New-York tribune., 1920-01-27
Spangg Will Fight
Bares Daughters
Second Marriage
Surrogate Is Told Mrs. M.
5. Crome Got Divorced
Abroad in 1913 and Be-
came Wife of Merchant

Senator Charles c. Lockwood, of
Brooklyn, gave further testimony in
the Surrogates' Court yesterday re-
garding the alleged eccentricites of
Mrs. Rosa E. Spang. whose will leaving
most of her estate valued at about
$3,000,000 to found an institution for
children is being contested by her
daughter, who receives only $4,000 q
year under the will
incidentally it was learned that the
daughter of the testatrix, who com
plains that her mother was not of
sound mind when she made her will
and was under undue influence, is now
Mrs. Mabel Spang Ancker, although she
is contesting her mothers will under
the name of Mabel Spang Crome. She
divorced Mr.. Crome in 1918 and mar
ried Aage Anckcr, wealthy merchant
of Copenhagen, Denmark.
King Approves Divorce
The Crome divorce was approved by
the King of Denmark. Mrs Ancker
became the subject of inquiry by
Henry W. Taft, attorney for George w
Wickersham, Colonel Michael Fried
sam and DR.. Henry Dwight Chaplin,
trustees under the Spang will. This
cross examination by Mr. Taft re-
vealed that Mrs. Ancker was committed
to a sanatorium in 1904 because of her
friendship with a woman named Scisn.,
which her father, Charles H. Spang, a
Pittsburgh steel manufacturer, and he.
mother objected to-
Mr.. Spang was in Pittsburgh at the
time and Mrs. Spang was in New York.
The father was deeply grevcd over the
"predicament of his daughter and he
wrote to his wife saying that "the
affair of Mabel had completely ruined
the peace and happiness of their lives
Miss Spang, as she was then, brought
habcas corpus proceedings to obtain
her release. She was nineteen years
old at the time. The Supreme Court
in Kings County sustained her COM
mitment, and on appeal this ruling was
upheld by the Appellate Division, Sec
ond Department.. Justice Marcan said
that the parents of the young woman
were justified in removing their daugh-
ter from the influence of the other
woman.
Tried to Suppress Scandal"
Mr.. Spanc was advised by judges
with whom he talked in Pittsburgh to
send his daughter to an institution for
Duquesne Club in Pittsburgh to his
wife, Mr. Spank expressed his regret
that the affair of his daughter would
expose to public view the private life
of his family and he thought it best
to suppress everything. Relatives of
the family, he said, were "dsgusted"
with the action taken by Mrs. Spang,
but for himself, Mr.. Spang expressed
his satisfaction with the dexterity of
counsel In keeping out the "disagree-
able features TO show his approval
of his wife's course the Pittsburgh
steel man inclosed a check of 100000
for his wife.
1t was finally decided by Mr.. and
Mrs. Spang to send their daughter to
Europe for period of five years, in
the care of a chaperon. This was done.
When she returned here on visit,
senator Lockwood testified, Mrs. Ancker
old not visit her mother, who lived al
the WaldorfAstoria. She stayed here
q few months and returned to Europe.
II was there she married Mr.. Crome.
Woman's Counsel Objects
An objection on the part Of former
Senator Edgar T. Bracket, counsel for
Mrs. Ancker, caused Mr.. Taft to saw
that he favored the fullest disclosures
of facts pertaining to the lives of Mrs.
Spang and her daughter.
Mr.. Taft also sought to prove by
documents left by Mrs. Spang that her
mind was influence against her daugh
ter by certain things that happened.
and that this influence was not ey-
erted on the aged testatrix by persons
seeking to deprive Mrs Ancker of the
estate.