New-York tribune., 1918-12-17
Legatees Give
Up $l,O00,O00
Left by Collier
Ask Court to Permit the
Widow to Manage His
Publishing Concerns

Payne Whitney. Finley Peter Dunno
and Francis P. Garvan. named as ex-
ecutors and residuary legatees in the
will of Robert J. Collier, have re-
nounced their legacies and the execu-
torship. it became known yesterday
with the fling of the will.
eve feel that the estate should now
go to its natural ultimate deatination,"
they wrote the publishers widow, "and
that we should, therefore,, renounce
this bequest of the residuary estate
in your favor"
In the will Mr.. Collier made no pro-
vision for his widow, Mrs. Sarah Stew
ard Collier, explaining that she was
amply provided for" in the will of
her father, James A. Van Allen. 1t
was revealed in the letter of the ex-
ecutors and residuary legatees that al
most all of his properties except "Col-
lier's Weekly" had been vested in his
wife during her lifetime and that the
residuary estate would consist of his
publishing interests. These are gen.
orally supposed to be worth over
81 LOCO .00O.>
Made Change in 1914
Although Mr.. Collier had provided
for his publication to be run by
! committee after his health began to
suffer in 1914, and the executors he
! appointed believed that his purpose
in appointing them merely was to
make certain the perpetuation of "Col
lier's Weekly" under their manage
ment, they said that they believed that
i conditions had changed since he made
| the arrangement and that they no
longer were necessary.
Aside from the three residuary leg
atees the only other benefciaries un-
der the will are George G. Kennedy
and Frank H. Rice, long associated with
the publishing house Of P. f. Collier
& Son, of which Mr.. Rice is vice
president Mr. Kennedy IS to receive
$15o,oOo and Mr.. Rice $4,000. So far
! as the residuary estate is concerned
Mr.. Collier probably will be declared
to have died intestate.
What Executors Said
Whitney, Dunno and Garvan wrote
Mrs. Collier, in part, as follows:
"Your husband, by his will, executed
| in July, 1917 appointed US as his ex-
ecutors, and, after making certain lega-
cies, left his residuary estate to US.
This residuary estate consisted of his
lier's Weekly and in the publishing
buiness, all other properties, including
| the country place Wickatonk, having
/ been vested in you in his lifetime.
eve believe that we understand and
appreciate Mr.. Golfers motives in
making this will. He was intensely
interested in perpetuating the paper
which he had built up and the publish
| ing business which he had inherited
from his father. We all remember the
serious illness in 1914 which culmi-
September of that year, and his great
anxiety that this business should be
carried on without reference to his
personal affairs or his personal par
ticipation, and it was this that led him
to intrust TIE business to committee
of his friends in order to enable it to
be carried on for him. This trust is
still in existence. We have no doubt
that in making his will in the form in
which we find it he intended to create
similar trust for these properties, but
made such will advisable we think
they no longer exist.
Kennedy and Rice Agree
"Much as we regret being placed in
position in which we might appear
to disregard the wishes of our friend
! as expressed in his will, we feel that
we must, nevertheless. decline the be-
quest of these properties. We feel
that the estate should now go to it's
natural ultimate destination and that
we should, therefore, renounce this be-
quest of the residuary estate in your
favor
"We believe also that it is for the
greater convenience and best interest
of all concerned thst we should de-
cline the appointment as executors, in
order that you may act in the admins
tration of the will, possibly with some
trust company that you may desire to
associate with yourself.
"Legacies are given by the will to Mr..
Kennedy and Mr.. Rice, and If we re-
nounce our appointment as executors,
their right to administration would be
prior to your own, but as we feel that
you should be appointed, we have sug-
gested to these gentlemen that they
should renounce their prior right-a
suggestion to which they have given 81
very cordial assent. We inclose with
this letter our remuneration in your
favor of the bequest of the residuary
estate, and also our remuneration of
the appointment as executor, and the
remuneration by Mr.. Kennedy and Mr..
Rice of their prior right of admins
tration."