New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-14
State Completes Appraisal of
Property Left by Victim
of the Titanic.
REAL ESTATE S63,124,321
Estimate Of Experts Exceeds
That of Executors by About
100000 Additional
Tax Will Be $250,000.


TIE figures given out show a gross valua
ton OF Ss7.2l2.79l. This is 100000 more
than the estimate placed on the estate
by the executors of the will of Colonel
Aston, who paid preliminary transfer
tax Of 50. 10000 last October.
An additional tax Of $4,000 must be
paid on the estae now providing the
estate is taxed under the Hughes in
heritance tax law. II the tax is imposed
under the Dix law, this additional amount
may reach $4,000 \ case now before
the Appellate Division will determine the
method to be pursued
Colonel Astor's real estate was APP
praised at s63.l2i32l. and the personal
property at s2i09i,l7o The largest per-
sonal holding Is 1000 shares OF the New
York Central valued at Si.650,000 OF the
personal property So. $40 represented
stocks and bonds.
How the Property Was Divided.
The estate OF Colonel Astor was divided
by the appraisers into six groups as fol-
lows Property owned absolutely by Colo
mel Aston. s5l.26S3ss life interest under
trust established by William Aston. $685.
23s ssl property set aside In trust for Mrs.
Ava Willing Astor. first wife Of Colonel
Astor. by ante-nIptial agreement, ES7. 3s7;
property set aside for the use Of Mrs.
Madeleine Astor by two ante-nuptial
agreements. 1885, and property in
trust for Colonel Aston in the will OF his
father which passes TO his son Vincent.
$2SG.l1.
The interest Of Vincent Aston az resd-
uary iegatee. including the trust requests
payable to him on the death OF the bene-
hcaries. is set al 81 CAS-. 1876. The life in
terest OF Mrs. Madeleine Force Astor In
the family house at No $40 Fifth ave-
nue.. was figured at S2.i75c0.
The property I'm trust for Mrs Ava
Willing Aston amounting 20 t,15s,3s be
came part OF the reslduary estate and
goes TO Vincent Astor. because she sew
cred the marital relations.
The shares Of the principal benehciaries
under the will Of Colonel Astor are stated
IN the schedules as follows: Mrs Made
liene Force Aston for life or until remar-
rage. No. SO FIN avenue and stable.
s. as. 90. furniture. works OF art and con
tents. So. SIS. beneficial life interest In
s. o.. Ocp. 10000 outright, beneficial In
terest for life In real estate. $4,000.
total. y.57s as. Ava Alice Muried Aston.
daughter by first marriage. 10000; John
Jacob Aston. posthumOus child. born Au-
gust Il last. 10000
The legal and other expenses OF admin
istration amount 10 $1,000 and the lega-
cies TO executors In lieu OF legal commits
sions $1,000
Appraisal To Be Filed To-day
The appraisal. which will be filed IN
the Surrogates' Court to-day. is the first
complete estimate OF the Astor estate.
Not even at the Offices OF the estate was
there a complete list Of the family hold
ings The work OF valuing the estate was
a gigantic undertaking. II began July Is.
1872 Special appraisers were appointed
for the work
The real estate was divided into four
parts, and separate appralsals were
made by the different appraisers. as fol-
lows: Real estate on Broadway and
upper Fifth avenue. Robert f.. Bowling.
president OF the city Investing Company;
East side property. Clarence W. Eek
hardt. West Side property, Clarence J.
Ramsey. Harlem and The Bronx. Joseph
i. Day.
The work of appraising the personal
property was distributed as follows:
Paintings. etchngs. engravings. statuary
and bronzes and all art objects except
tapestries I'm the Astor home on Fifth
avenue. the house at Rhinebeck and at
the Offices Of the Astor estate. household
effects in the Fifth avenue house. Benja-
min II. Herts: Hiram NJ Knapp appraised
the furnishings OF the Hotel st. Regis.
and the estate at Rhinecliff was ap-
praised by Bryan J.. Kennedy. George +.
Martin gave testimony as 10 the values
of stocks and bonds. Lewis Cass Led
yard. attorney for the estate. also tes-
tilted.
1t was said that the appraisals repre-
scented the true values Of the estate In
fixing the values of the securities an
average was reached Of the highest and
lowest figures given. and thus "A fair av-
erage was maintained. In the case OF the
real estate the appraisas were examined
where the values fell below the figures
previously given upon the properties.
The country place OF Colonel Astor at
Rhinebeck was valued at $3.50 The
OF the Hotel ST. Regis. includ
ing the silver service. were appraised at
1896. 81 The furnishings OF the Fifth
avenue home OF Colonel Aston. including
but no other art objects. were
valued at $751; 965. The jewelry owned by
the testator was valued at Sl6l. 800. the
largest piece being diamond sunburst
on which a value of $4,000 was placed
Many Valuable Paintings.
Edwin C. Holston. who appraised the
paintings. fixed $1,000 as fair value OF
a large canvas by Jules Breton. repre-
senting a group Of peasants resting In
wheatfield on the painting 'ln the
Dunes" by Van Marcke. Mr.. Holston
nlaced a value OF $1,000 lie explained
this high valuation on the purchase OF
Van Marcke by Mr.. Peacock, of Pitts |
burgh. for $4,000. Mr.. Holston said:
"You cannot get any OF this quality.
You see. the later pictures by Van Marcke
are not so good, because he was pot
boiler. at the latter end of his life. and
come of the things were done by his
daughter She is painting now
A painting done by schreyer, at Rhine
heck was valued at $4,000.
The largest holdings of bonds were New
York. New Haven q Hartford. par value
slOs 600. appraised at si2,sS2; Niagara