The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-09-27
MISS BIGGAR
DROPS SUIT
Sudden End of SenSa-
tiOnal Case.
A FIGHT FOR MILLIONS
Ex-ActreSS Claimed to Be H.
M. Benefits Wife.
Withdraws Suit to Break Will and
Then Warrants for Conspiracy
Are Served-Two Men
Refused Bail.
A FIGHT FOR MILLIONS

of Laura Biggar, the former actress, for
the fortune of Henry NJ Bennett, came
to sudden and dramatic ending today
before Justice A. Heisley here.
The claimant, through counsel, aban-
doned the suit and announced 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 conspirac,
were served on Samuel Stanton, the for.
mer Justice of the Peace Of Hudson
County. who testified that he had per.
formed the marriage ceremony between
Miss Biggar and the Pittsburg million
aire, and DR.. c. c. Hendrick, at whose
sanitorium in Bayonne 1t was alleged
that Miss Biggar's child was born.
A search is now in progress for Miss
presented to the grand jury to answer
a similar charge Stanton and Dr. Hen
drick are now in the jail at Freehold.
Satisfied With Her Share.
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 proceedings
before the conrt and to announce that
Miss Biggar would rest content with the
so per cent. of the estate given her by
the terms of the VIII.
Mr.. Arrowsmith of the heirs counsel
then addressed the court, saying he was
not altogether surprised at the action
for there has been a conspiracy and 9
deep one. He desired to say, however
that he and his associates acquitted Mr.
Black and his legal associates from any
knowledge of the conspiracy and to as
sure the court that 1t had been estab
lished they had been ouped.
Samuel A. Peterson, one of Mr.. Arrow.
smiths associates, announced that war.
rants had been sworn out for the arrest
OF Miss Biggar, DR.. Hendrick and Mr.
Stanton on complaints sworn to by Peter
J. McNulty, one of the principal lega
tees and an executor of the will.
Hendrick and Santon were at once ar
rested and Judge Heisley ordered the pre-
liminary hearing to begin at once.
Miss Biggar was not in court.
Talked With Miss Biggar.
LeSllubu u d COIlNcISdtiDIl
he had with Miss Biggar in Pittsburg
when Mr.. Bennett was i'll. This was three
years subsequent to the date of the al
legged marriage. Miss Biggar had been
worried because Mr.. Bennett was dying
and had made no will and said If he died
no provision would be made for her. She
made no claim then of being married
to Mr.. Bennett. Subsequent to the death
of Mr.. Bennett, the witness and A. V. w.
Watterson of Pittsburg, with counsel for
the heirs, visited DR.. Hendricks sanito-
rum, where Miss Biggar was. Hendrick,
who said he was Miss Biggar's lawyer.
told them that Miss Biggar was entitled
to the entire estate and would get 1t or
he would set up the claim she was Ben
nett's common law wife.
John f. Hawkins of Asbury Park, who
drew the will, and l. one of the execu-
tors, testified that when the will was
drawn. Bennett told him Miss Biggar was
not his wife. He intended to provide fol
her fully, however. After Mr.. Benefits
death, witness had a talk with Miss Big.
gar. and she said If she was not properly
the claim of being the common law wife
of Mr.. Bennett
Secretary Tooker of the Hoboken Board
of Health testified that Friday last Stan.
ton told him he had married Mr.. Bennett
and Miss Biggar about two years before
but had forgotten to file the certificate.
Santon Approaches Tooker.
Stanton, so Tooker said, wanted him
to testify that he (Stanton) called on
him a week earlier and told him that
the Weber woman, named as a witness
to the marriage, was dead. This Tooker
refused to do.
The next morning, Tooker continued
Stanton called on him accompanied by
Mr.. Young, of counsel for the heirs, who,
as it subsequently appeared, was arrang-
ing to entrap Stanton. Stanton, Tooker
testified, asked him for a blank marriage
certificate, which Tooker gave him and
which he presently returned filled out,
with the request that Tooker testify that
he found it in his desk. He also asked
Tooker to make an entry Of the certif-
cate in his book.
Tooker said that he turned over the
certificate to Mr.. Young and that on
learning of this, Stanton declared that he
had been entrapped and begged TOoker
to swear that he was drunk when he
gave him the paper.
The blank identified last week as the
original certificate and which appears to
have been altered was identified by
Tcoker as the one filed out by Stanton.
No other witnesses were called and
Judge Heisley then refused to admit of
bail and committed the two prisoners to
iai1