The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-03-30
Mrs. william Watts Sherman
and John Nicholas Brown,
IA Years, Get Bulk.
RICHEST BOY IN COUNTRY
New York Laws Tied Up Dis
tributiOn Of John Carter
Browns Estate.

0lvt0e0 between "HhaIu WoSAD
Sherman Of SIS Fifth avenue. mother Of
Lady Camoys. and John Nicholas Brown. |
Jr., IL years old. BY q Judgment died
Saturday In the Supreme Court.
About $4,000 worth Of real estate IN
New York was responsible for ty1ns up
the distribution Of the money 20 long.
The laws Of Rhode island. wf,ere the
bulk OF the estate Is situated. impose TO
limitations on trust funds. New York
laws provide for the extension Of trust
funds for only two lives In icing and
twenty-one years.
While the possible illegaiity Of tho will
only affected the property Of the John
Carter Brown estate in New York. the
trustee. Frank w. Matteson, Was unable
to proceed with the administration OF the
estate until the question was settled. On
the advice Of his counsel then Strong
Cadwalader. Mr.. Matteson filed suit here
a year ago for a judicial construction OF
the will as affected BY the laws Of New
York.
Son born 60 Lady Caaoys.
Tho case had proceeded TO the point
where II was ready to be decided when
son was born to Baron and Lady Camoys
on July 6. 1913. who was named Ralph
Robert Watts Sherman Stoner. 1t then
became necessary TO stop the proceed
inss and appoint a guaniian ad Item 10
protect the interests Of the infant Baron
Stoner.
Mrs Sophia Augusta Brown Sherman.
mother OF Lady Camoys and OF Mrs. Law
To. thA Tnl N
child OF John Carter Brown. and was mar
r!ed TO William Watts Sherman in 1885.
The papers in the case show that shortly
hefore Miss Brown became the wife OF Mr.
Sherman. whose first wife was sister
OF United States Senator Wet,nore o:
Rhode Island. she made an agreement by
which she transferred her on;iro interest
| In her fathers estate to trustees. BY the
| terms OF the trust she was to receive the
| entire income Of the trust property during
| the lifetime Of her husband. and upon his
death the trust ended and the property
was to be returned to her as her absolute
property. Mr.. Sherman died In 1911.
shortly before Lady Camoys WAS married.
The complaint In the suit. which was
heard by ex-Judge Charles r. Brown as
referee. named among the defendants
Brown University. Butler Hospital. the
Providence Public Library and the Rhode
Island Hospital. which were large bene-
iciar!es under tie Brown NIL The uni
verslty got over 100000 and the other
institutions received $4,000.
II recited that upon the death Of John
Carter Brown he left a will putting his
re, 'rary estate in trust to pay All in
Az. al. 40, 60. A.
c,ista Brown. and directed that the re-
/ mainder OF the income be paid over semi
I annually TO his children and the issue OF
/ deceased children until the youngest child
was 81, or the trust had terminated
through the death Of the widow He then
directed that the entire estate be divided
equally among his children and the issue
! Of his deceased children.
Two sons Died.
1 Besides his daughter. Mrs. Sherman,
Mr. Brown had two sons. They We're
John Nicholas Brown and Harold Brown.
John Nicholas Brown died on May /. 1910,
nine weeks after the birth OF his son, who
was named John Nicholas Brown. Jr.
| Ten DAYS after his death his brother.
! Harold, died. Their Wills left the bulk Of
their estate to their sister. Mrs
sherman, and TO the infant, John Nicholas
Brown. Jr
Accordingly when their mother. Mrs
Sophia Augusta Brown. died on Feb
ruary 2s, 1909. the entire estate became
the property OF Mrs. Sherman and her
infant nephew. Mrs. Sherman got the
bulk OF her mothers estate. estimated ut
over 5000, 900. but nothing was left to the
grandson. John Nicholas Brown. Jr..
whose wealth had been growing through
the death of his father and uncle and was
finally sent above the S0.0OO,oOo mark
by the termination Of the trust fund
under his grandfather's will.
The complaint recited that out of the
funds Of the estate the brownstone house
at West Thirty second street was
bought as an investment, and subsequently
the adjoining property at West Thirty
second street was purchased. The estate
also owned twenty parcels In Orange
town. Rockland county. and third In
terest In a private park and triangle there,
which came to the estate as part OF Mr..
Browns interest in the copartnership OF
Brown & Ives. in which he made his for
tune. The estate also acquired parcel
OF property near Prospect place and Sixth
avenue. Brooklyn. through the foreclosure
OF "A mortgage.
Property Here Conveyed.
The plaintiff stated that under the will
Mrs Sherman and John Nicholas Brown
Jr. now "A years old are entitled to the
entire trust estate and the plaintin Is re-
quired to convey the New York real estat,
to the persons entitled to II. but II was
necessary TO bring the suit to determine
whether the bequest ~ valid under the
New York laws because Of the suspension
OF the power Of alienation for an illega
IDeriod.