The morning call., 1893-12-10
What Attorneys Did Not Use in
Evidence.
MRS. BENsLEY's MYSTERIES.
She Claimed to Be an English Noble
woman and Married as Such.
Victims of Deceit.

inursuay III the UniteQ StateS DlStrIc
Court. Here and there through the mas
of letters and such documentary eyidenc,
as the attorneys presented it struggled t
show itself. but that was all. TIE actor.
| in the drama schOoled them selves only too
well against divulging secrets of their Owl
| personality.
The romantic aspect was no concern o1
the attorneys. Facts and points of law
over which the multitude Somehow fail to
grow enthusiastic, were sufficient for their
case. And yet the lawyers in a conrse OF
extraordinary Investigations Tor years dis
covered little history full of spicy situa-
tions and reading like sensational
romance.
The law case has been told in THE
CALL. Its title was modest enough-plain
John Lloyd, assignee. etc, mplainant,
VS.. James Z. Pennie, administrator. etc..
ct al, defendants, in equity" The facts
as rected in the complainanrs brief were
that John Bensley and his wife, Marian
l.. j. nj. Bensley. both deceased. were
guilty of fraud in covering up an estate of
more than half a million dollars for the
one purpose of deirauding creditors; also
that fraud having been successfully per-
petrsted, creditors are How entitled 10 pay
ment of their claims against the estate.
All these allegations were presented with
a strict regard for details that the Judge
might be only Impressed with a case
cleverly woven together with letters,
diaries ana records. It was not part of the
programme, however, 10 tell who Mrs.
Bensley or her husband was, how they
acquired this vast estate. nor to go behind
the scenes Tor iacts which would seem like
fiction from society novel.
Fact is often stranger than fiction. Ii is
so in this story Of The Bensleys. Take a
brilliant. beautiful, cultivated, designing
woman and man of strange character
spoken of as "pubic spirited. enierprising
broad and generous" though really weak.
closefisted. even mean-a Dr. Jekyll and
Mr Hyde. Neither appear to have code
Of morals nor particular scruples.
Bring them together with mystery sur
rounding theDi-mysterious relatives. Sc
cret actions ana a sham existen ce-and
the story has its framework.
This one has moral, strange TO say, as
II the hand of tate was there, for after
years OF connlvlDg-years of ceaseless fear
and worry-the plot fails. All the schem-
Ing ended IN tying up the principals so
surely that their efforts at last were futile.
The Bensleys hurried themselves into
early graves.
Some time in 1867 and 1868 a Mrs Greyille
came 10 California, whence nobody knows.
Her own words had to be taken for her
past. She said she was the widow of the
Hon. George Greville, NJ. p, and daugh-
ter of the Earl of Evelin-a Scotch no ble-
man. The Greville family, so she said.
was one OF the old noble houses of Eng
land. 80 1t was settled in the minds Of
the 400 that Mrs. Greville was distin-
guished visitor. Better still she caused 1t
TO be supposed that she was a very wealthy
woman, with possessions in Mexico and
Southern California.
John Bensley met her. Mrs. Greyille
was extremely fascinating. she bad trav-
eied much. was finished. lady-like, could
speak In many languages, and possessed
in rare degree those qualities which
would attract man of BeDsiey's type. 1t
must 0e remembered that he was ade of
coarser clay and at that time had lived
through some OF the years men call mature.
The fair widow beguiled him.
Mrs. Grevllle became Mrs. Bensley be-
fore a Justice of the Peace.
Soon after the marriage the couple went
to England. Mrs. Bensey reached Lon
don first. She had represented TO the
husband she had castle in Scotland and
town house in LondOn-a stately man.
sion in West End. II am staying at our
lovely town house which was given ME
by the Honorable Mr.. Greyille," she said
in a note TO her husband" and am again
with my noble relatives"
Bensley followed. his clothes were cut
regardless of cost at fashionable London
taiI0rs, and he had made every prepara-
tion for meeting noblemen and ladies of
their set. The next step was to acQuaint
his bride of his readiness to call on her.
But instead of the mansion he found his
wife in London clearinghouse.
'How's this!" he exclaimed. Not in
the mansion of The Evelnsi"
Tears and an affecting tableau.
Between her sobs the bride told Bensley
that her noble relatives were so angry be-
cause she married a common American in
California that they bad taken her prop
critics away.
Then" as an attorney in the present
suit explained yesterday. 'the woman of
many names threw herself into the arms
of John Bensley and sacrificed herself TO
him.
They married again at St. Georges
Chapel in London. but whether before or
after this scene is not known.
They returned and Bensley realized be
had married an extremely shrewd and
cunning woman, whom some people might
class as an adventures. Once thev had
settled down in San Francisco Mrs. Bensley
mingled with her husband liz nearly ali
his business affairs. For some reason they
conveyed considerable property in San
Diego to Bertrand G. Chandos nearly two
years before the failure. Possibly they
foresaw trouble ahead.
In nearly all communications between
Mrs. Bensley and Chandos she appears as
his aunt and he signed himself nephew.
Sometimes. however. IL was 'Mr. Chan
dos--Dear Sir" or "Mrs. Bensley-Dear
Madam" But never hint of closer rela-
tionshp.
In 1876. when the troubles eliminated.
it was not deemed advisable that Chardos
should retain the San Diego property in
his own name. and the land was trans.
ferred to Mrs. Bensey. For year She
held this deed in her safe. ready at any
hour to record it in case of investigation.
but as no trouble came the San Diego
records s till had Chandos' name. When
the storm had passed. Mrs. Benslev re-.
corded the deed-ona year later. IL was
this transaction and another in San Diego
that gave clew 10 the attorneys in work.
ing up the evidence.
Bensley was a man Of broad views-an-
parently. People regarned him as one nf
lie set of moneyed men. placing him with
Mills. Ralston. Fredlander and few
others. and looking up 10 him as a credit
to the Californian pioneers for his enerov
and public enterprise. A careful ANALYSIS
of his character, with convincing evidence
from his letters. shows underneath he was
man Of small caliber, physicaliv and
morally a coward. His parsimopy was
vice, In his letfers ba Sh;..sS