Evening star., 1939-08-03
Stinson Trusts
Liquiidated by.
District Court
q
Wealthy Motron Also
Granted AnnuIment
As Litigation Ends

husband, Joseph Whitla Stinson.
The DEGREES liquidate two trust
funds-one for some 100000, her
total estate, made on November 4,
1887. by Mrs. Stinson in favor of
relatives. and another for some
100000 signed May Is, 1887, in
favor of her husband.
An undisclosed settlement has
been reached regarding other liti-
cation in which Mrs. Stinson was
interested, it was learned today as
result of conferences between law
yers and Justice Luhring.
Carroll L. Beedy, lawyer for Mrs
Stinson, explained that when she
created the trust for Mr.. Stinson
before they were married. she pro-
Vided that she was to get the in
come from the fund for life, to-
gether with the right to secure
$4,000 annually from the principal
If she desired it. and then at her
death, the money was to 60 to her
husband. Mr.. and Mrs Stinson
were married in September, 1887
Money to Be Returned.
Alvin L. Newmyer and A. K Shipe,
other counsel for the wealthy ma
tron, said today that with annul-
ment decree, the trust is terminated
and her fortune returns to her.
Justice Luhring said that on No.
vember l, 1887, Mr.. Stinson relin-
pushed all his rights in the trust
fund for a valuable consideration
and that he now has no interest or
rights under the trust.
Under the second trust, favoring
her relatives, Mrs. Stinson directed
that specified sums be paid to Jose
Nicolas Sanchez. Albert Offer, Marie
del Carman Guadiola Offer and
Ada Montgomery McCrea. Justice
Lunring recalled that under the
terms of the trust, the trustees-the
National Savings 6J Trust Co.,
Charles S. Baker and Robert H.
Marcus-might resign upon giving
80 days notice. The jurist found
that such notice was given. the
trustees resigned and the trust was
terminated.
He also found that Mrs. Stinson
is entitled to have the trust property
returned to her and when this is
done the trustees are discharged
from further liability.
Held Not Responsible.
In granting the annulment yes
hn1
Mrs. Stinson was mon compos
mentis" on her wedding day because
of excessive use of drugs"
The justice ruled further that the
marriage was never consummated
and at no time thereafter was it
ratified or validated by plaintiff
Mrs. Stinson, he said, is entitled to
the restoration of her former
marital name of Mrs. William
Livingston Crounse.
The late Mr. Crounse, prominent
Washington newspaperman, left an
estate estimated at 100000 to his
widow.
The sensational case had it's in
ception last year and required five
weeks to try, with closing arguments
in April The case had been set
ahead on the crowded court calen-
dar because of affidavits from five
physicians to the effect that an
early trial would be beneficial to the
health of Mrs. Stinson.
Charged She Was Tricked.
In his decision yesterday, Justice
Luhring held that, due to the in
fluence of drugs, Mrs. Stinson was
not capable of exercising her judg-
ment ur understanding the nature
of the marriage contract and its
consequences"
For a year or so prior to her mar
riage to Mr. Stinson on September
q, 1887, at fashionable Bar Harbor,
Me, Mrs. Stinson was in i'll health
and took large quantities of drugs,
the jurist said. On the day of her
marriage, he said, she was so under
the influence of the drugs that "she
did not know what she was doing"
In her complaint Mrs. Stinson had
charged that she was tricked into
the marriage for her large estate.
Mr.. Stinson and Miss Jessica Shoe
maker, who was the plaintiffs nurse
for several years before the mar
riage, were alleged to have con-
spired to bring about the wedding.
Miss Shoemaker. central figure in
th@ sensational trial, denied that she
drugged Mrs. Stinson, whom she de-
scribed as a highly nervous and ex-
citable woman who staged stormy
scenes at frequent intervals.
"Pretty Dizzy" at Ceremony.
Mrs Stinson said she was pretty
dizzy" when the ceremony was per-
formed and that when she came to
she asked Miss Shoemaker what
had happened.
At another point in the trial the
defense introduced letter in which
Mrs. Stinson referred to Mr.. Stinson
as 80 real"
Questioned about the letter by
defense attorneys, Mrs. Stinson
said: How did I know he wasn't
real? I thought he was"
Miss Shoemaker testified she first
met Mr.. Stinson about the middle
of February, 1887, and that in March
the former Mrs. Crounse confided
she was going to marry Mr.. Stinson.
Describing the first scene" she OBJ
served between them after they had
dined at a hotel and returned home.
Miss Shoemaker said:
She was perfectly furious. She
said Stinson had been giving such
big tips to walters and with my
money, too She said she didn't like
beggars on horseback for rich mems
sons"
Appendicitis Is FotuI