The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-07-12
ASTOR ESTATE IS
JUST S87,218,791
Figures of Final Appraisal For
Taxation Purposes.
JEWELS WORTH S161,92O.

/
Death Were $915,657-Cost of Recov-
| ering Body After Wreck of Titanic
Was $e,oO7-Art Works Valued at
$4e4,s1e.
| The final appraisal of the estate of
John Jacob Astor, who persisted when
the Titanic sank, lately filed in New
York city, was $S7,21S,791.
| The testimony taken before the ap-
praisers and now made public for the
| first time discloses the fact that after
Colonel Astor died in the Titanic wreck
some one-possibly his sisters-put in
a claim for the most valuable pieces of
jewelry that his mother had worn dur
ing her lifetime and which had been
handed down to Colonel Astor under
his fathers will Before the appraisal
was concluded this claim to the Jew
elry was relinquished
The jewelry was appraised by Ben
Jamin II. Herts, we'll known jewelry
expert, at $161, 800, and Lewis Cass
Ledyard. for the estate, said that a
tax on this amount would be paid
The value of $4,000 was placed on
diamond sunburst of 2SS stones, weigh
ing go carats. The outside stones
We're estimated at $500 a carat and the
fifteen interior ones at 5000 a carat
\ diamond necklace was valued at
100000 and a rope of @04 diamonds,
weighing at least 200 carats. was ap-
praised at $500 a carat The highest
priced diamonds We're found in two
solitaire earrings. They were apprais-
ed at $500 a carat and weighed fifteen
caratS
Costly Honeymoon Gifts.
Colonel Astor invested heavily in
jewels after meeting Miss Madeleine
Force, who afterward became his wife.
One Of the debts of the estate was S61.-
412 due Cartier & Co of Paris. Nicho-
las Biddle, an executor, testified that
Colonel Astor contracted this bill for
jewels for Mrs. Aston during their hon
eymoon trip. The estate made no
claim upon this jewelry. which Mrs.
Madeleine Force Astor has in her DOS
session
Edward II. Holston valued the works
of art at S464,S19. Colonel Astor
bought $4,000 worth of these treas
ures and inherited the remainder. A
Flemish tapestry estimated to be worth
$4,000 was moth eaten, but had been
repaired. The two tapestries on the
north wall of his New York mansion
We're appraised at $4,000 They show
ninety separate scenes. Millet's paint
ing The Goose Girl'' was appraised at
$4,000.
Mr.. Holston made the following ex-
PLANTATION about the change in values
TO show how he had fixed the value of
The Goose Girl" 1.-THE Woman With
the Lamp was a picture we had ten
times" he said. 1--WE bought it orici-
nally for $500 and sold it for $500.
Years later we bought it back for 500
600 and sold it for $4,000 We bought
it back again for $4,000, and it was
sold in Holland two years ago for
$4,000"
Estates Total Debts $915,657.
The total Indebtedness of the estate
was $915,6 including a loan made by
the United States Trust company of
100000. The expense of recovering
Colonel Astor's body was $9,0O7. Car
ter. Ledyard & Milburn, attorneys, re.
ceived 100000 fee for services.
A debt of $4,000 due Colonel Astor
from Charles w. Morse was put down
as worthless.
Summary of the report:
Share of Vincent Astor, son, SOS, o64.-
500. plus $1oOoo,OO0 remainder inter.
est; Madeleine Force Astor, widow,
S7,67S,000; Alice Muriel Astor, daugh-
ter, $4,s56,75S; John Jacob Astor. in.
FAINT son. s., $685. 72
The cost of appraisal is stated as
$4,000.