The New York herald., 1879-12-09
sELF-coNFEssED PERJURERs.

| EXTRAORDINARY DEVELOPMENTS IN THE LEWIS
WILL cAsE-wIrNEssEs FOR THE CLAIMANT
RETRAcT THEIR FORMER TEsTIMoNy--RE-
PORTED FLIGHT OF THE ALLEGED WIDOW.
The hearing before Referee c. s. Leo. in Jersey
CITY Yesterday in the contest the will OF the
late Joseph L. Lewis Of Hoboken. the most inter-
esting held since the contest began. aud the test
mony taken of such nature as to warrant the
prediction that the case is the end
Lewis died in Hoboken in the early part
OF 1877, and before death bequeathed his
entire property. estimated at over $l.000.000, TO
the United States government. Several claimants at
put in an appearance. and since that time the
has been before Master in Chancary See for the
purpose of hearing the testimony. The most prom
inent claimant was woman describing herself as
Mrs. Jane Lewis. nSe Hastings. who claimed to be
the widow of the deceased. In support of her state
ment she produced certificate OF marriage between
Jane Hastings and Joseph L. Lewis In September.
1858. The certificate signed by Rtheridgs M.
Fish, justice OF the peace Of West Hoboken. now
dead. Yesterday the widow WIS to have been cross
examined for the government by Mr.. Edwards
Pierrepont, but she did not put in an appearance.
BOGUS CERTIFICATES.
When the case was opened counsel for the govern
cnt called to the stand Mr.. Elijah J. Cauldwell who
had previously been sworn as witness for the al
legged widow who distracted all Of his former testi
mony and testified anew. as follows:-I reside in
New York city, and at present am engaged in the
business Of plumber and gasftter; I remember
consultation held one year ago. between Marcus T.
socia, q man named Russell and myself. over
proposition to forge marriage certificate Of Frank
Fleet and Mary E. Reed; the parties. 1t alleged.
had been married in 1858. but during q quarrel in
1878 Floet denied his marriage; Mrs. Fleets mother
produced his marriage certificate. which he seized
and threw into closet; his brother-in-law after
ward recovered the paper and preserved it; Fleet
never it from that time until 1t was produced in
this-cxaminattop.
At this point counsel produced tho certificate of
marriage of Fleet and Miss Reed. which WAS in
frame. The witness identified 1t as the certificate
held by Miss Reed. The frame, he said, belonged to
him. The certificate, he testified. had been pur-
chased by in 1878. and the name of the par
ties had been filled in by Marcus Socia; the frame
had been purchased by witness in 1885, and formerly
contained his marriage certihcate he gave to
ooa oS had told him that the ink used in
ling In the certificate was forty years old, 30 as to
give appearance of age to the papers the certih-
cate forced with Fleets name was exact copy OF
the printed certificate produced by the alleged
widow; there copies OF that kind OF certif-
cate in existence in 1858.
'-Nor JOSEPH LEWIS WIDOW"
II have talked with the woman claiming to be
she has admitted to me that she not Joseph
Lewis widow; she told me that she not only never
visited his house. but never saw him she frequently
asked me to describe him and tell her his manner
and habits. and did 30; was an old acquaintance
Justice Fish, and also told her all remembered
OF him and described him to her. she was aware Of
the fact that knew she was impostor, and also
that knew both the Fleet aud her own certii-
Gates were fSrgsries; s,so she once as asked ed me to
refused she said that II would do 80 she would
get woman to represent Clara Meredith. witness
wanted In the Fleet case who was dead; she did
bring me to . house in Waverley place. where saw
q woman who said she would go into court and
of Clara Meredith on Fleet certificate Is forgery
wrote it myself in saloon in Ann street. New
aorx IN Juy ,rs nave hes tnsss =;
the Lewis case but the alleged widow was afraid to
let her 60 on the stand; I never saw the
claimant IN this case at Joseph Lewis house in
Hoboken, but have met other females there; Mrs.
Hastings always well informed on the evidence
taken in this case and often asked to bring 1t
her, but refused do not know who her informant
was; she sickly since have known her and
cannot understand her long absence from the cx-
aminations: she told me that shehad found woman
named Draper who was going to testify for her. and
she said she had procured some pillow cases with
Lewis name on them to support her claim.
ooRRoBoRATED TESTIMONY.
/ Counsel hero offered witness pillow caae with j.
L. Lewis written on 1t and he identified the ink In
| which the name written rs the forty-year-old
| ink used by Socia In filing out the certificate
lam Arnaux was called to the stand He had also
been previously examined In behalf Of tho widow.
His testimony yesterday was mainly refracton
In May, 1873. Marcus Socia called upon me
at stable in Fortieth street. Now York. and asked
me II l wanted to make some money; I said
that did. and he told me that old lunatic.
named Lewis. had just died In Hoboken and left two
three millions to the United States he wanted to
get the money and had put mp job: he told me
that he had woman who was smart lightning
whom he going to have represent herself as
Mrs. Lewis and then break the will; he showed me
the Fleet marriage certificate and asked me then to
sign the name Of the sexton Of st. Ambrose's
Church to it; did 30 and he gave me $25 but told
me that could make it 81 600 by the end OF
month; he never gave mo the $1,000.
Frank Fleet, the next witness. testified, in cor
roboration the two preceding Witnesses to the
conspiracy to break the will, and further that in
May, 1873, he visited o saloon in Ann street. New
York, and met Socia and man named Allison;
Socia had some pillow with him and wrote the
name 81. l.. Lewis" on them.
Henry Cauldwel q son Of the first witness, was
next sworn and identified the frame containing the
marriage certificate that had been in his family
for years: it contained chrome which was removed
by his partner and then the Feot certificate put
into it.
Counsel here offered in evidence q number of
letters purporting to have been written by Socia to
Fleet which were marked and filed with the exhibits.
The Nearing was then adjourned for week.