[D9209AAZ], Letter from Sherburne Blake Eaton to Thomas Alva Edison, June 8th, 1892
https://edisondigital.rutgers.edu/document/D9209AAZ
Transcription
New York June 8, 1892 Thomas A. Edison, Esq., Dear Sir: Referring to the unpaid bill of the American Surety Company for $150 due February 17, 1892, against you as Administrator of Mary A. Edison, I beg to submit the following report: (1) On February 17, 1885m you were appointed Administrator by the Surrogate of New York County, and on the same date, the American Surety Company went on your bond for $100,000 as surety. Apparently you deposited with the said Company, as security, withdrawn. These bonds were deposited in a box in the Mercantile Safe Deposit Company, having two locks, or a double lock, you and the Surety Company each having different keys, and both keys being necessary to open the box. The Surety Company states that this premium has been paid by you up to last year. (2) Whether you will continue to incur this annual expense depends upon whether or not a final decree allowing your accounts as Administrator has been entered in the Surrogates Court. If such a decree were entered, and a certified copy was served on the Surety Company, and your bond were discharged, this expense would then stop. Whether such a decree has been entered, I discuss below. (3) Has the aforesaid decree allowing your final accounts ever been entered? I am quite well satisfied from what the Surety Company states and from what appears of record at the Surrogates Court, that no such decree has ever been entered, and so far as appears there, no such decree has ever been entered. (4) If you wish, can you now get a decree finally allowing your accounts, and then discharge the bond, without actually distributing among the legal descendants? You cannot. As some of the heirs are minors, guardians would have to be appointed, and it would be a somewhat complicated and expensive matter to wind up the estate. In winding up the estate and before your hand as Administrator could be discharged, you would have to distribute the Estate, (5) In any event you must pay this bill for the past year, and if you will kindly send me a cheque for $150 drawn to the order of the American Surety Company. I shall see that it is attended to. Apparently that will pay their charge up to February 17, 1892, which appears to be the annual period of payment. (6) Will you leave this estate as it is and continue to pay this amount annually? Or, will you leave your bond as it is and procure another surety or sureties who will make no charge, to take the place of the American Surety Company which charges this annual compensation? Or will you go on and wind up the estate and distribute whatever assets there are among those entitled thereto by law? Awaiting your instructions, I remain, Very truly yours, S.B. Eaton