The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-03-16
LAST wendell
LAID TO REST
IN new YORK
100 Millions Built Up in
Last Century Now Have
No Owner.
BREAK OLD TRADITION
Simple Funeral Is Probably
More Luxurious Than
Life of Mystery Woman.

BD DHtted Press
NEW YORK, March ia for
tune Of more than $1o0,00o,0OO was
ready for disposal today, and the
stern tradition of the Wendell fam
lily, established century ago by
its fur-trading founder, John Gott-
lieb Wendell, was broken.
Miss Ella v. Won Wendell, the last
Of six recluse sisters who lived in
the somber, dusty house of mystery
at Fifth avenue and Thirty ninth
street, joined the others Sunday in
the family vault in Trinity Gene
terry. The simple funeral services
we're attended by nineteen persons
and a dog.
The dog, a fat white poodle named
Tobey (the last of line of Tobeys)
was the only living thing to which
Miss Wendell could show affection.
Science and Death Win
It Icy during the services in front
of her coffin, at the end of the
dark hall facing a carved oak stair
case. When the coffin was carried
out to the hearse, Tobey followed as
far as the door, looked at the crowd
of sightseers in front Of the house,
and retired again.
Electric lights and a telephone,
installed last week, heralded the
final breakdown of three genera
tions of resistance to the advance
of modern science.
The house, a fortress of the Vic
torian age surrounded by sky
scrapers and the roar of midtown
traffic, always had been lighted by
gas and candles and heavily shut
tered from the outside world.
The Rev. DR.. Nathan A. Seagle,
rector of st. Stephens Episcopal
church, conducted the funeral serv-
ices, assisted by DR.. Ezra S. Triple,
honorary president of Drew Theo-
logical seminary at Madison, N. j.,
and an old friend of the family.
Few Attend Funeral
DR.. Seagle read the burial of the
dead from the book Of common
prayer, the first part of which closes:
I'VE brought nothing into this
world, and it is certain we can carry
nothing out. The Lord gave, and
the Lord taketh away; blessed be
the name Of the Lord"
There was no music, but DR.. Sea-
gle recited a hymn, and DR.. Nipple
delivered an informal prayer in
which he alluded to the gentle
ness, the kindness and the human
affection" of Miss Wendell.
There were few flowers. A
bunch of orchids pinned to the
massive oak front door represented
probably more luxury than Miss
Wendell had ever known during her
life.
The only ones attending the fu-
neral were the clergymen, the fam
lily servants, including the superin-
tendent of the Wendell estate at
Irvington-on-H Hudson; Miss Wen
del's attorney, and half a dozen
friends of the 1amily-the only
friends the aged splnster ever had.
Lived Like Prisoner.
Although Miss Wendell followed
the precepts of her brother to in
crease the family fortune, refrain
from marrying to avoid dispensing
it, and lived like a prisoner in the
ancient house, she was not en-
tirely unhappy, an old friend of
the family said.
She did not know how to spend
money, she once said, because she
never was given any as girl. She
gave all the affection of starved
life to the poodle, Tobey. But she
was not misery, the friend said. She
chose to live a. quiet life, and
liked it.
If The Wendell fortune is divided
according to the wishes of Mrs. Re-
becca Wendell Swope, the elder sis
ter who died last July. it will go to
fourteen specified charities, churches
and public institutions, with small
amounts to servants and old friends