The evening world., 1894-04-09
SAYS SHE IS HIS WIDOW
Mrs. Lille RumSey Claims a Dover
Right in the Estate Of Fire
Capt. Gleason.
Her LIFE An EYENTFUL ONE.
1t Was In Her Flat that Capt. Gleason
Died-A Lengthy Hearing Before Referee
Lardner, Who Will Report Soon.

Every man connected with New Yorks
Fire Department knew Capt. Luke
Gleason. who died Nov. &c last Gleason
had been in the department for twenty
three years, rising steadily from the
lowest to nearly the highest position.
Four years before his death, while at
the head of the School of instruction in
East Sixty-seventh street, he resigned.
Mr.. Gleason was about forty-six years
of age. one OF mis- most intimate friends
was Henry ID. Purroy.
A few months before his retirement
he met Mrs. Lille Rumsey, then sup
posed by her friends to be childl"ss
widow. Mrs. Rumsey was about ten
years his junior well educated and
fine musician. GleasOn's relations with
her became more and more intimate and
he tihally died in her fiat at No. l3I West
Ninet y-siXth street, where he was known
as Mr.. Rumsey.
He died intestate and his brother.
William Gleason, of No. 223 Avenue a,
was appointed administrator of his es-
tate, valued at $4,000, by Surrogate Ran
som. Objections were at once raised by
Mrs. Rumscy, who claimed to have been
the common-law wife of the deceased,
and demanded the widows share of his
property. The claim was disputed by
the brother, the mother, Mrs Mary
Gleason Gavin, and the three sisters.
Mrs. Ella Davis. Mrs. Jane Stokes and
Mrs. Ellen Henry.
An action was begun by Mrs. Rum
sey Though Menken Brothers. of No. 140
Nassau street to revoke the letters Of
Gleason. and Surrogate Ransom sent the
case to Deputy Attorney General Will
! lam j. Lardner as referee. great deal
of testimony has been taken. nearly
one thousand typewriter pages. and It
is expected that his report will be filed
in few days The Gleason family as
Gleason and Mrs. Rumsey We're of a
meretricious nature only, while the
plaintin maintains that she became the
common-law wife of the deceased on
Fire Department. and that the only rea-
son why there was no ceremonial mar
riage was because the Catholic Church
does not recognize the marriage of a
! lie and she had been divorced from her
first husband. Eugene X. Rumsey:
When Lille Bellows married Eugene
| r. Rumsey in Seneca Falls in 1868 two
of the best-known families in that part
of the State were united. Miss Bellows
was near relative Of the Rev. Or.
the son of the late John A. Rumsey,
| founder of the firm OF Rumsey Il CO.,
manufacturers Of fire apparatus His
uncle is Judge Rumsey, of the Supreme
/ Court. Mrs. Rumsey lived happily with
/ her husbani for some years. Troubles
arose and on oct IA. 1851. Justice Law.
renee. of the supreme Court, granteo
| band and ordered him to pay her 81
weekly alimony. Their daughter. Luella
now a young woman of twenty-five, was
! given ia the care of the paternal grand
| mother
Mrs. Rumsey came to this city to live
In october, 1881, Mr.. Rumsey bccam'
| financially embarrassed, and quit payinl
alimOny. Mr.. Rumsey had marie,
again. His second wife was Miss Jennie
Birnum. "A sChOOl-tC aCher,
At this time Mrs, Rumsey. claims tt
Gleason Yet she went before justice
/ Lawrence and stated that her only
means OF support was the money she ha,
been receiving from her husband. Tn
Judge ordered Rumsey to continue th'
payment of the alimony, but the orle
was adiudgel guilty OF contempt an,
committed to Jail At Waterloo. III,
county seat. He stayed there a year
nominally prisoner, Out having the lib
erty OF the town.
The Gleason family Is bitterly contest
herself the Common-law wife OF LUX
Gleason. They have employed detective
10 visit Seneca Fails to gather such ties
timOny as may b" Of service to them Il
defending the action Mrs; Rumscy /
now living with her mother IN Wes
Twenty second street She has som
skin In painting and In music, and has
number OF pupils