October 10, 1909
COLONEL SWOPE LEFT AN
ESTATE OF $3,000,000.
ENTIRE INSTRUMENT WRITTEN
IN HIS OWN HAND JUNE 15, '05.
Full Text of the Paper as Filed in
Independence Shows the Wide
Extent of Kansas City's
Benefactor's Holdings.
An estate of $3,000,000, by the provisions of the will filed yesterday in the Independence division of the probate court was left by Colonel Thomas H. Swope to his near relatives, friends and to charity. The greater part of his property is bequeathed direct to his blood relations. City lots left to the Humane Society is the largest gift to charity.
The will was filed for probate by J. G. Paxton, an attorney of Independence, Mo., who framed it June 17, 1905. Mr. Paxton since has been its custodian. In filing the will, Mr. Paxton was accompanied by Stuart S. Fleming, Mr. Swope's nephew, who lives in Maury county, Tenn.
Colonel Swope named Mr. Paxton, Mr. Fleming and James M. Hunton of Independence his executors, and requested that they be allowed to serve without bond. George B. Harrison, Arthur F. Day and F. T. Childs, all of whom live here, signed as witnesses. The three men were present yesterday morning in court to attest their signatures.
A "HOLOGRAPHIC WILL."
The instrument states that "this is my holographic will." This is to indicate that it was written by Col. Swope. There were no changes in the instrument as written by him.
The bequests to charity are as follows: To Humane Society, two lots in Turner Company's addition; to Park College, two lots in West Kansas addition; to the Women's Christian Association, $10,000 cash; to Young Women's Christian Association, $10,000 cash; to Young Men's Christian Association, $10,000 cash; to the Provident Association, $25,000 cash.
After providing for charity and making specific bequests to his near relatives and friends, the balance is left to his nephews and nieces, to be divided share alike.
S. W. Spangler, attorney for Mr. Swope, has prepared a conservative estimate of the values of some of the real estate bequests made in the will. The values are as follows:
One-half of the two story building at 1017-1019 Main street, left to Ella J. Plunket, $75,000; the other half of the same property, left to Gertrude Plunket, $75,000; the undivided half of lots Nos. 10 and 12 on East Fourth street, left to Felix Swope, $13,250; the northeast corner of Hickory and Joy streets, now occupied by the John Deere Plow Company's warehouse, left to James Hunton, $40,000; the northeast corner of Twelfth and Walnut streets, 85-115 feet, left to Margaret Swope's five unmarried children, $400,000; 1112-1114 Walnut street, left to the same children, $190,000; 916-918 1/2 Main street, to the same children, $120,000; the northwest corner of Mulberry and Eleventh streets, to the same five children, $50,000; the southeast corner of Twelfth and Campbell streets, left to the five children, $60,000; 915 Walnut street, left to Frances Swope, $87,500; 120 acres, to the south half of the ground occupied by the Evanston Golf Club, to Thomas H. Swope, Jr., $240,000; the eight-story building at the southeast corner of Eleventh street and Grand avenue, to his nine nephews and nieces, $400,000.
Labels: charity, circuit court, Evanston Golf Club, Humane Society, Independence, probate, real estate, Swope Mystery, Thomas Swope, YMCA, YWCA
