The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-06-29
HIS PLACE gNATcHED AWAY.
A New Jersey Judge All But Put Out
Of His Home by a Stranger.
(New York World9

A New Jersey Judge All But Put Out
of His Home by a Stranger.
CNew York WorId4
Mount Holly n. J.-Phe strange go
ings on in the fine mansion OF Judge
Benjah p Wills are unfathomable to
the many friends OF the family, and
have all but disrupted the household F.
The judge. who is man of high
standing an the community, has a
handsome daughter, Miss Mabel Vain
wis, a graduate of SwarthmOre coli
iege, and q girl of exceptional talents.
About three months ago a stranger
appeared in the Wills household. This
stranger was introduced to the friends
OF the family as Harrie Allen Baxter
OF Great Neck, L. l. lie had many suits
OF clothes all of superlative elegance.
dr. Baxter came TO the house as the
guest OF Mrs. Willis. A week passed,
then Two weeks, then a month and, TO
z the surprise OF the judge, Mr.. Baxter
st1l fingered, and his departure seemed
more distant than ever
Then came a shock TO the judge one
relative told him that his daughter was
engaged to Baxter. ard another told
him chat j was rumOred- that she had
been secretly married to the long stay
ing visitor
Scenes followed in the judges house
hold which terminated with the judge
ranged on one side and his wife,
7 daughter, Il-year-Old son and the Wis
itor on the other. How severe the di-
vision had become the judge did not
1 fully appreciate until later
a couple of weeks ago he went to the
Mount Holly bank, Of which he has
/ been a director for many years, to at
tend a directors NEE citing. He was
! dumfounded, 1t is alleged, when his
/ associates told him that he could not
legally serve ass a director, as he was
] no longer possessed Of any stock in the
Institution.
a couple of days before the mysterious
4 visitor, Baxter, had appeared at the
/ bank, with a power Of attorney signed
! by Mrs Wills, transferring to him the
( right of managing her stock, which
I had previously been vested in her nus
/ band, and through which he had been
( elected to the. directory Of the bank
/ Judge Wills, aided by some OF his
/ friends, who held stock in the bank
made a prompt move. He purchased
/ enough stock in his own name to quail
I ify him for the Office OF director, and he
tbeld on to the place.
| Then came another surprise. In their
/ early married life Mrs. Wills gave the
/ judge d fine solitaire diamond scarf
i pin. He wore II on gala occasions only
! The rest of the time he kept it in his
/ safe at home. he wanted to wear it
( one day, and, noticing that the stone
/ was loose, took il TO sHOlts jeWetry
/ store to- have the setting repaired.
/ When he handed the pin 70 the jeweler,
1 Mr.. Holt almost caused the judge to
/ collapse by. eXclaiming:
/ why, judge, this isn't a diamond
/ It's a Montana diamond, worth about
I so cents"
After some hesitation, it is alleged,
the jeweler told the judge that two
I weeks before Miss Mabel had left a real
+ diamond about the same size as the
/ paste gem at the store to be set in an
/ engagement ring, and had asked qUes-
lions at the time relative to the cost
( Of Montana diamonds.
/ The Judge went home indignant and
I had a talk with his daughter al0Out the
+ diamonds. She made strong denials,
/ and. enTaged, started off in her trap,
declaring she would drive to the jew
/ elers and make him prove his words.
Wishing to avoid a scene, the Judge
and Mrs. Wills followed in their car
( riage and induced their daughter to re-
/ turn home Later the Judge took the
] jeWeler to the house They asked Miss
Mabel to allow them to examine her
: engagement ring, but she refused. say
= ing she feared her father would claim
that the stone was his.
After that scene Mrs. Wills. her
I daughter and Baxter went on a visit
J to one of Mrs. Wills farms in HOrners-
/ town. There Baxter angered friends
I Of the judge by his actions. The judge
I started an 1nVeStlga ton to discover
/ the causes of the Influence Baxter
! seemed to have over his wife and
/ daughter He found. tls claimed, that
( BaxteT's father had been postmaster at
! Great. Neck that ne had been clerk in
the little postofhce: had also clerked
/ in a drug store, and made himself
agreeable to the women visitors in the
summer &C, ongf His daughter had gone
to visit a college friend living near
I Great Neck q year ago and became ac-
I quainted with Baxter at that time
A few days ago mother, daughter and
+ Baxter returned here. Baxter s position
in the household seems stronger than
ever. he rides about in the family car
riage while the judge walks The judge
! has consulted legal advisers about tai
ing steps to dispeI ;Baxter's alleged in
fiuenCe over mother and daughter The
/ Judge feels kesnly the position he has
been placed in by his family.
+ Mrs WINS says she cannot under
stand her. husbands strange aversion
to Baxter. VINO, she says, is a perfect
gentleman.