Will of Late Mrs. Annette K. Rankine, Widow of Former Power Magnate Insures Bequests to Local Concerns

Document Has Been Approved by Surrogate in New York and the Executors Discharged — Close Friends and Distant Relatives of Testator Remembered by Legacies.

New York, Dec. 18. — An accounting of the estate left by Mrs. Annette K. Rankine, sister-in-law of DeLancey Rankine of Niagara Falls, N. Y., made by Benjamin Vernor Norton, her brother, of Pelham Manor, N. Y., DeLancey Rankine, and the Guaranty Trust company, of this city, as executors, filed here in the Surrogates’ court, stands today approved by the surrogate and the executors discharged from all matters as embraced in the schedules.

Mrs. Rankine, documents show, was the widow of William Birch Rankine, of Niagara Falls, and a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Edward K. Norton. She was of literary tastes and, several years ago, financed a magazine called “The Seven Arts.” She disappeared from public view in April, 1921, and on May 4th of that year her body was washed ashore.

By her will, executed on February 5, 1913, after the payment of all her debts, she ordered that her estate be divided as follows:

Benjamin Vernor Norton, brother, $2,100, “as he is well provided for under the will of our mother.”

Mrs. John W. Rankine, sister-in-law, of Owego, N. Y., $600.

The Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital, for the maintenance of a ward, $125.

The Young Men’s Christian Association of Niagara Falls, to be used for the maintenance of the entrance hall of the building of said association, $100.

Mrs. James Rankine, sister-in-law, of Springfield, Mass., a sum to be set aside to yield her $600 a year for life, with the right to will the principal.

Anna Bunnel, friend, of Geneva, N. Y., $300 yearly for life.

Alice Lavinia Day, friend, of Morristown, N. J., and Fanny Rankine Denniston, niece, of Plainfield, N. J., each $10,000.

Jean and Katherine Denniston, grandnieces, of Plainfield, N. J., each $5,000.

Marguerite Rankine Sanford of Geneva, N. Y., and Katherine Rankine Cunningham of Plainfield, N. J., grandnieces, each $2,000.

Joseph Rankine Cunningham, (son of Katherine Rankine Cunningham), of Plainfield, N. J., $5,000.

Mrs. Richard F. Rankine, sister-in-law, of No. 319 West Fifty-seventh street, $5,000.

Louise Closser Hale, friend, of No. 27 Washington Sq., and the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, each $10,000.

James D. Norton, uncle, of Nyassett Club, Springfield, Mass., $5,000, and also the cancellation of all debts due her.

Louise V. Norton, her mother, (who predeceased her, having died on December 3, 1920, and so her intended legacies lapse), half of the residue, all of the real estate, and also the jewelry.

DeLancey Rankine, brother-in-law, the remaining half of the residue.

Harold S. Rankine, brother-in-law, of No. 27 Pine street, $1,200 a year for life.

A paragraph of the will reads:

“I give and bequeath unto my executors, other than the Guaranty Trust Company, such of my personal belongings as they may select for mementoes or for the purpose of carrying out any wishes of mine expressed by written memorandum, for the distribution of keepsakes among my personal friends.”

In directing that all inheritance taxes be paid out of her residuary estate, Mrs. Rankine failed to state what should be done with the intended legacies for her mother in the event that the latter had failed to survive her.

In their accounting — excluding the realty left by the testatrix — the executors charged themselves with $606,217.36 as principal, and also with $30,735.60 as income, the latter embracing a period from May 14, 1921, to March 20th last.

Against the principal they credited themselves with for funeral, administration and other expenses, $53,800.21, and distributed among the legatees, $521,411.33.

Against the income they credited themselves with for administration, etc., $18,472.68.

The balances — $15,005.19 as principal, and $25,284.07 as income — they held for further distribution, subject to an order of the court.

The distribution of the $521,411.33 were as follows:

Katherine Rankine Cunningham, $1,500.20; to executors, in trust, for Mrs. James Rankine, $12,104.25; to executors, in trust, for Anna Bunnel, $5,502.18; Mrs. John W. Rankine, $11,592.31; Benjamin Vernor Norton, $231.59; Fanny Rankine Denniston, $10,000; DeLancey Rankine, $185,124.10; James D. Norton, $7,000; Jean and Katherine Denniston, each $5,000; Louise Closser Hale, $10,000; Joseph Rankine Cunningham, $5,000; Alice Lavinia Day, $10,000; Marguerite Rankine Sanford, $2,000; the New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, $10,000; the Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital, $2,213; the Young Men’s Christian Association of Niagara Falls, $1,715, and Mrs. Richard F. Rankine, $5,000.

The accounting also showed that the testatrix had left 35 acres of unimproved land at New Canaan, and at Stamford, Conn., valued at about $3,050; and also a small plot of unimproved land at Niagara Falls, valued at about $500.

Also that Harold S. Rankine, in exchange for his life interest of $1,200 yearly, accepted, in lieu of his interests against the estate, (which was taken from the share of DeLancey Rankine), 100 shares (common) of the Shredded Wheat Company; 200 shares (preferred) of the Niagara Falls Power Company, and also $500 in cash.

In signing the decree the Surrogate directed that the remaining balances from both the principal and income be divided equally between Benjamin Vernor Norton and DeLancey Rankine.

The assets of the estate left by the testatrix included the following:

Four shares of the Habirshaw Electric Cable Company, $360; 200 shares of the Atlantic Mines Company, $2; 200 shares of the Buffalo General Electric Company, $19,700; 25 shares of the Club Building Company, $1,250; 175 shares of the Francis Manufacturing Company, $19,075; 175 shares of the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Company, $12.25; 175 shares of the Goldfield Deep Mines Company, $1.75; 100 shares of the Goldfield Merger Mines Company, $1; and 25 shares of the Manufacturers & Traders National Bank, $7,500.

