The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-27
ACTRESS IN COURT
FIGHT OF LAURA BIGGAR FOR
BENNETT MILLIONS
REACHES A SUDDEN ENDING.
SUIT WAS BROUGHT FOR THE IN
TIRE ESTATE.

Now Claimant Is Ready and willing
to Accept Sixty Per Cent. of the
Property Bequeathed Her by
the ~iII-Warrunts Issued nn6
Served, Charging Conspiracy
Against Justice of the Pence and
Proprietor of Sanitarium, Who
Are Committed to Jail.
Long Branch, N. j., Sept. 26.-The
Tight of Laura Biggar, the former ac-
tress, for the millions of Henry NJ.
Bennett, came to a sudden and dra-
matte ending to-day before Justice Will
bur A. Heisley. The claimant,
through counsel, abandoned the suit
and announced that she would be sat
isf1ed with the 60 per cent. of the es-
tate 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 con-
spiracy were served on Samuel Stanton,
the former justice of the peace of Hud-
son county, who testified that he had
tween Miss Biggar and the Pittsburg
millionaire, and DR.. c. C. Hendrick,
at whose sanitarium in Bayonne, it was
alleged that Miss Biggar's child was
born. search is now in progress for
Miss Biggar herself, that she may also
be presented to the grand jury to an
swer a similar charge. Stanton and
Dr. Hendrick are now in the Jail at
Freehold.
AS soon as the case had been called
by Judge Heisley, Mr.. Black announc-
cd that as counsel for Miss Biggar he
had been instructed to withdraw the
proceeding before the court, and to an
nounce that Miss Biggar would rest
content with the 60 per cent. of the
estate given her by the terms of the
will.
Mr.. Arrowsmith of the heirs counsel,
then addressed the court, saying he
was not altogether surprised at the
action, for there had been a conspiracy
and a deep one. He desired to say,
however, that he and his associates ac-
quilted Mr.. Black and his legal asso-
ciates from any knowledge of the con-
spiracy, and to assure the court that
it had been established they had been
duped.
Samuel \. Patterson, one of Mr.. Ar
rowsmith's associates. then announced
that warrants had been sworn out for
the arrest of Miss Biggar, DR.. Hem
drick and Mr.. Stanton on complaints
sworn to by Peter J. McNuity, one of
the principal legatees and an executor
of the will Hendrick and Stanton were
at once arrested and held in $4,000 bail,
and Judge Heisey ordered the pre-
limnary hearing to begin at once. Miss
J3iggar was not in court.
Mr.. McNulty testified to a CONVEX
sation he had with Miss Biggar in
Pittsburg, when Mr.. Bennett was i'll.
This was three years subsequent to
the date of the alleged marriage and
Miss Biggar had been worried because
Mr. Bennett was dying and had made
no will, and said if he died no pro-
vision would be made for her. She
made no claim then of being married
to Mr.. Bennett subsequently to the
death of Mr.. Bennett the witness and
A w. V. Watterson of Pittsburg, with
counsel for the heirs visited DR.. Hen
bricks sanitarium where Miss Biggar
was. Hendrick, who claimed to be
Miss Biggar's lawyer, told them that
Miss Biggar was entitled to the en-
tire 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 is one of the
executors, testified that when the will
was drawn Bennett told him Miss Big
gar was not his wife He intended
TO provide for her fully however. After
Mr.. Benefits death witness had q talk
with Miss Biggar and she said If she
was not properly provided for in the
will she would set up the claim OF
being the common law wife of Mr..
Bennett.
Secretary Tooker of the Hoboken
Board of Health testified that on FRI
day last Stanton told him he had mar
ried Mr.. Bennett and MISS Blggar
about two years before, but had for
gotten to file the certificate. Stanton,
so Tooker said, wanted him to testify
that Stanton called on him week
earlier and told him that
the Weber woman named as
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
if subsequently appeared, was arrang-
ing TO entrap Stanton. Stanton, Tooker
testified, asked him for blank mar
riage certificate, which Tooker gave
him and which he presently returned,
filed out with the request that Tooker
testify that he found it in his desk. He
also asked Tooker to make an entry of
the certificate in his books. Tooker said
that he turned over the certificates 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 appeared to have been altered, |
was identified by Tooker as the one |
filled out by Stanton.
No other witnesses were called and |
Judge Heisley then refused to reduce |
the bail and committed both prisoners |
to Jail.
NO SURPRISE IN PITTsBURG.