New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-11
owindled S7,1S2,92l by
Transfer-Recluse Sis
ters Got Benefit.
TAX AMENDMENT
NOW RECOMMENDED
s,,,e in Suit. Will Test Dispose
Of Twenty.eight Pieces OF
Real Estate.

,.,ougA the estate OF tho late John
Ue,5el. one Of the most picturesque
y, View Yorks millionaires. will not
..- he state any considerable sum In
..v.. 3. may serve the people 20 ar
20, greater extent Discovery that
-. tolSings % the millionaire refuse
.,5lsd from something like ss0,JO0,-
I'M bsfors his death 70 S2,ol7,O79 when
,sscbed the appraisers for taxing
,r-noses has caused demand for
-srdnents 20 the transfer tax law
ii meet such cases.
William, C.. Clark, transfer tax sp-
steer FOR the state, made the recon
-sndstion for an amendment 10 me
yesterday. IN the course OF mis- re
oor, on the Wendell holdings. lie nag
,.,ced almost al Of the property tia
scared taxation oy transfer pat is
.,sb1e IN -ay it. Practically all Of ;
"a. transferred 20 the four sisters
10 have lived the lives OF hermlts IL
ne heart Of the city both before snc
,.s,e Wenders death, late in 1914
Transfers Made in Time.
A. the time Wendell started OF me
-, - California. where he died .
-, weeks later, he was shown 20 have
- IN the same state Of health ths
- rad enjoyed for years. Moreover
=. sisters denied that there had beer
,,vtbinr 20 indicate that be e1pecte
70 die soon.
g,v his mammoth holdings OF stock,
indicate I
-. although he knew nothing OF the
progress Of the world that was rushing
psst his very door on Fifth Avenue, ne
VS. well posted on the laws governing
,nch transfers Of wealth.
The Wendel home is at Fifth Avenue
I'D Thirty-nintn Street. On two sides
AZ 1: brick walls separated the sisters
from the Fifth Avenue throngs, which
never had q glimpse Of the occupants
N The house During all the years
hat they have lived in the city the
sisters never rode in an automobile,
never attended a theatre and never
have used an elevator.
TIE sisters, who are not known 20
Rave arr outside interests or any a.
Citations with charities OF any sort,
vii have the spending Of the money or
6rsl distribution Of il. Just how much
hey each have 10 IS probable that even
hey DO not know.
Before MS death Mr.. Wendell trans
f.rred tverty-eight parcels OF New
YORK real estate. valued at S10,00o.0oO,
% his sisters. Also, he divided between
hem 400 shares OF New York Central
Railroad stock. That Mr.. Wendell hsd
10 difficulty n disposing OF his ward
ROBE is shown By the fact tina: II was
rs1ctantly appraised at $40, including
svsrything he wore and possessed at
ne tine Of his death. At that time he
rad hank balance Of S282,079.
state Plans Test Case.
!; is expected. however. that Francis
A Vins.ow. former District Attorney,
no Is counsel for the State Controller,
viii make q test case o. the transfer
q the twenty-eight pieces OF real es-
x.s. The legal questions involved IN
his particular phase Of the case never
Rave beer passed upon By the courts
and Appraiser Clark asks that acton
y taken a. once.
The personal property found at me
sne Of M Wendels death was Ep-
Praised a. S44414S and real estate al
l25s4.550. making a total Of s2,s s.
re- That IL all that passed through
re hands % the taxing officials afssr
w. Wendel's death.
The sister heirs are Ella Y. von
Tsndel, Rsbecca A. D. Wendell Swope,
VARY z. Wendell and Geofgians G. K.
Wendell The property named in Mr.:
Clsrk's report was equally divi ed
snorg them. including the family car
rage. aged 10 years, in which tley
AXE their very rare drives with a
,osehnaa Vho has been IN the fan ily
service Tor twenty years.