New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-12-23
100000 in Checks
Wipes Out the Last
Claims from F allure
3 YEARS. EARNINGS
GO TO CREDITORS
Not Liable, He Says, but
Glad to Get Burden
Off Shoulders


fees Of Zabrskie. Murray. Sage & Kerr
al 80 Wall Street. yesterday afternoon.
Several men were seated about table
in the Office Of Albert Kerr. The ser'-
Gus faced visitor shook hands with
them. handed TO each check, reeeiV-
ing an acknowledgment in return ana
after few words shook hands again
and walked briskly out
He was Warner NJ. Van Norden' and
he had paid in full the legacy o.
debts. amounting to about S2OO'OOO' be
oueathed TO him by his father, the late
Warner Van Norden. founder Of the
Van Norden Trust Company, when
merged with the i'll fated Carnegie
Trust Company. Many Of the obiga-
tions were incurred in 1910; virtually
all Of them would have been outlawed
within a short time.
81 would much rather have niue
less money than have these Obligations
hanging over me" said Van Norden last
night.
The money he repaid yesterday rep
resented the bulk Of the profits Of
tea business which he established about
three wears ago. The story Of the
bankers son. who carried $1,000 bills
in his pockets. who was robbed Of s2S,-
600 by two women on Fifth Avenue and
suddenly vanished from the life IN
which he was familiar figure, reacned
It's climax yesterday in the business
like meeting in the lawyers Office.
Father and Son "PaIs'
All his life Warner NJ. Van Norden
had been his fathers pal. They were
companions on fishing trips and IN
business matters. Among the earliest
recollections OF the man who yester-
day paid back 100000 Of his fathers
debts are gala expeditions TO his faith
er's Office. where he perched on high
chair and between quizzical remarks
by his father contemplated q great iron
safe.
Through his father he became presi-
dent Of the Van Norden Trust Com
pany and Of the Nineteenth Ward
Bank. They relied upon each other
those two. in the later days Of their
business championship and TO the
younger man the banking business did
not seem too serious. There was al
ways his father.
81 would frequently borrow large
sums from him the younger Van Nor
den has said, "if | happened to need
cash, and, as frequently, ne would bor-
row from me. Sometimes might
say orten-I would borrow Sl,OOO,OOO
or So"
Il was into this carefree existence
as alien 70 them as the brilliant ave-
nue. they we're patrollng, that kittle
McGraw and Bessie Smith popped one
night in February, 1910. The young
man who borrowed a million or so or
lent it. with equal alacrity, sauntered
out Of the Waldorf.
One woman lurched into him, so the
story was told later, finging her arms
about his neck. The other pulled her
companion away, telling Van Norden
that the poor girl was "under the in
apence" but that she would get her
home.
Wallet with $4,000 Stolen
Van Norden went his way. AT nome
he discovered that his wallet had pee"
s,olen II contained $4,000. The two
women were arrested. but no complain
ant appeared Van Norden's attorney
said he had gone to Europe for ms
health. Kittie McGraw and Bessie
Smith considering themselves IN luck
md taking no little credit for the way
,h;,os turned out. were discharged.
The Young banker was thirty
six wears old then dropped out llke
nlurnnet. There was report tna' ne
Intended 10 live abroad hencefofth ana
s'L;ro moro was heard from him Tor
eighteen months. .c,.;
Tben the "China Press" OF Shanghai
cached the United States with the
storv Of missionary caravan ina,
was penetrating bleak northern ana
central Mongolia for 5000 miles IN the
interest of the suppression OF the
linn, habit. One Of the leaders was
Warner NJ. Van Norden.
The missionary's return was as un
beralded as had been the bankers de
narture. Within ten days after his
Fatber's death, on January !, 1914, he
was discovered as proprietor OF the
l.otos Tea Concern, at Lexington
Avenue and Fifty-seventh Street
lie averred that he intended TO
s,raiehten out his fathers involved
ssairs from the profits OF the tea
business. with which he had become
familiar during his life IN China. lie
took M his residence with his father
in-lsw at 7 West Fifty-seventh street
and devoted himself TO business. Dc
snite the profits which rolled IN, Van
Norden had no salary; those profits
were dedicated before they we're made.
Sued by Brother and Sister
Cora Langdon Van Norden and TIE
Rev. Theodore Langdon Van Nordcn
mis- brother and sister, brought SUIT
fontipu,d nm maze 4 column