, 1879-06-22
THE VANDERBILTS.

'.,- Special Dfspdteh to The I1btne-
New YORK, June 21.-Tle unexpected termt-
nation not very long since to the Vanderbilt will
contest in the Surrogate's Court OF this city, oc-
curing at that stage OF the trial when the coun-
rel for the contestants had given up all
hopes Of forcing settlement. was sur
prise to the public. The Star Of tomorrow
will explain the true inwaruness OF this re-
markable trial. 1t now appears that the testi-
mony whereby it was attempted to prove that
the will was obtained through undue Influence
and conspiracy was principally made 10 from
the af1davits of professional perjurers, some. Of
whom hare served terms Of Imprisonment In
various parts Of the country, and the chief OF
whom has, under more than half dozen aliases,
figured for many years in career Of Vil1alny
of such generousness Of tact, eftrontery, and
fertility OF resource as eclipses anything IN the
annals Of crime ever made public in this coun-
tzJ. To make long story as short as possible,
It may be stated that the first chapter in the
conspiracy against William 2. Vanderbilt, the
prepayment, was to cover him with odium and
contempt by attempting to prove that
he had conspired to poison the mind
Of. i his father against Cornelius j..
The opportunity soon arrived, for on juno 2,
1877, Cornelius received letter from Frank
lin A. Redburn, of Jersey City, informing him
that he (Cornelius) was the victim OF con-
spiracy, in that man who was represented to
be him had. been. shadowed about New York
while visiting disreputable places by couple
Of detectives, and that their reports had
been made to his father. a further
correspondence developed Rcdburn as the head
Of a private detective bureau, with two opera
tors named Mason and Clark. To describe all
the maneugrcs of this trio Of villains would fill
your paper twice over. Judge Scott Lord
Judge Jere Black, and Counselor Ethan Allen
were counsel for the contestants The hideoIs'
charges, insinuations, and broad suggestions In
volying William H. Vanderbilt and the widow
OF his father we're based on the afhdayits Of
two State Prison birds. and others
procured through this detective agency,
and from female adyenturers whose operations.
haye extended all over the country. Redburn'
was the writer Of all the correspondence. He
wrote the letters from Clark to himself, in
formn. him that Clark was sick and destitute
in Chicago, went on to rhat city and teleQraphed
that he had been arrested, and when finally
released announced that be bad come
while Judge Scott Lord was pleading for:
absolutely without witnesses. Ono Werner
Bepning. who had fnvolnntarily served In the:
State Of New Jersey for period Of years, was
assigned the work OF procuring Witnesses: Red
burn was also literally supplied with money,
and on bis return from Chicago. where be was
never arrested, stopped at Buffalo and found
more female witnesses. He finally returned,
and all a.ts Of counsel sfce9t Ethan IL n s1
count Of his adyertu1ss. These
female Witnesses, proridentially" picked up,'
as Judge Lord expressed it, are now cla.noring
for the pay promised them by Lord and Black.
Various incidents are next given In the Stars
hs n7s Of %''a
tial u females who were to uncover cesspool'
Of moral filth more disgusting than had get
been reached. Judge Jere Black was called On
to deliver. speech in Court embodyiug the
testimony, involving the most sacred relations
known among men and women, aud:
which, had 1t been true, would have blightcd
forever The reputation OF the proponent and
the widow Of his father. Among the corps OF
female Witnesses WAS Mrs. Stone, who was
if she would do so and SO she would never
have to i: do. a.: days: work - in
hef life. She was to have $4,000. but was
eventually cut down to $500. Finally Scott
Lord took back all that: he had insinuated
against the Commodorc's widow. The case was
settled OUTSIDE the. Courtroom, bur Mrs La
Bau Berger WAS coerced into giving her consent
to back down. It Is NOW said that had.
not Judge Lord closed his case as he,
did there would have been some summary
public. The Star concludes Its report as fol-
lows; In all this sad business there is one ex
1enuating circumstance Those who know Cor
nclius ]. Vanderbilt are aware that his physical,
intirmities have made him an easy dune to q
rang Of -unprincfpled men. From the start be
1ro the nf NpEGrs, and RfHrl and