Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-29
|ASHNER FORTUNE
TO Be D|SBURSED
Death of Conditional Heir to
100000 Ends Ques-
ton of Inheritance.
s,ec,.l Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, September 28.-Robert
| Randolph Ashner was drowned last
week in a bath tub in Stuttgart, Ger
many, his death ending the question
of whether 'Brooklyn's most eligible
avenue, should inherit $4,000, 900, which
under his fathers will was to have gone
to him at the age of 40, provided he
was of good moral habits" and had
lawful living ISSUE" He was 80 years
| old
His drowning was purely accidental"
his mother. Mrs. Sigmund Ashner,
widow of the Brooklyn investment
broker, was quoted as having said in
a telephone conversation from Germany
| to New York September 10. Mrs. Ash
ner had cabled her lawyer, Norman
! l.. Marks of Lind & Marks, 10 East
| Fortieth street Mr.. Marks Immediately
| called her by telephone, but found her
| historical, representatives of his firm
said. He sailed the following day on
the France and will join Mrs. Ashner
! in Berlin where she took the body of
her son.
Fortune to Be Divided.
The death of Mr. Ashner, as sole
heir to the estate, will cause a dispersal
| of the $3,000,000 1t is understood that
| under the will the widow, Mrs. Sigmund
Ashner, who received life annuity of
$4,000, will get .one-fourth Of the
estate a godson. Bertram Kink of
year. will get like share. and the
remaining half of the estate will be
divided among about 20 relatives.
Ashner. INDUCED by wealthy parents,
knew neither care nor responsibility
when the will, opened after the death
OF his father, in october of 1928, left
| him only an annuity of $4,000 year
and no inheritance unless the trustees
should judge his habits moral at 40.
This appeared to sober him. The youth,
who had passed only a short time In
college. and who had Stunned work,
took modest job in a Brooklyn real
estate Office.
The clause in the will whereby Mr..
AShner was to receive only the surplus
income of the inheritance If the trustees
judged that his character was good. but
he was childless because of failure of
legal issue" brought him much notoriety.
Attending his duties at the real estate
office, he refused to discuss a possible
marriage.
MY fathers will hasn't changed my
attitude toward marriage at ALL" he
told reporters. He said that his in
terest in women was casual and on one
occasion said, My mother has always
been my sweetheart"
Son Not Spared in Will.
The will did not spare the feeling Of
the son. who was named as sole heir
conditionally. 1t consisted of 80 pages
and the teStator'S son was the subject
Of many Of them. Sigmund Ashner.
who died in his 65th year, came to
New York poor boy from Germany.
TIT N~ko
the Manhattan water front, he built up
mis- wealth in that business and real
estate activities with diligence and
labor, which seemed to him to con-
trast strangely with the Incidence Of
his son.
The quieter activities of the son are
said to have warmed his fathers heart
in the elder mans last days. His will
offered last chance to the son should
he fail Of the estate when 40 years old.
Upon any occasion on which he could
convince the trustees that he was
moral and competent" he was to in
herit the principal forthwith. The will
also increased his annuity to $4,000
should he not receive the inheritance
on his 40th birthday.
The trustees of the estate are Mrs.
Ashner and the New York Life In
surance Co. Relatives, who received
requests ana VINO are expected TO De
the chief beneficiaries among the 80
relatives mentioned. in addition to Mrs.
Ashner and Mr.. Fink. are Rosalie Friend
Lazarus. Broadmoor Hotel, Manhattan;
Victor Friend of the same address /;
Joseph Friend Of Elmhurst, Long Island; :
Ben Ashner. a brother of the testator.
Memphis. Tenn; Harry Kober of 386
Eastern Parkway Brooklyn. nephew;
Charles Friend of Hallidan Court, 1880
street, and Victoria Gronauer, a niece,
of Memphis.