The sun., 1880-02-01
MILLIONAIRE LEWIS'S WILL.
TIE PROGRESSED WIDOW AND FIVE
OTHER PERSONS ARRESTED.
The Result OF the United states Grand Jury's
InvestiEntion OF the Alleged Conspiracy 60
Break the Will OF Joseph l.. Lewis.


Investigation OF the Alleged Conspiracy TO
Break the VIII OF Joseph L. Lewis.
The attention OF United States District
Attorney Keasby OF Trenton was recently dl-
rected to the confessed perjures that had been
committed In the attempt to break the will OF
Joseph l.. Lewis. the Hoboken millionaire. who
bequeathed the bulk OF his estate. valued at s1.-
100000. to the Federal Government to be applied
to the liquidation OF tho national dobt. Mr.
Keasby laid the subject before the United States
Grand Jury thon in session in Trenton. They
examined witnesses and documents. and as the
result OF their labors found bill OF indictment
charging the persons concerned Ia the periurles
and others with conspirinR to defraud tho
United States Government. Among those who
wero indicted are Marcus T. Saca OF Storm
avenue. Jersey City Heights; DR.. Augustus J.
Parks OF Third and Bloomfield streets, Hobo
ken: Henry 7. Bassford Of Clinton street. Jer-
sey City; Jane II. Lewis. with several aliases.
the professed widow Of tho dead millionaire:
Frank Allison. and Mrs. Mary T. Russell.
These persons were all arrested yesterday ard
on Friday night.
After Mr.. Lewiss will was made known the
widow. with other alleged heirs. began pro-
ceedings to set inside the will. and the matter
was referred to Master in Chancery See of Jer-
soy City. In corroboration OF her claims. the
professed widow produced a certificate Of mar
riagc to Lewis. dated Nov, IS, 1883, 1t was
1s OF hs Peace h n IS nG e
City, the Hon. Edwards Pierrepont. and Cort-
landt Parker were retained by the executors.
Messrs;, Wolf aud Gillespie, 70 defend the
will. They ascertnined that tho 18th Of Novem-
ber, 1853. was Thanksgiving Day although the
widow insisted that the ceremony had not been
performed on holiday. She was subjected to
81 tWS weeR @ he
1t she. related a wonderfully consistent
story Of how she e., became aarauainted with the
=, ,Detectivsrs were employed 70 investigate, her
which sho asserted that her marriage certh-
cate had been printed had been engraved in
1854; and had been used 30 frequently that II
1865. and finally in is7o Il had distinct traces
Of these several alterations, and these identical
although its date was earlier than ihe alteration.
tincate was attacked in this manner. she pro-
duced two other marriage certificates to provo
nor 10 bS the G1 own Ti m mm
Fleet and his wife. It was dated in 1857; Frank
Fleet testified that 1t was genu inc and that 1t
The other was the certificate OF William Ar.
nonX who swore TO its authenticity When ting
case had progressed thus far. and the counsel
of the truth of her story. Fleet suddenly
With az shG nni Il Ea 2
who had corrobora,nd the testimony as to
the genuneness OF tho ccr,incates. Mr..
Fleet to the stand. The man was in
| unable TO walk without assistance. He car
ricd to chair. and IN an almost inaud!ble
given in behalf of the widow was perjured In
every particular. and that he had been ind 1uced
by her to enter into conspiracy to break the
Arnoux and Caldwell retracted their former
estim3bny b and denied ma5y 2f the statements item &
had produced had been forged by Marcus, T,
sacia had Gd up The es' blanks So With Si1 INK ink
that was, forty years old. and which
The proiessed wiow. he ASSERTED pTtpJS was Jane
Hastings, n notorious female confidence op-
orator whom sncia had procured TO assist him
in the cons piracy. She had, II was alleged. been
| recommended to him by DR.. Parker as suitable
woman for the emergency, and Parker, under
Lewis. had obtained Information in reference TO
the testator. with which he wns enabled to in
struct Jane Hastings in the role which she was
The alleged conspiracy, received its death
blow however when John X. Dos P2s5os. a
tlhed the protnssed widow as n woman who,
in 1876 and 1877, had regresentCd herself to
ored to, blackmail one of his clients
by involving the client in n, fictitious
brought against her by her husband, but which
she thought could he settled for money. At tho
conclusion Of Mr.. Dos Passos's testimony. the
counsel f5r the so-callad widow formally with;
drew her contestation Of the will, and
arrested nn Friday night by United States
Marshal Mcdonald rs he was leaving the ferry
house in Jersey City. Bnssiord was arrested
at his h dse, and Parko was arrested YESTERDAY
| morning as no WAS standing on the stoop Of his
residence. The prisoners We're committed by
United states, Commissioner Murnrnd to the
county juil. whore they are now confined pend
ing their removal to Trenton. which will prob
ably lie to-day.
Mrs Mary +. Russell and Frank Allison were
arrested by Deputy United States Marshal
Jones and Detective 5. j. Lowell on Friday
evening in this city in boarding house kept
by Mrs Russell ut 0 Clinton place. and were
lodged in Ludlow street Jail Mrs. Jane
Hastings Lewis. tho protcssed widow. was ar
rested in the Hotel Royal.