New-York tribune., 1921-11-18
Hanna's Failure
To Wed Actress
LaidtoQuarrel|l.
Former Friend OF Million.
aire Says Letter OF Last
October Told of Breaking
Troth With Miss Evans

The controversy surrounding the
"blotted" and Cancelled" will Of tho
late Daniel r. Hanna, the four-time-
divorced millionaire publisher, devel-
cped several new explanations yester-
day for the much-discussed erasures
and additions to the document IN
which he made bequest to Miss June
Avis Evans an actress, OF LOT west
Fifty-seventh Street.
From a former intimate friend OF
the millionaire it was learned that MI
Hanna had written letter about the
time OF his last divorce, on October .,
IN which he set forth that, he had
ouarreled with Miss Evans and had
broken of his cngafement to her. The
letter. according TO this friend, gave
the reasons for the break, but the
friend refused to make public what
they we're.
Promise Made to Daughter
Mrs. Mary Stuart Hanna, of $50 Park
Avenue. one of the four wives who
divorced Mr.. Hanna, said that the, mil
Nonaire had Cancelled the stipulation
in his will that no intended to marry
Miss Evans about a month before; ne
d;ed because he had promised his Ia
vorite daughter. Ruth Rhodes hanna,
thirteen years old, that he would never
marry the actress. Ruth Is the daugh
ter of Mrs. Mary Stuart Hanna. ana
lives with her mother at 65o ParK
Avenue.
II was also reported that Mr.. Hanna,
whila not formally received into the
Catholic Church. had embraced It's
tenats on his death bed, including the
Church's attitude toward divorces, and
that this had something to do with the
alleged corrections in the will respect
ing Miss Evans.
At St. Patrick's Cathedral. whence
the report as to Hanna's hay
Ing died protesting the Catholic faith
is said to have cmanated, the report
could not be confirmed. It was said
by one Of the priests at the church
That "Mr. Hanna had tried to come into
the Church." but no one could. say
whether he had actually embraced the
faith or not. {,
In this connection It was pointed
out that Mr.. Hanna had been uncon-
scious for several hours before he died,
and that when he passed away, at B
o'clock in the morning, there was no
one present except one Of hls servants,
who related the details to Mrs. Medill
Mccormick, sister of Mr.. Hanna. who
arrived at The Croft, the Hanna home,
Will Contest Threatened
From the White Plains Court House
comes the news, ON good authority, that
when the question of probating the
Hanna will comes up before Surrogate
Slater there on November 20 papers
will be filed asking Surrogate Slater to
hold up the probate, and that 1t this
is refused an action will be brought in
the Supreme Court of Westchester
County to test the validity OF the docu-
ment before Jury.
It was intimated that this action will
be brought by Miss Evans, whom Hanna
said in his will he expected to make
his fifth wife and whose further men
tion in marginal notes of the will were
blotted out by daubs of ink.
It was explained there are two ways
open to Miss Evans through her at
torney, Leslie c. Ferguson. One is to
contend that the marginal bequests to
her are valid and that the cancella-
tions are not. The other is to- bring
an action against the executors on the
ground that she had an agreement with
Mr.. Hanna that he was to leave her
certain money and property. She will
(idflll D0 AAtCAQS0 w SAS0 sACA VIC OAk
country estate called The Croft, al
Yorktown, where he died.
Ruth is one of four daughters Of
Mrs. Hanna who live with their mother
at the Park Avenue address. "After he
had promised Ruth that he would neve,
marry Miss Evans" Mrs. Hanna is re.
ported to have said, "my former hus-
band told me that Ruth had mission
in life,' and an extra trust fund OF
s1,0O0,0OO would be created for her
/ fully believe that Mr.. Hanna in can
ceiling the clause providing for Mis-.
Evans intended to draw up new will
in which the $1,000,000 trust fund fol
Ruth would be embodied"
When Mrs. Hanna got her diyorc.
from the millionaire in 1918 he createt
trust found of $4,000, 900 for his foul
daughters.
Louis Shipman, 500 Madison. Avenue
one of the beneficiaries under. the will
to the extent Of $4,000, said = settle
ment would be made with Miss Evan
Hunless she was obstinate" He de
clared she would never be given posses
sion Of The Croft, and that she woul,
receive about $4,000 annually.
Won%ho,. Ro~o~4