The sun., 1902-12-18
my WIFE," SAID OLD BENNETT
TO Laura BIGGARS FIRST AND
DIVORCED HUSBAND.
Who Comes 10 Her Rescue at the Conspir.
acy Trial In FreehOld-TwO Other Wit.
nesses say So. TOO-Niiss Biggsr's Joy.
full Reunion With Her Former spouse.

fui Reunion With Her Former spouse.
FREEHOLD, n. j., Dec. III. W. McCor.
vilbe. the first husband Laura Bigrar ever
had. came to Freehold all the way from
Wisconsin to-day TO testify that his former
wife. after her divorce from him, became
the wife Of the late Henry NJ. Bennett.
The arrival of McConville was surprise
, to the prosecution and produced the sensa-
tion Of the second day OF the trial Of Laura
Biggar, DR.. Charles c. Hendricks and Sam
uel Stanton, who are charged with conspir-
ing to get the entire Bennett estate.
Nobody seemed to enjoy II more than
McConville himself. He Ia an actor and
had an opportunity to tell the Freehold
jury that he was a leading man In Wiscon-
sin and to show them a gold watch which
admring friends in the "Owen Moore" COM
pany had given him.
For dates of domestic Affairs the le eading
man showed an artistic indifference. He
could not tell when he was married or
divorced.
He did remember that he was the
defendant in the divorce case and under
cross-examination was asked II Miss Bigea ar
had not got her divorce from him on the
ground Of non-support He was not al
lowed to tell.
Miss Biggar and her former husband
seemed delighted to see each other again,
and there was very friendly greeting
In the court room. They had not met for
two years. When he wasn't testifying
he sat beside his former wife with his arm
on the back of her chair.
Although McConville was called first
To- h<, zafn k,t a.
planned. he might hurry back to his art
In Wisconsin, he remained in Freehold
over night and is staying at the same hotel
as his former wife, who is out on bail.
The great Biggar- Bennett IS 900 900 con-
spiracy case has dwindled down to $500 900
proportions.
Lawyers from Pittsburg who were IA
miliar with the affairs Of the late Mr.. Ben
nett said that his whole estate was not
worth more than $4,000, and that against
this were debts and mortgages amounting
to S4So, ,o0C. leaving only $500, 900 for his
heirs. According - .hcform =. ...e Bennett
will, which was read in court to-day, Miss
Biggar would get 90 per cent. Of this. The
charge against her and the other defend
ants is that with their help she conspired
to show falsely that she was Benefits wife
and the mother Of posthumous child by
him, SO that she could have the whole prop
erty. The child died.
The amount said to be already pledged
to the lawyers on both sides Is 800 600, and
to that must be added In estimating the
total expense the one penny which Or.
Hendrick gave to his little boy with the
curls to-day when every member Of the
jury was looking and the child was con-
tinuing his poor dear papa carees Of the
day before. Miss BiGgar's boy wasn't In
court to-day. The first husband was his
understudy.
After After the reading q the will this morning
Watterson Of Pttsburg. and Samuel A.
executors. and p. J. McNulty, one OF the
executors Of the Bennett will, all OF whom
told about q visit they made together to
last June. Each Of these witnesses testified
that Hendrick. as Miss Biggar's representa-
tive, said to them
We have not yet decided whether we
Will take what Is coming to Miss Biggar by
the VIII or put In a claim for her services
70 Bennett or claim as common-lAw wife"
~. Nothing was said by Hendrick at that
time, according to the testimony, about a
marriage.
McNulty was asked on cross-exanination
y f,on ne ,hS had ppp stopped the payment Of rents
Miss Biggar He said that the executors
had placed the rents in charge Of an agent
pending settlement OF the conspiracy case.
+. ". Arrowsmth OF Freehold, former
counsel to Miss Bggar, wss called on by
the prosecution to produce letter which
the actress sent TO him last summer severing
their Official relations. Although the let
ter was written four years after the alleged
marriage it was signed Laura Biggar."
That's why the prosecution wanted to get
before the jury.
fence. fence. made an indignant protest against
calling on his clients former counsel to
betray her confidence. Judge Heislev
said that the letter was legsI evidence,
but II he were prosecutor he would try to
prove his case without fitting IL in. Then
letter was written and that it was signed
laura Biggar' That let Arowsmith
out.
Henry Croft and Loui. Peters. employees
q the Thomas Stationary Company Of 10
Esads .c, street, New York; identified the
bennett and Miss ,Bisgar were married
by Justice OF the Peace Samuel Stanton
on Jan. 2, 1893. According to these two
witnesses the blank on which that Ger if-
cate is made out was not printed until 1900.
- Then came Joseph Tucker, clerk Of the
Hoboken Board Of Health He is 80 years
old. weighs 25o pounds and has not hair
on the top OF his head.
He testified that Stanton, accompanied
6y Alexander G. Young. one Of the lawyers
FOR the executors, came to him on Sept
10. 1902 and asked him to fix up the offici
record so that 1t would appear that Bennett
and Miss Bigger were married In 1898.
He told me-, said Tucker, "that ne had
married them and forgotten TO fle the
with ls---on 1t and gave him one. He filled
II out and asked me ~ say that | founi il
in my desk when took Office He asked
me to enter IL on the books, and !
wouldn't, although he offered me dollar;
but | took the certificate and he gave me
paper for my protection
This paper was TO the effect that Stan
ton had seen the Bennett Bigra- marriage
recorded in the 1893 book II was signed
by stanton and had hand-stamp date
Sept. 10. 1902. on the margin.
just how and from what the paper
projected him Tucker could not explain,
and the Judge and five lawyers could not
make It plain to the jury.
Another time continued Tucker, STAN
ton came to me and asked me To swear that
he was drunk when he asked to have the
records fixed told him l would not,
because 1t would be perjury and because
several people saw he was sober'
Lawyer Noonan conducted the cross
examination OF Tucker
9. Who drew up this paper for stanton to
slgn for your project ION? A. Alexander
Didn't you know at the time that IL was
false? A. Yes.