The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-20
SHE MARRIED BENNETT
Laura Biggar on the Stand De-
Tending Herself Against a
Charge Of Conspiracy.

Freehold. N j.. Dec. 19.-Dr. Hend-
ricks, ore of the defendants in the case
against Laura Biggar and others for
alleged conspiracy to get Henry Ben
nett's estate, was one of the witnesses
at the trial today He said p J. Nc
Nulty and Attorney Waterson of Pitts
burg called at the Bayoune sanitarIum
to see Miss Biggar regarding the es-
tate. Witness said his only interest in
the viii was to have it probated ana
that at the time of Mr., McNulty's cali
the question was discussed whether
Miss Biggar would be better off as a
common law wife Of Mr.. Bennett than
in her present condition.
Willis Biggar son of Miss Biggar,
and her former husband, J. w. Nc
Cornell. testified that his father came
from the west to see Mr.. Bennett be-
fore the latters death. P. J. Nc
Nuity testified as to his part in en-
ploying a PittsbuTg detective 10 I'M
earth the alleged conspiracy.
Laura Biggar took the stand this
afternoon and swore that she was mar
ried 10 J. W. Mcconnell. the father Of
the boy known as Willis Big
gar, fourteen or fifteen years
ago. On Thanksgiving day Mr.. Bennett
proposed to her He insisted there
were no obstacles in the way of their
marriage. Letters passed between them
nearly every day, and she finally ac-
cepted him. She said she consented to
a quiet marriage because she did not
want the public to talk about her.
Miss Biggar said that after the mar
riage she and Mr.. Bennett lived to-
gether in New York. After Mr.. Ben
nett was. taken i'll she had been in al
most constant attendance upon him
for eleven weeks and her health broke
y G "a a n
to go to a santa rum TO rest.
Miss Biggar gave practically the
same testimony that her first husband,
J. w. Mcconnell. had given relative
to his visit when he wanted to take
possession of their son. She added that
Mr. Bennett had told her that he
would try to arrange the matter with
her former husband, but that If 1t
came to a fight he would spend all he
was worth to retain the boy for her.
Miss Biggar said she had written half
a dozen letters to Stanton asking for
a duplicate of the marriage certificate.
The original had been destroyed by her
husband during a fit of anger. She had
finally obtained a duplicate, the one
offered in evidence. Witness said she
| had not received a cent from the Ben
nett estate and had no money except
that which she had herself earned She
was then taken over the time between
| the death of Bennett and the birth OF
/ her child.
/ AS to the proceedings to establish
( her claim to dover right Miss Bigga1
J explained that the action was simply
| brought to give her an opportunity to
| establish the fact that she had beer
married and that The action was aban-
doned as soon as this was made a mat
/ ter of record.
/ Under cross xamination she stated
! that there were no letters written t
her or to Bennett by her in existence
so far as she knew. She had signed
her name after marriage as Laura Big
/ gar and did the same when she LIVED
with her first husband
Miss Biggar denied that she haC
written a letter, the purport of which
| was: "Oh, Molly, / wish papa would
do something before something hap
pens, If he dies now 1 will &c
| nothing
After Miss Biggars testimony tn
1 court adjourned.