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Show VISCCinSTT ASTOR, expatriated j American, 'whoso death in En- j gland is reported by the cahles. j I i r v I 5- S ' - ! S i ' w , I I s f . s If v N v if & ffiQIln ASTDR DIES IN ENGLAND Expatriated Multimillionaire Multimillion-aire Passes Away After Year's Illness. (Ey Universal Porvice. Special Cable Dispatch.) LONDON, Oct. 19. Vlscuunt William Waldorf Astor died of heart disease yesterday yester-day at Brighton, after a year's illness. Fie was 71 years old. Tho body -will be conveyed con-veyed to the residence of his son, Hon. Waldorf Astor, M. P., at 4 St. James square. It will be cremated and placed in tho family's private chapel at Cliveden. Clive-den. Sine he left America, In 1S30, to take up his residence in England, declaring that "America is not a fit country for a gentleman to live in," William Waldorf Astor had been almost continually in the public eye. The impulsive temperament which caused his self-expatriation kept him in hot water in his adopted country for many years. Tt was not until after the outbreak of the war that he managed to overcome the opposition to his ambition ambi-tion to achieve, a peerage. He was made a baron by King George In 1016 and a viscount in 1917, in recognition of his generous financial contributions to war projects. Astor abandoned his residence in America following a dispute with his mother, who insisted that the younger Mrs. Astor must not use cards bearing the title "Mrs. Astor" without the given name prefixed. The newspapers took up the dispute and treated it in a humorous way. This, together with the activity of reporters seeking interviews with him, led to Astor's 'Incision to slink e the dust of America from his feet.. Me beca me naturalized as a British subject fn l s f) . In 1S9:-! he bftcame the owner of the (Continued on Page 2, Column 5.) ViSCBiT ASTOR PIES 11 Ml (Continued From Page One.) Pall Mall Gazette and the P all Mall Magazine. Shortly afterward he Installed the son of an earl as the editor of the former and tiie son of a di ke as Jailor of the latter. In a snort ''' f charged both for making fun ot his bocial ambitions. ,, were Astor s entertainments In Lowlon were lavish and were always well attended Lb.it his social progress was, evertheles. slower than lie had expected. At one of these entertainments Astor .. a"''"? through the rooms of his P-"''1?' ,eS donee, met a man ho did not know He asked the stranger if he had been Invited. In-vited. The stranger sa d he h d not, and Astor had him ejected. He found out later that the stranger was Admiral fa r Berkeley Milne. i,uimate friend of the prince of Wales, and that he had been brought to the entertainment b ton suelo, duchess of Manchester. That Incident Inci-dent closed the doors of court society to Astor for manv years. . . Astor was greatly annoyed after us purchase of Hever castle by the circulation circula-tion of a story to the effect that the ghost of Anne Boleyn hr. uecuned to haunt the castle after it caino Into Astor's possession. It has been estimated that his expenditures expendi-tures in his campaign for the Pp,'raL-a amounted to not less than $12,000,000. Double taxes were a heavy dram on Pic Astor estate. In England he was callou upon to pay a war tax of 4 per cent on an estate of $40,000,000, or $1,600,00'). In New York he was called upon to pay a. similar amount, this being a 2 per cent lew on $h'i,0o0.ooo of realty and other holdings. A treasury expert figured tlidt Astor was paying altogether 110 per cent of taxes in 11117. ' . The W aldorf Astor estate In Mew YorK was divided in 1H17 bclween his two sons, Hon. W aldorf Astor, M. P., and captain Hon. John Astor. These holdings included in-cluded the Waldorf-Astoria. Knickerbocker, Knicker-bocker, Astor and New Netherlands hotels, several blocks of apartment houses, tenements, ofllce buildings and other property. The total value was estimated esti-mated at Sf.o.Oi'O.fiOO. . , Astor had been living In seclusion at Brighton, lOngland, for some months