$937,500 Bishop

If Bishop William Thomas Manning had been dead last week Manhattan's Cathedral of St. John the Divine wou'd have been $937,500 the richer.

When the Diocese of New York chose a high churchman to be bishop eleven years ago many a low church Episcopalian was annoyed, including one of the Cathedral's most regular worshippers, an elderly, strong-willed lady named Laura Shannon. But Very Rev. Howard Chandler Robbins remained as dean, and so when Miss Shannon made her will in 1924 she left the Cathedral $937,500. Then dissension arose at St. John's, culminating in the resignation three years ago of Dean Robbins (TIME, Jan. 14 & Nov. 4, 1929). Last week when Miss Shannon's will was read there was found a codicil added in 1927, before she stopped attending the Cathedral. It read:

"For reasons which I have carefully considered and to my mind warrant the conclusions I have reached, I make the following changes in my will: If the Right Rev. William T. Manning . . . shall survive me, I delete the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in each & every case where it appears and substitute for it in each case St. Luke's Hospital. . . ."

Said Bishop Manning: "So far as I can recollect, I know of no such person." But others knew her, including ex-Dean Robbins, to whom she left $350,000 in trust, and Dr. Henry Vane Beams Darlington of the Church of the Heavenly Rest, whither she went from the Cathedral. His church received $25,000 and he $1,000 for burying her. Other friends recalled that she had two prejudices: one against dogs & cats indoors, the other against Friday, the thirteenth. She died Friday, May 13.

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