The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-10-30
\ MILLI0NAIRES WIVES.
MRS. MARY ANN FOSTERS CLAIM
ON TIIIRTEEN MILLIONS.


Her LIE with Isunc VI. singer while lie
WINS Poor and after lie had acquired Enor-
nous Wealth she sued Tor Divorce.
The Isaac Merritt Singer will litigation
was resumed before SURROGATE Comm In White
Plains yesterday The tes tator left property IN
this country and In England valued NJ &l3,OOO,-
600. He provided for most Of his numerous
chill rem, but left nothing to any 81 the nve
women who lived with him, at various periods,
az his wives, except TO the last one, known as
Isabella K. Singer. To her he bequeathed a life
interest In his estate In England. valued at
f4.0OO,OOO The contestant. Mary Ann Singer
known az Mary Ann Foster. Gays that she was
his only real wife, and therefore she sues for a
widows dover. She was represented Yesterday
by MIR. Ruben ". Van Pclt. Ex-JudVe John X.
Porter and j. G. Carter appeared for Mr.. David
Hawley, Of Yonkers, one of tho millionaire iu-
venturs executors.
MIR. Van Pelt examined Mrs. Mary Ann Me-
CAREY TO prove the marital relations between
MIR Singer and the contestant. The witness be-
came acquainted with the couple seventeen
years ago when they were living IN Fourth ave-
nue.. she was introduced to Mr.. Singer lrst,
and he then presented her To the contestant as
"my wife" 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 MT. Singer and the con-
tcstaut, resulting IN n sepe9uuon The con-
testant went e. live With her at 50 Clinton place,
and after she Uhe witnessl had lone away. Mrs.
Singer, as she was called, remained IN the house
as a boardcr until sne married Mr.. Foster. This
was after divorce from Mr.. singer.
Up to this point the witness had called her
OF her a. Mrs. Foster"
Mrs Mary Ann Foster. the contestant. was
called to the stand. She IL an exceedingly well
preserved aud dignncd person, nity-nine years
Of age. She has blue eyes. and smooth brown
hair without "A trace Of silver She was becom-
ingly dressed, and presented something more
| than the mere remains Of tue beauty that fdsci-
mated Isaac Merritt Singer forty years ago. She
was native of Maryland. she said, and In the
| eprng Of 1879 MIR. singer began to nay hts adj
dresses TO her In lialiimoie. In October l6'0'
| she went to New York with Mr.. singer AMI as
tumcd toward him the relation Of VIE. Here
| the Surrog te looked at ex Judge Porter and
| suggested with all that the term implies"
The counsellor laughed as did the contestant.
| The witness continued that she cOhahltcd
| with MIR. Singer for twenty 1--WE years, hearing
| him ten children. of whom two died. She mad
| no mart al relations with any other man during
| tuat period. They travelled about the country
for thirteen years as Mr.. and Mrs. Merritt. for a
time playing temperance pieces ~ Gnu ches.
| Addressing her. he ALWAYS called her Ann; to
strangers he spoke Of her as Mrs. singer or
"my vile" she spoke OF him "a " Mr.. singer.
and usually addressed him rs "fnther.' They
were very poor ut nrst but In 1898 they went to
| Chicago, and Mr.. singer Invented ma
|
| After they mad become wealthy ana were living
| In Filth venue, the witness frequently made
| large purchas, at Stewards ana Lord X Fay
| Tors. and the bills were sent to her for sigma
turc and then presented at the oflce Of the sew
| Ing machine company. Wherever she bought
| goods she was treated US Mr.. Slnrer's wife. She
| hau so "a day for setting excuses, and used
! to draw what money she required from the
! bOukEeepcr OF the company, who Knew her as
| Mr. singers wife. when living in fifth avenue
| they kept ten horses and SIX carriages. She had
! one co Gilman, nd Mr.. Singer had another. III
| lSD she went with Mir. Singer to Balti.
| more, and their names were registered In
| the hotel book as MIR. and Mrs. singer.
| Their two children who died were buried II
| Greenwood Cemetery, and on the monument
| over their graves Is the name - Singer. on the
| 7tn Of August. 1860. the trouble " mentioned
by the preceding witness occurred. The con
testant. who was driving down Filth avenue II
her own carriage. met Mr.. Singer with one NARY
McGungal goire toward home In an opei
vehicle She had seen his companion IN th'
Singer Company Philadelphia office more THAI
once. but not with Ar. singer. She had heuTS
rumOrs. however, of the relations between them
and seeing them together, she screamed 50 lOut
a. 20 he heard nv them She drove To Thu
avenue, and thence home, ana there found
Singer aw ting her. when she entered tn
room lie beat her s~yereiv for screaming. Sh
bad him crested, and afterward Instituted pro
ceedings for divorce.
NJ singers inst wife, formerly q Miss Haley
T. wing IN brooklyn. II Is said Gen. Irucy
guarding Der interests.