Surrogate George Albert Wingate, in a decision handed down in Brooklyn yesterday, granted the motion of the contestants of the will of Meyer Chinsky, publisher of Hebrew books, denying probate of Chinsky’s will. As a result of the decision the two nephews will inherit all the money.
Chinsky, who was a bachelor and 59 at the time of his death, occupied a single room at 1236 Fiftieth street, Borough Park. He left an estate valued at more than $250,000.
His will was contested by two nephews, Meyer and Simeon Lazarowitz, both of Jerusalem, Palestine, each of whom inherited only $500 under the will. The trial lasted about two. weeks before Surrogate Wingate.
In his decision, Surrogate Wingate says, in part, “that the three subscribing witnesses deliberately, intentionally and probably concertedly endeavored to minimize everything pointing to the serioussriess of the patient’s illness. Their testimony was colored until it is substantially unbelievable.”
THREE WITNESSES
The three subscribing witnesses referred to were Dr. Aida Sloan, medical supervisor of the Israel Zion hospital where Chinsky died; Dr. Max Graetz, a house physician; and Estelle Schagrin, a nurse called from an outside registry to attend the patient.
Chinsky was taken to the hospital on April 4, 1933, and died in the early morning of April 7. His will, it was testified, was signed on the morning of his death, between midnight and 12:30 a.m.
Rabbi Simon Glaser, of Manhattan, was named executor in the will and given wide discretionary powers. The will left sixty per cent of profits from Chinsky’s publishing business to the Israel Zion hospital and forty per cent of the profits to be used for various institutions here and in Jerusalem. The residue of the estate was to be used by Rabbi Glaser also for institutions.
WILL CALLED “GUIDED”
Surrogate Wingate also states in his decision:
“The handwriting expert testified the signature to the will was ‘guided’ and not an actual forgery.”
Carl Sherman was attorney for the proponents of the will and Adolph Feldblum appeared for the contestants.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
