Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-11-02
WANTS HER DOVER
Robert TOWnsend's Widow De.
mands Her Rights.
ROMANTIC MARRIAGE RECALLED
The Love of Swell Society Man for a
Pretty Cook.

His Death, While Not Master of His
|, Actions, He Made q Will DeprIving
His Wife OF All That Was Lawfully
Rer's-Through Accident She Did Not
Contest the Wnl-Wnl Sue For Her
Share.
NEW YORK, Nov. "A lawsuit which
is about to be instituted by Lawyer
Henry Hoyt, Broadway, against Hoff-
man Miller, head of the law firm of
Miller s. Peckham, reveals a case both
picturesque and sensational. The plain
tiff in the suit is Mrs. Mary Anne Town
send, widow of Robert Cornell Town
send, and her object is to have Mr..
Miller, as admins traitor, turn over to
her one-third of the proceeds of the sale
of Mr. Town sends place at Huntington
Bay, Long Island.
1t is not more than two years ago that
Robert Cornell Townsend was one of the
best known club and society men in New
York. He was a scion of thea old,
wealthy and proud Townsend family of
Flushing and New York, with which
Robert Townsend, one of his assistants,
are connected by blood. The Hon.
Townsend, who SO long represented the
lower end of Long Island in Congress,
was in his time the head of the family.
Born to wealth. Robert Cornell Town
send had before him life of leisure and
| luxury and in his early manhood he
| fully enjoyed both. His first adventure
that brought him forward and made
| him famous in society was his accom-
| panyipg James Gordon Bennett on the
| first voyage across the ocean on the
yacht Henrietta. On his return he
made his home principally at the Union
| ,lo,o IT.
| tertainments became famous. Mr..
| Townsend had always a taste for
athletics and most heartily enjoyed a
good rattling set-to with the gloves In
1885, instead of going to Newport, Long
| Branch or some other of the fashionable
watering places, he went down to Hunt
ington Bay and put up for the summer
at hotel kept there by 'tBilr' Clarke,
a once famous pugilist and old-time
| sport of Brooklyn.
Among the servants was Miss Mary
Ann Murphy, only short time in the
United States Miss Murphy was above
the ordinary "greenhorn' girl. She
had dignifed appearance, possessed
much natural intelligence and was, if
not accomplished, fairly educated. Her
abilities as d cook were of high order
and drew Mr.. Townsend's special atten-
tion. From praising Miss Murphy's
cooking Mr.. Townsend advanced to love
for her.
At first Miss Murphy was doubtful
about Mr.. Townsend's intentions, and
as he kept troubling her she left and
went to New York. But absence only
increased Mr. Townsend's ardor and he
wrote her many passionate appeals to re-
turn and become his wife, To prove hi 9
sincerity he called at the residence of
! Father Crowley, the Catholic priest of
| Huntington, and asked him to procure a
dispensation such as is required in the
Catholic Church when Catholic narries
person of another faith The dispen-
Bation was procured from Bishop Lough-
lin, and on Christmas eve, December "a,
1885, Father Crowley uuited in the holy
bonds of wedlock Robert Cornell Town
send and Mary Anne Murphy.
Mr.. Townsend's friends consulted law
vers TO see II the marriage could not be
annulled, but the circumstances were
against the hope.
Mr.. Townsend continued to reside at
home but spent the greater part of the
time in the village, much to the delight
and enjoyment of that class of persons
who lounge away their time around the
hotels and bar-rooms of country town.
His wife made kindly and strenuous eff
forts to reform Mr.. Townsend's drinking
} habits and might have succeeded if the
idle fellows had only kept away.
|
send became sick. One day Schuyler
Warren went down from the city with
some friends. Mrs. Townsend says
, there was much drink consumed and
next day Mr.. Warren went back to New
York and returned that evening with a
lawyer. They had will, which was
signed that night. On May %, 1888,
others fastened down to New York and
4 demanded possession of everything. On
advice Mrs. Townsend had locked W
/ the rooms where the deceased kept his
) papers. valuables and money.
| Mr. Warren the day after the funeral
produced the will, which appointed hin
executor, and said all the property Of
the deceased was in his possession from
the moment Mr.. Townsend died. HI
then, under threat, forced the widow t.
leave. The will was offered for probate
at Riverhead before Surrogate futile, o.
= Suffolk County. Mrs. Townsend re
ceived a notice from the SURROGATE:
office on June II. She says she was TOLD
by her lawyer, a resident of Suffolk
County, that it was not necessary fol
her to appear, as nothing would b.
done.
The will left Mrs. Townsend the pos
y session and use, during her lifetime, OF
c one third of the real estate in lieu Of
dover. AS Mr.. Townsend was known tt
be possessed of over $40, 900 in stocks
bonds and money in bank as we'll as the
real estate, Mrs. Townsend intended tt
: contest the will on the ground that tn
b deceased was not master of his action
a when the will was signed. She hac
y several witnesses to testify that the de
| ceased was too much overcome by llquo
Q | to know what he was about, and tina
8 also when he subsequently became sobe
t he repudiated the will altogether ant
t declared he had do recollection of haVini
= made or signed any will. Mrs. Town
i send received another notice to appea
in the Surrogate's Court, but she founc
that her lawyer was away in New York
She sent a telegram to the, Surrogat
stating that fact and requesting thai
the case be adjourned. But it appears
= from the records that the will was ad
mitted to probate that day. Mrs. Town
y send had no knowledge Of this for yea
i afterwards.
Mr.. Townsend has been dead owe
three years, but Mrs. Townsend ha
4 only received 800.
Although saws Mr. Hoyt, "Mrs