The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-11-30
FIGHTING FOR S1,OOO,OOO.
PECJLJIRITIES IN THE CONTEST FOR
JOSEPH LEUIS'S MONEY.
Mrs Lcwi-'s Fnorts to Prove that She IL
the W Idow Of the MiIiionnire-Hefutin
the Testimony TO Iniure Her Reputation.

the Testtmony TO tnlure her Heputntions
Another interesting chapter in the history |
Of Joseph Lewis. the dead millionaire Of |
HOhoken who left his money to tho Govern
mcnt. is promised by the counsel for the &C. |
centric old mans sisters. who are contestlng
for a share Of the estate. at the next hearing
before Referee See in Jersey City. In speaking
Of the case yesterday Mr.. II. w. Russell of coun-
sci for tho sisters said. The character Of tho
present proceeding before the referee has been
widely misunderstood A direct attack has been
made on the widow. and an eforthas been made
to show that she was not the wife OF Mr.. Lewis
This is all irrelevant to the question Mt issue
The woman claiming to be Mr.. Lcwis's widow
made application for nm allowance pending the
litigation. and this has opened the door for nm
unwarrnntcd assault on her standing. But the
true and only question now Mt issue is whether
or not Mr. Lewis made will, and not whether
| he left n widow Before Mrs Lewis can bring
suit IA the widow the Chancellor must pass on
| the validity of the will. It's a remarkable case.
| The story, when 1t Ia all out. will read like
| dime novel. | am not the lawyer for the lady
| who claims 10 be Mrs. Lewis but as attorney Tor
the old mans ssters, who are Interested.
| have investigated her claims. and am convinced
| that her standing cannot he shaken. She has
| put in the strongest evidence to show that she
was legally married TO Mr.. Lewis and there Ia
| UlNTf nTNNl W lhliNW lhNtl'i ph III Aho NhH's
believe her to be an estimable woman. When
she FIRST met the old man he was more than 20
years Of age and she was about 20. He was
| twenty years younger In appearance. and was
| ms erect and agile ns n man In the primo Of life
To conceal the evidence Of the trace OF negro
| blood in his veins ho shaved of his kinky hair
and wore n wig. The dark tint in his checks
he artfuy concealed by n few touches OF rouge.
He courtcd Miss Hastings who was handsome.
! ufFV uYI all s4tlu
uusly. She came OF noted families in
England on both her fathers and her
mothers side. She was left an orphan at
uu carly age. hut she grew up with strong
pride IN her ancestry, and her great ambition
was to visit England. She once rcIected lewlss
ofer Of marrigge hut he persisted in his suit.
lie concealed from. her bis doubtful parentage,
! and represented that he. too was OF an old
English family. lie told her that ho had visited
| England and had been presented nt court.
fnally, when ho offered 70 take Miss Hastings
| to England in search OF her ancestors and 10
dovotc himself and his fortune TO the gratifca-
ilon of her wishes, she agreed TO marry him.
sessed literary tastes. Ha used To copy poetry
out Of books ami pass 1t of on her rs his orig
They lived together" Mr.. Russell continu-
I'd. for six months, and then she went away
from him. "A broken hearted woman. In regard
10 his treatment OF her more will appear here.
after. One instance will give YOU an idea OF
her life The old man came ipto her room ono
day and found her in tears with packet or let
ters from her parents and their pictures before
her. In rage ho swept letters and pictures
llAlN Att'. hA's oo1AAe NANoN NAAhho AA"oN SNN
Now as to, some of the points in the evi-
dencp.' Mr.. Russell said. An attempt has
been made To inlure her character by showing
lhr she lived in great many places In New
York. and was continually changing about.
Thr fact Is that in twenty years residence here
she has lived in twenty-two places. but in
many cases she moved with the same fam
ily from one house t. another Furthermore.
IN all the places in which she lived she was
known Ss Mrs. Jane Lewis ana by no ether Sia,
which tina executors have sought TO prove To be
forgery. irs. Lewis and one OF the attesting
! witness have sworn tO It's Renuinencss. III
forts were mad" hy the executors to prove that
the engraving upon which the rihrate was
written Wts not IN existence on the lsth OF No
! vemhnr. iN5s-ih" date Of the alleged marriage,
| -n'cgus' The llute from which 4 was printed
WAS altered In 1862. 1865 and in 1868. and those
alterations appear in the certificate, That eyi-
! She las nut in oyid,nca two certincntrs exactly
Ike hers that were issued in 1858 Tho
. persons who were married in that year
, and the witnesses to the ceremonies have
y been produced. She has another certificate
! Of 1853 which she will Offer in evidence.
= and the Clergyman who tied the knot wlltestlty
| has met tho dOuht'ul recollection of the on
gravcrs with p"sitiv" and indisputahle facts.
Tho alterations which. Il Is asserted. were made
in lSG2 must have existed in 1858. for they ap-
4 | pear in every marriage certificate issued from
! crad forgery Il Justice Fsh's name to the GER
tihcato ny Mark Sacia there Is no proof what
s ever, No export testimony u that effect M Mhas
: that sacia never saw Mrs. Lewis or any OF her
! friends and mad nothing to do with the mar
y riage certificate. Persons TO whom the certih-
\ | cate was shown by Mrs. Lewis soon after her
= marriage will testify hereafter"
. | Mr.. Russell is preparing memorial in behalf
} | ot Mr. Lpwis's sisters asking MIR. r. B Hayes
y, 20 refuse TO accept tho $1,000 900 bequeathed "a
, the United States Government. on the ground
a that the testatOr was OF unsound mind, and
p that the sisters. who are next OF Kin, are aged
inhrm. and impoverished.
: The will provides that the executors as trus-
; tees may use their discretion rs to the manner
. OF applying the said residue. &c. but
, strictly enon them that they personally super.
" intend the application ot the same" Under
y this provision. MIR. Russell says. the executors
may practically keep the money, as they ar,
not compelled to pay II over until the war debt
il paid within the last 81 OOO 900. They might
keep the legacy for their own use in all proba
n bility for "a hundred years to come. As to per
sonnlly experimenting " the application NJ the
payment MIR. Russell says 1t Ia n manifest nb
suriiiy and an imposs lbiliy He thinks tha
: the Government Will decline the money.