The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-10-09
Olga Hsltz Claims Shs Is The
Widow Of Eugene G. Cruger.
ENTIRE ESTATE LEFT TO HER.
Cuger Children Were Cut OF Woman
Denies ScandalOus Stories and Declares
She Is Not a Russian Peasant

New York. Oct. 9-Olga Salomea Heitz,
of Fontainebleau. France. the handsome
woman who claims to be the widow OF
the late Eugene Guido Cruger. and 20
whom that representative OF the old
kniekerbocker family left his entire for
tune. TO the exclusion OF his children,
came into the surrogate's court for the
first time yesterday Tor the purpose of
defending her title TO the estate
Much has been written of the romantic
attachment OF Mr. Crlger for Olga Heitz,
and now the young woman who lays
claim TO the title OF Mrs Cruger will go
on the witness stand and tell the story
I'm detail.
She has frequently been referred to as a
former Russian peasant. whose great
beauty attracted the rich New Yorker
during one of his visits TO Paris. She
asserts that this is not so; that she Is
an Alsatlan by birth, and was legally
married TO Mr.. Cruger
She came into court yesterday morning
accompanied by her counsel. Charles r..
Lydecker and sharply followed the pro-
cedings. She is above the medium height
and Is OF slender figure.
Her hair is light brown and her eyes
are blue. Her chief characteristic Is
rather long nose and very highly arched
eyebrows. She was dressed In "A tailor
made gown OF black cloth, embroidered
with gold braid a black bolero jacket,
also trimmed with gold. a white silk waist
she wore a diamond brooch.
WILL IN TWENTY SIX WORDS.
When Mr.. Cruger died in April. 1898.
he left his entire fortune TO Olga Sa-
lomea Heitz. IL amounts TO about $l3,-
900. The will was executed May %, 1896.
and consists of twenty-six words. lt
was written i'm French, and translated
read as follows:
leave my name of Il. G.. Cruger and
my property which possess TO Salomea
Heitz. make her my universal legatee
EUGENE G. CRUGER.
This alleged will is being contested by
Mrs. Blanche T.. =. Tams. the wife of j.
tody of the children. Bertram de IL. CRU
ger, Violet Douglass Crdger and Freder-
ick Hamersy Cruger. Mrs. Tams was
at one time the wife OF Eugene @. Cruger.
but securing a divorce from him. mar
ried j. Frederic Tams and was given the
custody OF the children.
They all reside at Tuxedo Mrs. Tams
alleges that undue influence was brought
TO bear on her former husband TO induce
him TO disinherit his children. and that
at the time he made the Will he was
mentally incapable.
Eugene G.. Cruger. who years ago was
leader OF society, married Miss Blanche
Sheldon, of New Orleans. now Mrs.
| Tams, and three children were born, in
whose behalf the contest Is brought. In
| 1920 she obtained divorce and Mr.. Cru
ger went abroad and married Mrs. Meta
Kane Bell a sister of Delaney Astor
Kane Two years later she and Mr.. Csu-
ger disagreed and on her return TO this
country she obtained divorce. Mr.. CRU
gers second wife subsequently married
Raoul Mourichon at Paris.
From the time OF his second divorce Mr..
Cruger obtained a residence in France,
most OF the time at Fontainebleau. He
met Olga Salomea Heitz at the Cafe
Chinois, i'm the Bois de Boulogne, Paris.
and installed her at Fontainebleau as
housekeeper
According to the contestants Miss Heitz
was waitress when Cruger made her
acquaintance. This she will deny. as well
as other allegations, when she gets ON
the witness stand.
Neither Mrs. Tams nor the Cruger chill
dren were I'm court when the case was
called before Surrogate Thomas. The
day was occupied by the reading on the
part of J. Langdon Ward. OF the law hrm M
the contestants, of number or deposit
tions taken in France. Several were 10
the effect that Olga Salomea Heitz was
been introduced as his wife. but that they
had heard him say she was not his wife
ALWAYS RATIONAL. THEY SAID.
Aristide Marie, a Paris lawyer. said Mr.
Cruger's will was drawn in accord with
the French law, and that IL was in Mr..
Cruger's own handwriting.
A long deposition was furnished by Ar
thur Monod, OF Myon, near Geneva,
Switzerland, who said he became ac-
quainted with Mr.. Cruger az Algiers in
1892. He became intimate with Mr. Cru
ger. at all times / found Mr.. Cruger
rational" said Mr.. Monod.
s'Mr. Cruger told me he had made his
will in favor OF his wife. Whether Olga
was or was not his wife / did not ask.
He said: i left all to olga have done
enough for my people in America.
Dispositions made In France by Leon
Joseph de Febure and his wife Henriette
were also read. The Febures kept ho-
tel at Fontainebleau. at which Mr.. Cru
ger frequently stayed. They were both
examined at length as 90 Mr. Crugers
habits. Both swore they never saw him
intoxicated. and that he was always ra-
tional.
At this stage an adjournment was taken
until this morning. when the testimony
given by James Pendleton Cruger before
his departure for Europe will be read.