The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-03
nlLLrosArRE,s WIVES.
Mrs. Hary Ann Fosters Claim on Thirteen
Milli0ns.

Millions.
The isaac Merritt Singer will litiga-
tion was resumed before Surrogate Cot
fin in White Plains yesterday. The
testator left property in this country and
in England valued at $l3, 100000. He
provided for most of his numerous chill
dren, but lett nothing TO any Of the five
women who lived with him at various
periods as his wives, except to the last
one, known as Isabella u. Singer.
To her he bequeathed a life interest in
his estate in England, valued at 81, GOO, 600.
The contestant, Mary Ann Singer,
known as Mary Ann Foster, says that
| she was his only real wife. and there
| fore she sues for a Widows dover.
| she was represented yesterday by Mr..
Reuben W. Van Pelt. Ex-Judge John
| X. Porter and J. U. Carter appeared tor
MIR. David Hawiey. of Yonkers, one OF
the millionaire inventors executors.
Mr. Van Pelt examined Mrs. Mary
Ann Meggrey to prove the marital re-
| lations between Mr.. Singer and the con-
testant. The witness became aoquaint-
ed with the couple seventeen years ago
when they were living in Fourth ave-
nue.. She was introduced to Mr.. Singer
| first, and he then presented her to the
contestant as "my wire."
Both at that time, and after they had
| moved into their Fifth-avenue mansion,
ladies and gentlemen OF high social
standing called upon them, and nothing,
as far as the witness knew, was ever
| said to indicate that the contestant was
not the lawful wife of Mr.. Singer. The
| witness remembered that some trouble
arose between Mr.. Singer and the con-
testant, resulting in separation. The
| contestant went to live with her at 50
| Clinton place, and after she (tne wit
ness Y had gone away, Mrs. Singer, as
she Was called, remained in the house
as boarder until she married Mr.. Fos-
ter. This was alter divorce from Mr..
Singer.
Up to this point the witness had called
her friend "Mrs. Singer" She now be-
gan to speak Of her as "Mrs. Foster."
Mrs. Mary Ann Foster, the contest
ant, was called to the stand. She is an
exceedingly well preserved and digni-
fed person, fitly-nine years of age. She
has blue eyes, and smooth, brown hair
without a trace of silver. She was be-
comingly dressed, and presented some-
thing more than the mere remains OF the
; beauty that fascinated Isaac Merritt
Singer forty years ago. Sne was ma
live OF Maryland, she said, and in The
spring of 1885, Mr.. Singer began to pay
his addresses to her in Baltimore. In
: October, 1866, she went to New YORK
with Mr.. Singer and assumed toward
himsthe relation of vile. Here the Sur
rogate looked at ex-Judge Porter and
suggested "with all thai the term i'm
} plles.U The counselor laughed, as did
the contestant.
The witness continued that she cohab-
tied with MIR. Singer for twenty-five
years, bearing him ten children, OF whom
{ two died. She had no marital relations
with any other man during that period.
They travelled about the country Tor
} thirteen years as Mr.. and Mrs. Merritt,
for time playing temperance pieces in
churches. Addressing her, he always
called her Ann; TO strangers he spoke
of her as "Mrs. Singer" or "my wife,"
She spoke OF him as "Mr. Singer" and
usually addressed him as "father."
They were very poor at first, but In
1888 they went to Chicago, and Mr.. Sing
er invented a machine to carve type,
and reaping machine. After they had
become wealthy and were living in Filth
avenue, the witness frequently made
large purchases at Stewards and Lord
a. Taylor's, and the bills were sent to
: her fortsignature and then presented al
pany, Wherever she bought goods she
was treated as Mr.. Singers wife. She
had $40 a day for marketing expenses,
and used to draw what money she re-
ouired from the bookkeeper of the CON-
, pany, who knew her as Mr.. Singers
vile.
When living In Fifth avenue they kept
' ten horses and six carriages. She had
9 enc coachman, and Mr.. Singer had an
other, In 1850 she went with Mr.. Singer
, to Baltimore, and their names were regis
tered in t e hotel book as "Mr. and Mrs
4 Singer" Their two children who died
lwere buried in Greenwood Cemetery
and OH the monument over their graves
] is the name of Singer. On the 7th o
August. 1860, the sstrouble" mentioned
q by the preceding witness occurred. Tit
j. contestant, who was driving down Fiftl
W avenue in her own carriage, met MI
j. Singer with one Mary McGonigal goini
toward home in an open vehicle.
She had seen his companion in tn
Singer Company's Philadelphia ofic'
Q more than once, but not with Mr.. Singer
!. She had heard rumors, however, OF th
|. relations between them, and seeing then
together, she had screamed sol loud asst
be heard by them. She drove to Thir
8 avenue, and thence home, and ther
Is she found Mr.. Singer awaiting hel
=. When she entered the room ne beat he
severely for screaming. She had him a.
N rested, and afterWard instituted prt
l. ceedings for divorce.
10 Mr.. Singers. first wife, formerly Mis-
= Harley, is living in. Brooklyn. 1t is sal
y Gen. Tracy is guarding her interest
IN. Y..sun.