The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-01
B0uc|cAULT'S ESTATE.
"
The Actors First Wife will Enter
Suit for Her Share
Of It.
Il There IL no Will She May
Get What She
Wants.
And III There 10 She will Mako an Effort
to Have 1t Set
Aside.

New York, Sept. 2s.-There will be an in
teresting contest for the possession OF the
late Dion Boucicault's estate, which will
rake up the old scandal Of Boucicault's re-
I lations Of his two surviving wives, Agnes
Robertson and Louise Thorndyke. Agnes
Robertson has sailed from England on the
Servia, and no time will be lost in putting
in her claim. Howe and Hummell are the
attorneys of Miss Robertson. It is believed
BY Miss Robertson's friends that there ia
no will in existence. and it will rest with
the surrogate to decide whether Miss Rob-
ertson is not entitled to her share Of the
estate. If there is will leaving property
to Louise Thorndyke. an effort will
be made to set the instrument
aside. The claim will be made that
Miss Robertson is the only widow and
that the marriage with Miss Thorndyke is
bigamous. Mr.. Hummell said to-day that
he is confident he can establish the claim
that Louise Thorndyke never was the legal
wife of Dion Boucicault. The contest will
involve many complicated points Of law, a.
the divorce laws Of England and New York
state conflict in some essential points. Miss
Robertson obtained the decree of divorce in
the divorce and admiralty court Of Eng
land. The decree granted limited divorce
from board and bed, and constitutes only
legal separation under the New York state
laws. Alimony of ESQ per month was also
granted by the English court, and COM
mission had been appointed to ascertain
whether Mr.. Boucicault's means were suf-
ficieat to pay this alimony. The proceed
ings were still under way and were stopped
by the death of Mr.. Boucicault.
II there is no will, as is supposed, Miss
Robertson will Immediately on her arrival
file a petition for letters Of administration
and make affidavit that she is the only
widow of Boucicault. Il is not expected,
however, that Miss Louise Thorndyke will
remain idle. and the contest will bring to
Light much of the unpleasant testimony
which was kept under cover during the suit
for divorce. Miss Robertson believes that
worth the contest, and besides is actuated
by the desire to fully establish her claim
that the marriage with Miss Thorndyke was
illegal. The manuscripts of Boucicault are
said to contain one or two plays which have
never been presented in public, and some
by any competent playwright. There are
royalties also, on number of plays which
are still being played. MI. Boucicault also
had quantity of mining stock, which it is
hoped may yet prove paying Investments.
The amount and character of Mr.. Bouci-
h
Robertson believes that it is worth more
than was popularity estimated.
4 Ex-Judge A. j. Dittenhofer appeared for
Boucicault when testimony was taken
here in the divorce suit Mr.. Gerber, the
law partner Of Mr.. Dittenhofer, said to-day
that it would be strange if MI. Boucicauit
left no will, knowing as he did the claim Of
Miss Robertson that his subsequent mar
riage to Miss Thorndyke was bigamous.
The marriage of Mr.. Boucicault and
Miss Robertson took place in England, and,
contrary to the report in the newspapers at
the time. Mr.. Boucicault never set up the
defense that he was not married to Miss
Robertson. His attorneys, both here and
in England, convinced him that such
,laim was foolish. The question of Miss
$Ihorndyke,s marriage to Boucicault will
zether there will be tangle of vexatious
aw points which will cause a protracted |
litigation.