The evening Republican., 1902-09-27

LONG BRANCH, N. J., Sept. 81
The fight Of Laslra Biggar. the forxel
actress, for the millhnS- of Henry NJ
Bennett came to sudden and dramat
ic ending before JuslDce Wilbur A
Heisley here. The claimane thraugh
counsel abandoned the suit and an.
ncunced he would be satisfied with
the 60 per cent 0f the estate given lNr
by the will. Hardly had this been done
han counsel fof the heirs opposing the
Biggar Slain showed they had been
more than prepared for this step, ami
warrants charging conspiracy were
served on Samuel Stanton, the former
justice of tAe peace of I ndson county
who testified that he had performed
the marriage ceremony between Miss
Biggar and the Piusburg millionaire,
and DR.. G. G. Hendrick, at whose sani-
tarium in BAyonne it was alleged that
Miss Biggar's child was born. A search
is now in progress Tor Miss Biggar
herself that she may also be presented
to the grand jury to answer Il similar
charge. Stanton and DR.. Hendrck are
now in the Jail at Freehold.
AS soon as the case had been called
by Judge Heisley Mr.. Black announced
that as counsel for Miss Biggar he had
been INSTRUCTED to withdraw the pro-
ceeding beeSfe the court aQd 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.
Mr.. Arrowsmith Of the heirs cou4sel
then addressed the court, saying he
was not altogether surprised at the ac-
ton, for there had been conspiracy,
and a 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. DIR. Hen
drick and Mr.. Stanton on complaints
swofh to by Peter J. McNulty, one of
the principal legatees and an executor
Of the will Hnndrick and Stanton
were at once arrested and held in So
900 bail. and Judge Helsley 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 that Miss Biggar
and Dr. HendrclS had practically ad-
mitted since Mr.. Benefits death that
there had been no marriage.
After recess counsel for the legatees
put Joseph Tooker on the stand as
their star witness. He is the clerk in
The 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 lin that he had married
Mr.. Bennett and Miss Biggar about
two years before but had forgotten to
le the certificate. Stanton, so Tooker
said, wanted him to testify that he
Stanton) called on him week earlier
md told him that the Weber woman,
4amed as a witness to the marriage,
vas dead. This Tooker refused to do.
The next morning, Tooker continued,
stanton called on him, accompanied by
Mr.. Young of counsel for the heirs,
vlio as it subsequently appeared, was
to entrap Stanton. Staton,
Tooler testified, asked him for Il
flank marriage certificate, which Took
+ gave him and which he presently re-
urned filed out, with the request that
'ooker testify that he found it in his
esk. He also asked Tookcr to make
II entry of the certificate in his books.
'ooker said that he turned over the
crtihcate to Mr. Young and that on
of this Stanton declared that
e had been entrapped and begged
'ooker to swear that he was drunk
vhen lie gave him the paper.