Evening star., 1932-01-24
D. {. WOMAN MAY
SHARE IN ESTATE
Mrs. Leila Dew Washington
Believed Entitled to Part
of Wendell Millions.

The impending court battle for par
tition of the Sl00000,000 Wende
estate, in which a Washington woman
may share, will begin today whe-
the VII and codicils of Ella V. Won R
Wendell will be filed for probate in the
Surrogate Court, New York City.
The will is being contested by Miss
Rosa Dew Stansbury of Vicksburg
Miss. on the alleged ground Of the
testamentary incapacity Of Miss Wen
del
If Miss StanSbury is successful in her
attempt to break the will. there is, a
chance that Mrs. Leila Dew Washing
ton, 1915 Newton street, will share
substantially In the estate when it is
settled under the laws of New York.
Made Millions in Fur.
The Wendell millions originated with
John Wendel. who entered the fur busi-
ness in New York at the same time as
John Jac-b Astor He retired with a
fortune and invested his money in New
York City real estate, which has in
creased steadily in value His only son,
John Daniel Wendell, inherited his
sstz.c and married Mary Ann Dew,
daughter of James c. Dew and Henri
eta, daughter of Gen. Tobias E. Stans-
bury John Daniel Wendell had seven
children, one son and seven daughters.
The daughters and son died without
leaving descendants.
The SON. John Gottlieb Wendell, used
his influence to keep his sisters from
marrying so the estate would remain
intact One sister, however, did marry,
but died childless. The brother and
all of the sisters, Ella being the last,
died at the family home on Fifth ave-
nue., the upkeep of which averaged
1000 day.
The will of Ella Wendell leaves the
vast eStata to ID institutions and organ
izations The principal beneflciaries are
the Board of Foreign Missions of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, the Drew
Theological Seminary, the Homeopathic
Medical College and Flower Hospital,
the New York Society for the Relief of
the Ruptured and Crippled and St.
Christopher's Home for Children, DobbS
Ferry N. Y.
Claims to Be Descendant.
Miss Stansbury, who is contesting the
will, claims to be a descendant of
sister of James c. Dew, grandfather of
MISS WGHQGI, anu lIlt llthI VI Kill Die
had signed an agreement waving her
rights as heir for $4,000, which agree
ment she has asked the court to set
aside and has agreed to share with GER
tain other Stansburys such portion of
the estate as may be awarded her as
next of kin.
Miss Stansbury won the first victory
in the courts last December "a, when
Judge John w. Mack Of the Federal
Court New York City, dismissed the
petition Of the executors Of the estate
that her claim be dismissed holding she
had made out a prirna facie case and
that the matter was properly before
the Surrogate Court.
If the will is set aside. the estate
will be distributed in accordance with
the New York laws to collateral heirs,
there being no surviving lineal descend
ants or father or mother.
The legal notice published Septem-
Der 25. 1881, cited the various parties
who would be interested to file their
objections to probate of the will as
follows: Descendants of the Wendell
father and grandfather; of John Jacob
Astor, of Baden, Germany, who was the
father of the mother of John Daniel
Wendell: of Thomas Dew and Ills wife,
Ann Catch Dew. and of Tobias E.
Stansbury, and his wife, Mary Buffing
ton
Brothers Not Mentioned.
The notice with regard to the
descendants of Thomas and Ann Catch
Dew mentioned them as the parents of
James c. Dew, deceased, who was the
father of Mary Ann Dew Wendell, also
known as Maria Ann Dew Wendell,
GnrnoCai NI-hn the YEaNther nf Ella
Wendell, the decedent. These descendants,
if living, would be heirs at law and next
of kin and entitled to share in the estate.
The notice does not mention the brothers
of Thomas Dew and they seem to be
excluded from sharing in the estate.
Pursuant to this notice, the various
heirs have been busy collecting data in
support of their claims. after the
Wendels, comes the Stansbury family,
which is numerous in Baltimore and
that vicinity. Their claim comes through
Gen Tobias Stansbury. whose daughter,
Henrietta, married James c. Dew,
grandfather of Ella Wendell.
The efforts of the Dews to establish
their claims have met with serious OBJ
stacles. 1t is believed the DeWs origi-
nally came from England and settled
In Southeastern Virginia. They scat
eral counties in the Tidewater section
of Virginia, and seem to have gone into
Maryland with the Puritans and
Cavaliers.
Records Destroyed by Fire.
There are Dews living in Washing
ton. Baltimore, Fredericksburg, Rich
mond and New York who believe they
are descendants of Thomas Dew, but
thus far they have been unable to Sc
cure proof supporting their contention
Many Of the county records in Virginia
were destroyed by fire, and certain
church records are missing under
strange circumstances. Furthermore,
many of the settlers we're buried on
their estates, and the tombstones do
not show the family connections.
TWO weeks ago five Of these DeWS
held a conference here with George
Gordon Battle attorney, of New York
City, who is representing the Dew heirs
in the contest of the will. Among those
attending the meeting were Mrs Wash
ington, Mrs. Thomas Welch Dew OF
Fredericksburg Va; William Evans Of
Saluda. Va: DR.. William Dew of Balti-
more: Philip Holiday Dew Of Gordons-
vile. Va, and John F. Dew Of Rich
mcnd.
Boyhood History Blank.
These people are all descendants of
Capt Thomas Dew Of DeWsville, the
name Of his estate in King and Queen
County, Va A great deal is known Of
h'7 later life, but his early boyhood his
tory is blank
The tax and church records Of Viz
ginia contain many references to a
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