New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-05-18
|S|DOR STRAUSS WILL
GIVES ALL TO CHILDREN
Document Says Letter to Sons
Gives Them Directions as
to Charities.
NO WILL OF HIS WIFE FOUND
Though Dying in a Common Dis
aster, Question of Survivor
ship Is Not to Figure IN
Settlement of Estate.

The will of Isidor Straus, member Oh
the firms of r. II. Macy & Co. and OF
Abraham e. Straus, of Brooklyn. VINO
with his wife, Ida, lost his life in the
sinking of the steamship Titanic, was
filed yesterday in the Surrogate's office.
The entire estate is distributed among
the three sons and the three daughters
because of the simultaneous death Of
husband and wife; some OF the requests
being in trust for the lives of the bene-
fciaries, the principal to go to the chill
dren Of the latter.
While no specific bequest is made IN
the will to charity, Mr.. Straus says on
this point in the document L make no
beauests TO charities or To others than
my immediate family, as have left dl-
rections to my sons in letter which
know they will carry out
In accordance with the directions con-
tanned in the letter, it was announced
Yesterday by Edmond f. Wise, counsel
for the estate Of Mr.. Straus. that the
sons had already sent 100000 10 the
Educational Alliance, Of which Mr..
Straus was president at the time OF MS
death. This money was a contribution
TO the endowment fund Of the institu-
ton. The sons Of Mr.. Stratus have also
i distributed $4,000 among several phil
Z anthropies in which Mr.. and Mrs. Straus
were interested. In each instance the
amount given Appropriated the amount
given to these institutions annually by
Mr.. and Mrs. Straus.
His Interests In Business.
The will provides that the three sons
Of the testator. Jesse 7. Straus. Percy S.
straus and Herbert n. Straus, are to
carry on the interest in any business
held by their father at his death.
Mr., Straps in his will gave to his wife
his house In this city and his summer
house at Deal. n. J. For the beneft OF
Mrs. Straus the testator established
trust fund Of s1,2oo,0Oo, from which she
was to have the net income for life AT
her death the will provided Mrs. Sraus
was to dispose Of the principal OF the
trust fund In her will. In the case or
Mrs. Straus not making will Mr.. Straus
directed that the executors distribute the
principal Of the trust among such per-
sons as would have been entitled to take
the same under the intestacy laws OF the
state of New York and the same as II
che had been the absolute owner OF the
fund. This provision will give the bulk
of. If not all. the $1,20o,ooo to the six
children of the couple in equal parts.
So far no will Of Mrs Straus has been
found. and II such a document was IN
existence T. could not change the fore
going arrangement, because her dying at
the same time with her husband would
preclude the possibility Of her disposinS
% the trust fund established by Mr..
Straus unless husband and wife made
mutual wills, which the one OF Mr..
Straus does not indicate. The New York
and New jersey homes will also go TO
the children
The question of survivorship does not
figure at all in the settlement Of the es-
tate. as il has in other estates where
husband and wife died in a common dis
aster Formerly the law presumed un-
der those circumstances that the wife
died first. The rule now is that there
, is no presumption Of survivorship in
the absence Of proof showing the order
of death