Waterbury Democrat., 1902-09-27
FIGHT FOR MILLIONS
Actress Attempt to Get Ben
 nett Fortune Ends.
A CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY IS MADE.
Startling Evidence In Hearing as Long Braneh--story of Forged Marriage Certificafe-TvO
 Arrests Are Made.


 LONG BRANCH, N. J., Sept 27.- The fight of Laura Biggar, the former actress, for the millions of Henry M. Bennett came to sudden and dramat- ic ending before Justice Wilbur A. Heisley here. The claimant through counsel abandoned the suit and an- nounced she would be satisfied with the 60 per cent of the estate given her by the will. Hardly had this been done than counsel for the heirs opposing the Biggar claim showed they had been more than prepared for this step, and warrants charging conspiracy were served on Samuel Stanton, the former justice of the peace of Hudson county who testified that he had performed the marriage ceremony between Miss Biggar and the Pittsburg millionaire, and Dr. c. 0. Hendrick, at whose sani- tarium in Bayonne it was alleged that Miss Biggar's child was born. A search is now in progress for Miss Biggar herself that she may also be presented to the grand jury to answer a similar charge. Stanton ana Dr. Hendrick arc hpW III lA0 JUL dL I II0tllDiQ-
 As soon as the case had been called by Judge Heisley Mir. Black announced that as counsel for Miss Biggar he had been instructed to withdraw the pro- ceeding before the court and to an nounce that Miss Biggar would rest content with the 60 per cent of the es- tate given her by the terms of the will.
 Ar, ArroWsmith of the heirs counsel then addressed the court, saying he was not altogether surprised at the ac- Eion, for there had been conspiracy, and deep one.
 Samuel A, Patterson, one of Mr. Ar rowsmith's associates, then announced that warrants had been sworn out for the arrest of Miss Biggar, Dr. Hen drick and AIr. Stanton on complaints sworn to by Peter J. McNulty, one of she principal legatees and an executor of the will. Hendrick and Stanton were at once arrested and held in S5,- 900 bail. and Judge Heisley ordered the preliminary hearing to begin at once. Miss Biggar was not in court
 Counsel for the legatees put several witnesses on the stand. the burden of whose testimony was that Miss Riggar and Dr, Hendl1ck had practically ad- mitted since MT, Bennett's death that shere had been no marriage,
 After recess counsel for the legatees put Joseph Hooker on the stand as their star witness. He is the clerk in tho bureau of vital statistics connected with the board of health in Hoboken and has been employed in that capaci- ty since 1892.
 Tooker testified that on Friday last Stanton told him that he had married MT. Bennett and Miss Biggar' about two years before, but had forgotten to Gle the certificate. Stanton, so Took CT said, wanted him to testify that he tStantonl called on him q week earlier and told him that the Weber woman, named as witness to the marriage, was dead. This Hooker refused to do. The next morning, Tooker continued, Htanton called on him, accompanied By Mir. Young of counsel for the heirs, who, as 1t subsequently appeared, was arranging to entrap Stanton. Stanton, Hooker testified, asked him for a blank marriage certificate, which Took hr gave him and which he presently re- turned filled out, with the request that Tooker testify that he found it ill his desk He also asked Tooker to make m entry of the certificate in his books. Tooker said that he turned over the certificate to Mir. Young and that on learning of this Stanton declared that be had been entrapped and begged Tookar to swear that he was drunk when he gave him the paper,