Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-09-08
Bryant Heir Ordered
To Offer for Resale
S15O,OOO in Stocks

j. c. Herbert Bryant. one of
the heirs of his father. million
aire Alexandria manufacturer
Arthur H Bryant, ST.. has been
ordered to offer for resale some
$4,000 in stocks he bought
from the estate.
The order, was issued yester-
day by Corporation Court Judge
Franklin P. Backus. in Alexan-
dria. Hearings on the case were
held last May.
Action against Mr.. Bryant was
brought by a brother. Navy
Comdr. Arthur H. Bryant. jr.. Of
1877 Thirty-second street NV.
and a sister, Mrs. Ruth Bryant
Smith, 1915 Twenty-ninth street
NV. Condr. Bryant also sued
in behalf of his two children,
and Mrs. Smith for her daughter.
Included Shares in Bank.
The stock included shares in
Herbert Bryant. Inc. Alexandria
fertilizer and feed firm; Citizens
National Bank of Alexandria.
and Northern Virginia Hotel
Corp.
j. c. Herbert Bryant's wife is
the daughter of the late Senator
James Couzens of Michigan. Her
first husband was Capt. William
Jeffries Chewing, U. S. A. Gre
tired). of Georgetown and Fred
ericksburg, Va.
Mr.. Bryant of Marbert Farm,
Fairfax County, was named a
defendant both as an individual
and as executor of his fathers
estate. Also named as defend
ants were the firm, Herbert
Bryant, Inc; Mrs. Geraldine
Bryant, widow Of the elder Mr..
Bryant, of sol North Washington
street, Alexandria. and executing
of the estate; j. C. Herbert's
wife, their three children and
her two Step-children, and GER
tain officers of the corporation.
Plaintiffs Charge.
Since their fathers death, the
plaintiffs commended, their broth
er, as executor. in collaboration
with their mother, wrongfully
sold by private sale to himself
and members of his immediate
family shares inS the estate. It
also was claimed that the stock
was sold by ]. c. Herbert Bryant.
as executor, to himself, as an
individual. and to members of
his family at price substan-
tally below its book value.
The defendants said sale of
the stock was necessary to pay
debts, requests, expenses of adj
ministration, and inheritance
taxes.
The plaintiffs said the fathers
will provided that if stock was
sold, it should first be offered to
members of the family.
Purchase Could Stand.
According to the court order,
the stock sale and purchase by
Mr.. Bryant will stand unless a
new offer at the upcoming sale
exceeds the amount he paid.
The plaintiffs were represented
by attorneys Edmund D. Camp
bell and Griffin T. Garnett, jr.
The defendants counsel were
Gardner l.. Boothe and How
ard w. Smith, jr.
The court said the defendants
had the right to sell the stock.
Judge Backus confirmed the sale
of 100 shares of Herbert Bryant,
Inc. to the children of j. c.
Herbert Bryant.
Future STICK sales were forbid
den without permission of the
court.
Repayment Ordered.
The plaintiffs claimed Mr.
Bryant should not have received
a $4,000 commission for sale OF
the stock, paid to him as execu-
tor. The court ordered the COM
mission repaid to the estate and
said that when the transaction
is settled, a S per cent commits
sion will be allowed.
Also granted by the court was
a request by the plaintiffs that
an independent audit be made
before further stock sales.
Judge Backus denied a re-
quest that j. c. Herbert Bryant
and his mother be removed as
executors of the estate.
n AAIL9 HL.II