Evening star., 1954-05-06
Court Is Asked
To Void Sale Of
Bryant Stock
Action Brought
By Two Children Of
Late Millionaire


has been asked to rescind the
sale of some $150,000 in stocks
by the estate of the late Arthur
H. Bryant. ST.. millionaire manu-
facturer of fertilizer and feeds
and seller of seeds.
Three days Of arguments
were concluded yesterday on the
action brought by two of Mr..
Bryant's children, Navy Comdr.
Arthur H. Bryant. jr.. of 1877
Thirty-second street NV. and
Mrs. Ruth Bryant Smith. 1245
Twenty-ninth street NV. Comdr.
Bryant also sued in behalf Of
his two children. and Mrs. Smith
for her daughter.
Defendants were listed as
Herbert Bryant. Inc, the busl-
ness corporation founded by the
deceased, and the following
members of his socially promi-
nent family: j. c. Herbert
Bryant, individually and as
executor. of his fathers estate.
who lives at Marbert Farm.
Fairfax County: Mrs. Geraldine
NJ. Bryant. widow of the elder
Mr.. Bryant, of SOL North WASH
ington street, Alexandria, and
executrix of the estate; j. c.
Herbert Bryant's wife. their
three children and her two STEP
children, and certain officers Of
the corporation.
Daughter of Late Senator.
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. (re-
tired), of Georgetown and Fred
ericksburg. Va.
According to the plaintiffs.
5000 shares of the corporation
stock were distributed in this
manner at the time of Mr.. Bry-
ants death: To his estate, 1900
shares; Comdr. Bryant, 300
shares; j. c. Herbert Bryant, 800
shares and Mrs. Bryant, the
widow, 800 shares.
Since their fathers death, the
plaintiffs contend, their brother.
as executor. in collaboration
with their mother. Wrongfully
sold by private sale to himself
and members of his immediate
family 470 of the 1900 shares
in the estate.
It also is claimed that the
stock was sold by J. c. Herbert
Bryant, as executor, to himself.
as an individual. and to men,
berS of his family at $237 per
share which, it is claimed. was
substantially below its book
value.
Claimed Stock Left in Trust.
Comdr. Bryant and Mrs. Smith
contend that their father left
all of his stock in the corpora
ton to the Riggs National Bank.
in trust for his grandchildren.
1t is claimed that their father
provided in his will that in the
event of the sale of the stock.
it should first be offered to cer-
tain members of the Bryant
family. including Comdr. Bryant.
The plaintiffs also claim j. C.
Herbert Bryant sold to himself
1865 shares of stock in the
Citizens National Bank of Alex
andria at $50 per share and SO
shares of the Northern Virginia
Hotel Co. at $50 a share from
the estate.
They claim their brother
should not have received a $26,-
600 commission for sale of the
stock, paid to him as executor.
The defendants answered that
the sale of the stocks was neces-
sary to pay debts. bequests, ex-
penses of administration and
Federal and State inheritance
taxes on the estate.
The defendants contended
that payment of the commission
was valid. They said Mr.. j. c.
Herbert Bryant offered to pur-
chase low income producing
stocks in order to preserve high
er income-pr producing securities
in the estate.
Judge Franklin p. Backus took
the arguments under advise
ment.
The plaintiffs are represented
by Attorneys Edmund d. Camp
bell of Washington and Griffin
T. Garnett, jr., of Arlington. The
defendants counsel are Gar
diner l.. Boothe and Howard w.
Smith. jr., both of Alexandria.
Attorney James Thomson of
Alexandria was appointed by the
court as guardian to preserve
the interests of the minor chill
dren on both sides of the dis
pute.