past. He had two residences In England, Hever castle and Cliveden, and another at Sorrento. Italy. -William Waldorf Astor was born In New York. May 111, ISIS. He was a grandson of the original John Jacob Astor. As-tor. He took an earlv interest in politics and s-rved in the New York legislature from 1S7S until 1SS1. He was United States minister to Italy from ISS'J until He achieved some distinction as an author, and published several books, among them being "Valentine." a story of Home, and "Sforsza," a historical romance ro-mance of Italy of the sixteenth century, matic suddenness yesterday, but it was not announced until this evening. On Friday the aged former American had been unusually cheerful and bright; better, indeed, than he had been for several sev-eral weeks. He was alone with the household staff, no members of his family being near. Viscount Astor retired early Friday eve-nine, eve-nine, and died a painless death shortly atNT 4 (clock Saturday morning. During the past week, he bad been happily hap-pily planning a trip to southern Franco, where lie iiHnr.neci to spena mc i unci . Ho had proposed to leave in a few days. H had h.;en ailing" for at least a year, htit ni-'tiibfrs of the family said tonight they had notiecd in the last few days how utiuHiall v well he appeared. Major Waldorf Astor, his srmt who fc-et-ed him us viscount, was on his estate jit Cliveden, which had been given to him bv his father a few years ao. He hurrit-d to Brichtnn with his sister. Mrs. 1 II. Spender-Clay, who was Pauline Astor. .1hn ,T:t'rh Astor. the second sn. was st;iyinir at H vcr rustle, which his father h.ui pri.sep.tod to him only a few weeks Vtr-.'ount A-!r had been living at his Hr-sthton hoinf for the last six months. Tli' ie was only mn: l:me when his family amh M-ri'.usly 'alurnied about his health, and that was a year ao. Since then there had be"n v.n apparent cause for anxniy. exempt that it was realized his advamed are n,iht hasten tiie end. IPs i-hi- f hobby sim-e ho pavp up active lif.- was r-adinL'. lie was especially fond of histonral writings, and was intimately v. tsal in ;he lust"i- of ancient and tnd- rn w ii -fa re. I'p to thf time of hn ih'at)i. he insist'-d upon mat:acinir his own aflans. and d.d this so eil that even the nainbera of his family do not know the a mo vmt of Ji is income or t h t.i xe In paid m the United Suites and Great Hr'tain. None of tho members of his family s-'Mo-d intimate w ith the terms of the will wlnm st-en by a Universal Service a I'f correspondent t onnrht . The is Tinum specuiati"!! in London as n cinls vliat clianty bequests, it contains. con-tains. .Wor had few personal friends in l-'.n-c'.aiid. Me was k recluse, nnd seldom ap-pf.i ap-pf.i red in soci, t ". I ndi'ed. he was able to waik the most fashionable streets of 1 ..in .Pm wih.iiit bt-inK' reropnized. except bv vciv few wlio knew him intimatelv. I Hi' 1 l;ed privacv. and alwa s pUiried i in the fact that he was not bothered in Mi'Klaii'l by photographers and reporters, 'whom he declared tho bane of hip life I whe-ieer iti New York or anywhere else m the I'nited States, for that matter. 1 1 is d na t ions for war work mid relief h.Tt- were lavish His aid to the Krittsh Ked I'ross won him new honors from the nut mm The new Viscount Astor Is popular and ib'inoerat fc He Is prominent in Kneiisa polities, and an (miniate friend and Rreat admirer of Premier I.lovd tJenrne. who has shown fa it h in him bv sending him c o manv secret government missions to I ho c.Mll llicin . M.i I'M- AViililorf tins iust returned from 1 ',,'iiiiu 11V. where lie tiiid hern sent by the pi-ciiiifr oil a sccr-.-t Inurney. Vie hail planned to visit New York Inst month, hut jtn -eminent business prevented tins. The niiiioi' mis the first bin-, not ot Ktieli.-h birth, attnliiimr tiio position of c.-iplaui of the l-'t'Ul b"Vs. ltjs sueces-:aon sueces-:aon t-i the pcer;u;e will lnvole the el.v-(Imh el.v-(Imh nf n sneces.i'l' to him in the 1:0111-111, 1:0111-111, us. f-u- h" will hereafler sit ill the In. use of lor.lH. |
