Evening star., 1943-04-23
f. B. Mclean Estate
Settled by Agreement
After 1wo-Year Battle.
s., ,0o0, 900 in Claims Are
Eliminated; No Provision
Made for Leqocies

Made for Legoeies
A hotly contested, two-yea1
legal battle was settled in Dis
trict Court today with the sign
ing of an agreement by counsel
for various claimants to portions
of a 100000 estate left by the
late Edward Beale Mclean, for
mer publisher of the Washington
Post, who died July 81, 1941, at
the age of SIS.
At the time Of his death, Mr.
Mclean was a patient at the Shep-
pard and Enoch Pratt Hospital,
an institution for the insane in
Towson, Md.
According to Arthur G. Lambert
and Warren E. Magee, attorneys
representing the collector of the
estate, the approximately $400, 900
agreement eliminates about $4000,-
900 In claims against the estate, one
of which was claim for more than
$4,000, 900 made by two of the chill
dren of the deceased in demanding
damages for Mr.. McLean's alleged
refusal to sell the Washington Post
to William Randolph Hearst, pub
Usher of a chain of newspapers, or
to other bidders. Mr. Lambert said
another bidder for the Post had
been David Lawrence, well-known
Washington columnist.
Widow Gets 100000 and Annuity.
An order approving the agree
msnt. which. Mr. Lambert said,
allows Mrs. ;Eyalyn Walsh Mclean,
the <deceased's widow, $4,000 and
an, annuity estimated to be of a
value of an additional 100000 in
full satisfaction of her claim, was
signed by Justice Bolitha j. Laws
today.
Major features of the settlement,
which. Attorneys Lambert and
Magee pointed out, will not provide
payment for any of the legacies
under the Edward B. Mclean will,
are the following.
I. The collector of the estate,
William H. Wadhams, a former
judge of General Sessions Court of
New York, is to receive $157,94766,
out of which he is to pay $75, 1000 to
the: United States in full settlement
of Government claims and $4,000
to the District of Columbia as a tax
claim.
2. Administration expenses and
certain expenses incurred in the
lunacy cause involving the late Mr..
Mclean are to be paid out of the
balance of the $157 900 sum and the
remainder, estimated at approx
mately 100000, is to be distributed
to judgment creditors as is provided
by the District code for insolvent
estates.
3. Mrs. Mclean is to receive $780,
GOO and an annuity estimated to be
OF a value of an additional 100000
In full satisfaction of her claim,
Bank, Attorneys to Share.
Among other creditors who will
share the approximately $4,000 on a
pro rata basis are the First National
Bank of Cincinnati, which has a
claim of approximately s35 1000;
George B. Fraser. local attorney
who has claim of approximately
$35, 900, and Julius I. Peyser, local at
torney who has a claim of approxi-
mately $4,000.
Other creditors who will share on
q pro rata basis are Martin and Jack
Finn of Washington, both of whom
were named to receive sizable ben3s.
fits IN the Mclean will, but neither
Of whom, Mr. Lambrt said, will real
lie these benefits unless new sources
of revenue from the estates are dis
covered in the future.
In the Mclean will Martin Finn,
a District Court marshal. was be-
queathed s50000 and John, his
brother, was bequeathed $4,000.
Martin Finn served Mr.. Mclean as
valet.
Largest single beneficiary named
In the will was Mrs Rose Duras Van
Cleve, also known as Mrs. Rose
Davies Douras Van Cleve, sister of
movie star Marion Davies. The will
bequeaths her 100000 and certain
property benefits.
No Provision for Payment.
Mr.. Lambert observed that the
law recognizes claims by benefi-
ciaries to a will only after the de-
ceased's just debts have been paid
and noted that in the settlement
signed today, there is no provision
for satisfying Mr.. McLean's bequests
to Mrs. Van Cleve.
The multitudinous claims on the
estate and the vast legal complica-
tions which have ensued have their
roots in the will of the late Edward
B. McLean's father, the late John
r. Mclean. onetime well-known fig
ure in the political and newspaper
world who died in 1916, Mr.. Lambert
pointed out.
John R. McLean's will, dated June
3. 1915, left most of his property in
trust for the benefit of his only son,
Edward B., for his life and there
after for the benefit of his grand
children and their issue.
Will Has Been Under Study.
The elder Mclean was said to be
possessed of an enormous fortune,
variously estimated at the time
of his death as amounting to be-
tween $50,000,000 and 100000, 900,
MIR. Lambert said.
Since 1916 to the present time, the
will of John r. Mclean and for the
last two years the Will of Edward
B. Mclean have been the subject of
intensive study by members of The
bench and bar in an effort to arrive
at an equitable settlement of vafi-
GUS claims on the estate of the
younger Mclean, claims which Mr..
Lambert observed, by far exceeded
the amount of money available to
meet them.
Mr.. Lambert and Mr. Magee of
the firm of Baker, Beedy g. Magee
represented Mr.. Wadhams and the
settlement awards them $4,000 for
legal services rendered.
100000 Chains Settled.