Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1902-10-01
ACONSPIRACYFOR MILLIONS
Laura Biggar's Suit For Vast Wealth
Dramatically Halted.
TWO ARRESTED IN COURTROOM
An Attempt to Secure the Fortune OF Henry
NJ. Bcnnctt, the Pittsburg Millienaire'
Fails-A Forged Marriage Certificate
and False story OF ~ Posthumous
Child Figure in the Charges.

Fails-A Forged Marriage Certificate
and False story OF Posthunous
Child Figure in the Charges.
Long Branch, y. Laura Biggars
attempt 10 get I'll the late Henry NJ
Benefits money. instead of the part
OF i, he left to h2r in his will. came to
sudden end in the Orphans Court
here. and he" action TO set aside the
Will was transformed without warning
into criminal proceeding against both
herself and those associated with her.
1t is charged I'll the former actress.
who nurscd the Pttsburg millionaire
during the las .ivc years of his life,
waS assisted hE the two witnesses.
possibly by offices besides, in organiZ-
ing the most gi.rntic fraud exposed i'm
the New Jersey ourts Cor many years.
In addition to tlc accusation that the
three plotted and committed forgery
To prove mythical marriage between
Mr.. Bennett and Miss Biggar. there is
the charge that they conspred in as
ser''nC that she bore a posthumous
son of the millionaire last July. where
as no such child ever was born.
DR.. &. C. Hendrick. proprietor of the
Bergen Point Sanitarium. in which
Miss Biggar has lived recently. and
Samuel Stanton, the former Justice of
the Peace who said he married the
couple in Hoboken in 1898. were the
witnesses arrested and held in $4,000
bail. after dramatic scene among the
many lawyers who Were fighting the
case a warrant FOR the arrest OF
Miss Biggar was sworn out at the
Slnlc time with the others.
In brief The disclosure i'm the Orphans
Court was that the wedding certificate.
puIporting 10 he the record of the mar
ria%c of Laura Biggar to Henry NJ.
Bennett, mt the home of Justice of the
Ioacc Samuel Stanton. on January .,
lS'lS. was forgery executed only late
ly by the very man who was alleged
to have performed the ceremony.
That ;his man tried to induce the
Secretary of the Board of Health to
make false entry in his records in
order to make ii appear that it had
been recorded years ago.
Ihat the name of Il dead woman was
inserted in the forged paper as n wit
ness
That there never was n child. and
THAI Laura Biggar never pretended to
he th2 wife OF Bennett until after she
lad zone TO DIR. Hendricks sanitariun.
where ,lla whole plot was hatched.
The forged paper was in itself evil
Gcr"c oi its character. for, according
10 The clerk who gave ii blank to Judge
Siaa, on ard later received Ii from him
MED out. it was Il 1900 blank. and had
Ia he scratched out in order to admit
OF the Insertion of the date 1898.
AS The matter now stands, Laura
BigSar is still entitled to three-ouar-
tcrS of million dollars. but the peo-
III? who exposed her will seek 10 re-
open the fight they abandoned when
the VIII first came up for probate. and
TO take from her all share in the estate
for the whole of which she plotted
even 10 the length OF swearing she
was the wife of Il man who had no
wife. The Bennett fortune is thought
to amount to s.. 600. 600
The defeat of the plot was simple
md crushing, its very complexities
made it crumble when the first weak
spot was exposed. and il developed that
former Justice Stanton had been all
the time under observation by the
forces opposed To Miss Biggar. and his
share in the plan was no secret, so they
laid their snare and waited.
When Laura Ei"garS forces found
themselves at bay before the enemy.
whose sleuth hounds had run down
the woman'S confederates. they
launched n surprise by Withdrawing
her suit and acknowledging a willing
ness TO abide by the provisions of the
Bennett will as il stands.
This step. instead of bringing truce
In the battle for the Bennett millions
only precipitated the most desperate
conflict of the legal engagements. as
Immediately after the Biggar attor-
heyS had thrown up the case warrants
oi arrest on charge of conspiracy
were served upon DR. Charles C.. Hen
Nrick' proprietor of the Sanitarium at
Bayonne. and upon Samuel Stanton.
the former Justice of the Peace who
h@d sworn thar hc married Laura Big
gar TO Henry VI. Bennett, at Hobokcn
on January .. 1898.
Another warrant was ready to he
served upon Laura Bigear. bu' she cS-
capped arrest by failing to appea,. in
court
Both prisoners were Immediately or.
raiSncd before Judge Hcisley i'm cham
bers, and held in $1,000 bail each Tho
extent OF the bail created another SEN
saiion. and Charles &. Black. of Jersey
City, attorney for Miss Bicgar who at
once volunteered TO act for the two
prisoners. made valiant effort 10 have
the amount reduced. but Judge Heis.
ley refused to alter the figures
The two prisoners We're held in de-
fault OF bail and sent under guard
to Freehold where they will remain
imprisoned to await the action of the
October Grand Jury
Says Chinese Leper Is Cured.