New-York tribune., 1919-12-24
Rent Due, Move
Begun TO Evict
Shonts's Widow
Unable to Pay $34l for
Park Avenue Home I'm.
less Friends Come to
Aid, Says Her Attorney

Mrs. Milla D. Shonts, widow of
Theodore P. Shonts, former president
OF the lnterborough Rapid Transit
Company, was served yesterday with
a notice of disrossess from her apart
ment at $40 Park Avenue Mrs. Shonts
owes one months rent. amounting to
S341 .67. The notice of dispossess
served on Mrs. Shonts by Marshal
Harry Tiernon requires the widow of
the railroad president to appear on
Friday in the Ninth District Munich
pal Court and show cause why she
should not be compelled to vacate her
apartment
Mrs. Shonts occupies the apartment
with her son-in-law and daughter, Mr.
and Mrs Rutherford Bingham. Mrs
Bingham said that her husband had
been paying the rent regularly, but had
not paid for the current month. Her
mother, said Mrs. Bingham, had been
waiting for the proceeds of the S5 900
insurance policy on the life of which
the widow is the beneficiary. 1t has
not been paid.
we have. of course, never called
upon friends for assistance" added
Mrs. Bingham, who intimated that the
eviction proceeding would go no fur
ther.
100000 Debt Tied Up
Besides the $4,000 insurance money
band, who excluded her from any par
ticipation in his property. owes her
100000 for loan Mrs. Shonts made
her husband. Payment of this money
is held up pending the outcome of Mrs.
Shonts's contest of the will of Mr.
Shonts, in which he left the greater
part of his estate to Mrs. Amanda c.
Thomas, friend.
The financial condition of Mrs
Shonts, however, indicated by the dis
possess proceeding is surprising to her
friends in view Of the provision for
her support made by Mr.. Shonts up to
the time of his death. From 1917 he
paid his wife 5000 a year, which was
$4,000 more than he agreed to pay
under separation agreement. 1t is
also known that Mr.. Shonts paid
large sum for jewelry bought by his
wife in Paris.
Immediately after Mrs Shonts had
been served with the dispossess notice
George w. Files, her attorney, got into
communication with her.
Has No Available Funds
"Mrs. Shonts has no available funds
on account of the estate being tied up
in litigation" he said later. "Unless
she can raise the amount required be-
fore Friday she will probably be evicted.
The only thing that can be done is to at
tempt to raise the amount"
Mr.. Files said there was no possibil-
ity of any payment to Mrs. Shonts
from the estate of her late husband
in time to meet her Temporary en-
barrassment," and that the only pos
sible way of forestalling the eviction
order was by raising the amount from
friends.
The Guaranty Trust Company, ad-
ministrator of the estate of Mr.. Shonts,
petitioned the Surrogates' Court for
permission to sublet the apartment at
$50 Park Avenue, where he died. The
lease has two years to run at $500.
This lease was made in 1916 and the
suggested that with the
present schedule of rents in effect
charge of $4,000 would not be too much
to ask from the sub-lessee. Request
was also made to the court to settle
certain debts of the estate growing out
of Mr. Shontss ownership of farm
in Bucks County, Pa. and for the con-
version of some tobacco stock.