The daily Republican., 1902-12-17
BAR MISS BICCAR
AS MRS. BENEFIT"
Prosecutors OF Former Actress
Object TO Her as Appearing
as Benefactor's Widow
TRIAL NOW IN PROGRESS.
Case of Alleged Conspiracy
Opens at Freehold and
Will Last Only q
Few Days.

Facing her accusers with wan
face, Laura Biggar, in tn, Court OF
Quarter Sessions, at Freehold, n.
j., yesterday. was compelled to
listen in helpless inartiOn while a
web of evidence was bein, woven
the object of which is TO disclose the
part it is charged She and others
took in an alleged conspiracy to oh,
tain control OF The estate of The late
Henry NJ. Bennett.
With her was her young son, for
whose sake she has declared she
consented to devote iiv G years Of
her life to tho man whose widow
she now says she is. BESIDE her sat
Samuel Stanton, a former justice Of
the peace of Hoboken, whose tosh-
mony that be married Bennett and
Miss Biggar in 1898 has been chal.
lenged, and who is under indirt
ment for perjury, aS we'll as for Il
part in the alleged conspiracy. On
her other side were Dr.. &. Z. Hen
drick, the man who conduct ed the
sanitarium at E;lyonne where, it is
maintained, a child whose father
was Henry M. Bennett was born to
Miss Biggar last July, and DR.. Hen
dricks wife. with her siX-yearOld
boy.
Both lIenHrick and Stanton We're
In the custody Of Constable Charles
Strong, who conducted the raid On
the Pennsylvania and other clubs
at Long Branch early last summer,
neither of them having been able to
obtain the bail under which they
were held. Miss Bisgar, however
was free to come and go as she
pleased, bail for her appearance
having been provided when she sur
rendered herself few weeks ago.
COUNSEL IN THE CASE.
Looking after the interests of tho
alleged conspirators We're four attor-
neys whose names were not disclos-
ed until the trial was begun yes.
terlay. They are Joseph M. Moo
nan, formerly assistant prosecutor
of Hudson county; Aaron johnson,
former prosecutor of Monmouth
county; Frank ?. McDermott Of
Freehold, and former Asssmblyman
william F. Hurley, of Hoboken,
Mr.. Foster public prosecutor or
Monmouth county. and Edmund
Wilson. Of Red Bank, as counsel,
were the men upon whom fell the
brunt Of the attack on the reputa-
tions and liberty of the alleged con-
spirators. Near at hand, though
not taking IN active part in the
trial, were John $. Ferguson, of
Pittsburg; +. w. Arrowsmith. of
Freehold; Alexander G. Young, Of
Hobo g, aud her lawyers who
represent various interests iu the
Bennett estate.
Watching the battle waged by
this array of legal talent was one Of
the largest audiences ever gathered
in the Monmouth County Court
House
One of the incidents Of the trial
that perhaps did not appear re-
murkahle to the audience, made up
rs it was from residents of New
Jersey. was the ease with which the
jury was obtained. From the time
when the first name was called it
was exactly thirty-tuur minutes
until the twelve men who will de-
eide the case were sworn ill., Not Il
question was asked Of Il single candl
date for the box, the only prelmi,
nary being the rH"lSing of ten men
by each side in The CASE. as was their
right, without assigning any reason
for tbs challenges.
Then was begun the forging of
the links of II chain Of evidence
that may or may not be broken when
thr defence has its inning. and
through it all. attirr1 in black.
with Il veil drawn over her face, sal
tho woman whose dreams of wealth
are in danger of being WORST than
s'artel"d
OHIlI"r TO \ NAME.
Over the objections of the attor-
neye for he alleged rpn>pirators
never NOR" Ilsistrnt than when
seeking to have the former actress
tlcS,iibnl rs Mr., Bennett, and not
a. Miss Biggar tho main facts i'll
the alleged conspiracy were finally
brought before the jury. So in
siS'elt. in fact. were Miss Biygars
lawyers. that almost the entire
afternoon session Of the court had
tp ha devoted to Il reading Of II
steupgrHphir irprrt of the testimony
OF Stanton and llenlrirk taken at
Long Branch, III the course Of
which they gave evidence that
Bennett and Mis- BIG car had been
married and pIndurrA It marriage
c-rlili,',t" which Is Declared by the |
prosecution to hr Il fraud. ,he very |
stnnr On which it WAS autographed |
not having been prepared, il is |
maintained. until a year and Il half !
a'tcr The date ui the certificate
offered in evidence.
tpcn HE question whether Bennett |
and Miss ig.ar actually we're mar.
ried, as alleged, depends the Issue
OF the trial. 10 allsmpl will be made
to bring III the question Of the pos
thumOus child sad TO have been born
10 Miss Biggar in nr. Hendricks $
sanilarIun, except SO far as The pros.
ecUtion viii use The contention oi the
defence on this point 10 build up it.
c.se OF conspiracy against Miss Big
gar and the other defendants
In hts opening othe jury The pros
ecI'or merely pointed to this part as
showing. as he maintained, that
Miss Bggar had hoped to Inherit
from this child tho entire estate in
stead Of the sixty per cent given her
as Miss Biggar under Benefits will
Whatever may be the result Of the