National Affairs: Stotts

Since David Stott, founder of Stott Milling Co.. died in 1916 his seven children have fought privately (with fists) and publicly (with suits) over the management of the ten-million-dollar estate he left them. Detroit's Judge Homer Ferguson, before whom many of these suits have been tried, once said: "David Stott was able to pass on to his heirs his physical assets but not his business ability or his ability to get along with others."

One of the heirs of whom he spoke was middle-aged Bertha A. Stott. whose...