Case Name: In the Matter of the Judicial Account of Proceedings of George F. Alexander, Deceased, as Executor, etc., of Julia B. Moores, Deceased, by George E. Miner, Executor, etc., of Said George F. Alexander, Deceased. Flora Smith, Appellant; Zeda Roberta Lorey and The Chase National Bank of New York, as Successor Executor-Trustee, etc., of George F. Alexander, Deceased, and Conrad Saxe Keyes, as Special Guardian for June Ruth Lorey and Helen Wickett, Infants, etc., Respondents, and George E. Miner, Executor, etc., of George F. Alexander, Deceased, and Others, Legatees
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1936-06
Citations: 248 A.D. 738
Docket Number: 
Parties: In the Matter of the Judicial Account of Proceedings of George F. Alexander, Deceased, as Executor, etc., of Julia B. Moores, Deceased, by George E. Miner, Executor, etc., of Said George F. Alexander, Deceased. Flora Smith, Appellant; Zeda Roberta Lorey and The Chase National Bank of New York, as Successor Executor-Trustee, etc., of George F. Alexander, Deceased, and Conrad Saxe Keyes, as Special Guardian for June Ruth Lorey and Helen Wickett, Infants, etc., Respondents, and George E. Miner, Executor, etc., of George F. Alexander, Deceased, and Others, Legatees.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 248
Pages: 738–738

Head Matter:
In the Matter of the Judicial Account of Proceedings of George F. Alexander, Deceased, as Executor, etc., of Julia B. Moores, Deceased, by George E. Miner, Executor, etc., of Said George F. Alexander, Deceased. Flora Smith, Appellant; Zeda Roberta Lorey and The Chase National Bank of New York, as Successor Executor-Trustee, etc., of George F. Alexander, Deceased, and Conrad Saxe Keyes, as Special Guardian for June Ruth Lorey and Helen Wickett, Infants, etc., Respondents, and George E. Miner, Executor, etc., of George F. Alexander, Deceased, and Others, Legatees.

Opinion:
In a proceeding in the Surrogate's Court, county of Kings, to construe a will, it appeared that the trust fund was in solido, but one-half of the income was payable to decedent's sisters-in-law, or the survivor, and the other half to decedent's niece during their respective lives. Upon the death of the sisters-in-law the entire income was to be paid to the decedent's niece. In the event the niece predeceased the sisters-in-law the entire income was to be paid to them or the survivor of them. The principal was not to be distributed until the death of all the life tenants, when it was to go to issue of the niece, if any, and, if none, to the decedent's nephew Milton Wickett and the children of decedent's nephew Harold G. Wickett, or the survivor of them. The decree severed the illegal provisions from those that were valid, in accordance with the evident dominant purpose of the testatrix. Decree, in so far as appealed from, unanimously affirmed, with costs, payable out of the estate, to all parties appearing and filing briefs except appellant. (Matter of Lyons, 271 N. Y. 204, revg. 245 App. Div. 548; Matter of Brake, 246 id. 758.) Lazansky, P. J., Young, Hagarty and Adel, JJ., concur; Johnston, J., not voting.