Two shares of the New Canaan Water Company, $160; 25 shares of the Midwest Refining Company, $3,725; 600 shares (preferred) of the Niagara Falls Power Company, $55,500, and 51 shares (common) of the same company, $1,400; 130 shares of the Ramapo Foundry & Wheel Works, $17,375; 265 shares (preferred) of the Shredded Wheat Company, $23,717.50, and 1,205 shares (common) of the same company, $133,755; 100 shares of the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, $10,800; 44 shares of the Union Pacific Railway Company, $2,810.50; 200 shares of the United States Steel Corporation, $21,725; 1,500 shares of the Western New York Water Company, $4,500, and 1,200 shares of the J. G. White Company, Ltd., $3,134.25.

Bonds of: The American Can Company, $2,520, with dividends, $34.17; The American Tobacco Company, $4,987.50; The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Company, $3,853.54, with dividends, $12.22; The Cataract Power & Conduit Company, $3,800, with dividends, $155.36; The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway Company, $3,850, with dividends, $51.25; The Dominion of Canada, $3,825, with dividends, $35.45; The Federal Land Bank of Columbia, $5,902.50; The General Electric Company, $3,934, with dividends, $54.97, and The Interborough Railway Company, $8,150.

The Interborough Rapid Transit Company, $2,512.50, with dividends, $77.78; The Liggett & Myers Tobacco Company, $4,956.25, with dividends, $115.33; The Miami Conservancy District of Columbia, $10,000, with dividends, $216.94; The Niagara Falls Power Company, $13,375, with dividends, $173.83; The Omaha Water Works, $4,512.50, with dividends, $70; The Oregon Short Line Railway Company, $3,160, with dividends, $63.11; The Ramapo Iron Works, $7,650, with dividends, $102.59; The Reading Company & Philadelphia & Reading Coal & Iron Company, $7,800, with dividends, $124.45; The Standard Milling Company, $5,575; The Union Pacific Railway Company, $6,760, with dividends, $93.56; Liberty Loan, $55,336.05, with dividends, $216.17; The United States Steel Corporation, $3,820, with dividends, $155.33; The Federal Land Bank of Louisville, $3,935, with other dividends, $43,641.85, and furniture, $1,713.

Also, promissory note, made by James D. Norton, $2,000, with accrued interest, $520.33; jewelry, $8,437.55, and cash, on deposit, with The Guaranty Trust Company, $14,055.

William Birch Rankine, husband of the testatrix, documents show, was a lawyer and electrical power plant owner, and died of pneumonia at Franconia, N. H., on September 20, 1905, while on a honeymoon trip. He was born at Oswego, N. Y., on January 4, 1858, educated at the Herbert and Union Colleges, N. Y., and was admitted to the bar in 1880, and practiced in New York City for about 10 years.

Fifteen years prior to his death, he became interested in the development of the power of the Falls of Niagara, and ever since devoted his energies and ability to that field in connection with the Niagara Falls Power Company, and the Canadian Niagara Power Company, of which he was the vice-president. He was also the secretary of the Tesla Company, a life trustee of Union College of Schenectady, N. Y., and a member of the State Bar Association, the Bar Association of the City of New York, the University, Lawyers’ and Alpha Delta Phi clubs of this city.

He married Miss Annette Kittridge Norton only a few months before, and had planned to go on a trip abroad, but at the last moment they went to Franconia instead. The steamer on which the couple had engaged for going abroad, carried a stateroom full of flowers, fruit and other remembrances sent by friends, many of whom learned of the change in plans for the first time when they heard of his death. The change of the plans from going abroad to Franconia was cancelled so suddenly that when the liner sailed the vacant cabin was piled with gifts and flowers sent by their friends.

Louise De F. Norton, mother of Mrs. Annette K. Rankine, documents show, died on December 3, 1920, leaving a net estate of $115,591.96 which, by her will, she ordered divided as follows:

Benjamin Vernor Norton, son, $87,215.46; Annette K. Rankine, daughter, $13,976.50; Mary Clare Mullally Norton, daughter-in-law, $10,000; James D. Norton, brother, of Nyasset Club, Springfield, Mass., Evelyn H. Hopper, cousin, of No. 217 East Willis street, Detroit, Mich., William P. Herrod, no relation, of the University Club, Washington, D. C., and the Louise Memorial Hospital of Niagara Falls, each $1,000.

Jane Bowen of La Salle, N. Y., and Elizabeth Fowler of New Canaan, Conn., no relations, each $100. The Glenwood Cemetery of Detroit, Mich., for the care of her plot, $500.

The gross value of the estate left by Mrs. Norton amounted to $123,027.56, and this consisted of cash, on deposit, with banks, $491.55; personal effects and chattels, $5,694.14, and in securities, etc., $119,233.57.

The expenses, $9,135.60, as charged up against the gross value, were for the funeral, $2,117.13; administration, $3,125.68; creditors, $1,031.77, and executors’ commissions, $2,861.02.

Benjamin Vernor Norton and Annette K. Rankine were named and qualified as the executors of the estate.

The taxes, as assessed by Surrogate John P. Cohalan, under the inheritance tax laws, were as follows:

Benjamin Vernor Norton, $1,334.31, Annette K. Rankine, $5,507; Mary Clare Mullally Norton, $200; James Norton, Evelyn H. Hopper and William P. Herrod, each $50.