hope yet he
said, although We have no results from
score Of wire and wireless messages sent
out in the hope Of picking UP some informd-
ton from some Of the boats other than the
Carpathia."
Mr. Guggenheim said that until final and
definite news was received there would be
nothing to say about the possible disposl-
ton Of the estate, but IL has always been
understood in financial circles that the com
blned fortune Of the seven Guggenheim
brothers would never be allowed TO dis
tribute itself in such way that 1t would
not always be available in its entirety for
the use Of one or all of the family
At the Offices of the Astor estate no news
Of Colonel Astor. except such as had been
cleaned from the newspapers. was to be
had Walter A. Dobbyn, private secretary
10 Colonel Astor said that he had received
no private wires or wireless messages, W,
that they were still hoping that Coiohei
Astor was saved.
We don't concede the Colonels oeaIh
yet" said Dobbyn. hopefully
The suggestion was advanced YESTERDAY
that in the event that all the prominent
multi-millionaires who have been reported
lost do finally prove TO have been victims
Of the Titanic's wreck the resulting huga-
ton to establish proof of death In probate
courts in New York, Philadelphia and other
largo cities will be a very slow procedure
at best shipwrecked passengers, supposed
to-have been drowned. have frequently
turned I'm after their estates have been
sst,,ed With attendant disastrous confu-
sion.