The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-07-25
A Celt brated Case.


All contests against the will of Isaac
VI. Singer in this country have been
disposed Of, all claims against the estate
have been settled, and more than So, 30O,-
900 distributed to the twenty five per-
sons named in the will. This has been
accomplished within two years, and the
surviving executor has gone to England
10 settle up the estate of SIS, 600, 900 in
that country.
It will be remembered that five
women called Mr.. Singer husband, and
twenty. five children called him father.
The will divided the property in Amer
lea, valued at about SO, 900, 900, into
sixty portions, these including requests
to all his children, illegitimate as well as
legitimate, and to his last wife. To the
two children of his first wife he gave
$1O,500; to the eight surviving children
of Miss Sponsler, who was known as his
wife when he turned his attention to in
ventions, he gave 81, $780, 900; to the
five children of Mary McGarigal, who
lived with him as Mrs. Matthews, he
gave the same amount; to the child of
Mary E. Walter, who lived with him as
Mrs. Merritt, he gave aportion valued at
$500, 900 to his last wife he gave $780,
900, and to her six children portions
valued at S., 800, 600.
Mary Ann Sponsler, or Mrs. Foster,
claimed to be the lawful widow of MIR.
Singer, and contested the will, but the
decision was against her, the court hold
ing that Isabella E. Singer, of England,
was the widow. The executors COM
promised with Mrs. Foster, paying her
$75, 1000. The children all claimed their
portions, and all the property in Amer
lea has been distributed.
The property in England was settled
on Mrs. Singer and her children. There
was queer complication in this case,
as Mrs. Singer, whose maiden name was
Boyer, was married under the name of
Summerville. Before his death Mr..
Singer made trust deed, conveying
this property to his wife. and signed a
will giving the property in England ex-
clusively to her.
Mrs. Catherine M. Singer, the first
wife, is living with her children in
Brooklyn; Miss Sponsler, now Mrs.
Foster, is living with her husband in
New York; Miss McGarigal, otherwise
Mrs. Matthews, is in Europe; Miss
Waller, or Mrs. Merritt, is living in En-
gland. All the romance and sad expert
ence in the lives OF these women came
out in the contested-will case. But now
that all complications have been ar
ranged, and all claims paid, this ''cele-
brated case" will cease to interest the
people.
M S. Singer, the last wife, lives on
the country seat in Paignton, England,
where her husband had planned to erect
residence that was to outshine all of
the old baronial castles. This was to be
called the Wigwam," was to have
private theater and reading room, con-
servatories, banquet halls, and all the
modern appliances and improvements.
This was put under contract, but was
not completed at the tine of Mr..
Singers death. Mr.. David Hawley,
executor of the Singer will, left New
York recently for Paignton to complete
arrangements for placing the English
estate in the control of Mrs. Singer.
The woman who took up with an adj
We turer i'll France, and who, several years
after, as Mrs. Singer was snubbed by
New York society, will then be worth
nearly Sc, 900, 00O-z1te9' Ocean.