New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-15
Estranged Forty Years Ago
When He Married Gar
dener's Daughter
Disinherited by Father
Unacknowledged Head of the
Family Is Active in
Seth Year

Henry Lewis Morris, Charles A. Pea
body and Lewis Spencer Morris, trus-
tees under deed of trust executed by
Henry Aston, the unacknowledged head
of the Aston family, filed an applica-
ton for the court approval of their &C
counts in the County Clerks Office yes
ttrday.
"Uncle Henry" Astor is the only sur
viving son of William B. Aston. Forty
years ago he cut himself off from his
family by marrying Malvina W. Dine
hart, daughter of former gardener on
his fathers estate. Because of this
action, William b. Astor cut his son
off in his will. When Henry's brother
William died he also cut off Henry
without cent.
Independent of Family
Since the marriage that estranged
him from his family, the head of the
house of Aston has lived with his wife
on his farm at West Copake, Columbia
County, n. Y. He is eighty-fve years
old now, but still hearty and active.
His real estate holdings in the city
have made him independent of his
family's favor.
Few persons are aware that he is one
of the wealthiest land owners in the
city. When he was only two years old
his father, John Jacob Aston Sd, and
ri 81 50
him, from which he had enjoyed the in
come for more than eighty years. There
are not many who realized the gray
bearded farmer was receiving the in
come from such bits of property as the
Aston and Gaiety theatres and the rest
of the city block bounded by Broadway,
Forty-ffth Street, Eighth Avenue and
Forty-sixth Street.
Besides these, he owns more than 100
parcels on the West Side.
He was forty-five years old when he
defed the wishes of his father by his
marriage, and at that time sacrificed
millions, which were left to the Aston
Library. He said he preferred the life
of farmer to the activities of social
life in the city.
Despite the ostracsm of his family,
the deed of trust provides that after
the death of Henry Astor, his entire
estate is to be divided among his rela-
tives, excepting the descendants of
Jacob Aston, father of William Wal
dorf Aston These we're excluded when
the deed was made because of the value
of Jacobs holdings.
During the life of his wife, Henry
Aston has provided in the deed that
she is to have a one-third interest in
the estate. The estate is to be divided
first into as many shares as Henry has
brothers and sisters with issue, and
then subdivided into as many shares to
each portion as there are children of
each brother and sister. Henry Aston
has no children.
Trustees to Collect Income
The trustees were charged with COL
lecting the income from Mr.. Astor's
real estate holdings during his life.
II he died with issue, he reserved the
right to discriminate among his heirs.
Otherwise the provisions cited in the
deed were to be carried out.
Supreme Court Justice Hendrick has
granted an order permitting the SER
vice of summons and complaint on the
accounting proceedings. This sum-
mons, which is entirely friendly, il is
said, will be served upon James Roose-
welt, Ava Aston, Muriel Aston, Hubert
de Stuers, Margaret de Stuers Obern-
dorff and John Armstrong Chaloner.
Morris and McVeigh are attorneys for
the trustees. George Mcclellan is at
torney for Henry Aston.