The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-18
MRS BEDFORD IN BOW STREET
ALLEGED FALSE REGISTRY or
BIRTH or S35O,OOO BABY.
SHE Was Helen Middleton--SIarried Gun.
Ming =. Bedford In washington. p. G.
Husbands Reiatives Notify Trustee
Dushe Not TO Accept baby - Gcnuine.

Special Gable Despatch 10 THE Sun.
LONDON, May 17-Mrs Cunning 8. Bed
ford. accused of Offering spurious baby ~
her husbands heir, was not actually ar
rested until the Umbria. from New York.
was docked at Liverpool to-day. 1t was
intended not to arrest her until she reached
London, but it was learned that she intended
to remain several days in Liverpool, and 60
thence to Paris. whercupon she was taken
into custody. She arrived in London this
evening in charge of 1rspe ctor Cough,
accompanied by her child and maid. an
elderly French woman. who was engaged
in Paris just before Mrs Bedford started
for the United States.
The maid, who says she knows nothing
about the case except that she was hired
to care for the baby, went with II upon
arriving in London to the Charing Cross
Hotel whe e she will stay for the present.
Mrs. Bedford was taken to the Bow street
police station. She submitted to arrest
calmly, and retired at 1 O clock. the niatron
at the station acting as her maid The
correspondent OF THF Sun was not allowed
to see Mrs. Bedford, but in response to a
request through an officer for statement
she sent message saying
1T is out of the question. would he
happy to receive any information from
you. As for giving any, decidedly not"
The warrant upon which Mrs Bedford
will be arraigned in the Bow street polce
court Tomorrow morning was obtained
on May "A by j. B. Robinson on behalf Of
the Couderts. 1t charges her with causing
a false entry to be made In the registry
OF births in the Tottenham Court Road
district Of st. Parcras on Dec. 10, she repre-
senting herself to be the mother Of Z child
named Eugene, born Dec. II, at 10 Upper
Woburn place London.
The penalty for false registry under tho
English law varies from one year to seven
years Imprisonment. Mrs. Bedford in
tended to go to Paris for the purpose Of
further establishing her claim to parentAge
of the child She went to New York in
April from Paris, where her husband had
died in February. She took with her q
transcript Of the ST. Pancras birth oertin-
cate.
Mrs. Bedford was formerly Helen Middle
ton. 1t is understood that she was married
in Washington. d. C.. The prosecution
processes to be able to prove that the child
was procured In Paris and brought to
London, where 1t was registered. Mr.. Bed
ford, who was then Ill in Paris, not knowing
anything Of the matter, and that 1t was only
after his death that the child was produced.
There Ia every indication Of sensational
fight over the estate Of the late Cunning
8, Bedford. or. more particularly. the lie
interest Of about $3.50. 900 which he had in
three trust estates, which interest Wa to
pass to his child II he had one. and would
otherwise revert to the nearest OF kin Of his
uncle, the late Judge Cunning s. Bedford.
As was told In THE SUN yesterday. Mrs.
Bedford has child in her care which shs
says she had by her late husband. and rela-
tives Of her husbands family who would
profit from tho trust estates II Mr.. Bedford
died childless have charged that she pro-
cured child not her own and has put II
forward as her husbands Offspring and
heir.
The firm Of Coudert Bros. has oon-
Quoted the principal investigation which
has led to the apprehension of Mrs. Bed
ford, the proceedings originating In tho
firms Paris Office and having been con-
tinued in England and this country. LORENZO
Semple Of Coudert Bros said yesterday
that all Of the direct kin Of the late Judge
Bedford we're interested in the proceedings.
four Of the heirs being represented by the
Coudert firm and fifth by Parsons, Closson
d McIlvaine, and that they were acting to-
gether.
After Mr.. Bedford died In Paris on Feb.
II, last, his relatives learned with surprise
that his wife declared that he had left her
with an infant son. Mr.. Bedford had been
4 L. .lsl H. A>H1.
his death. and while he was III last winter
his wife left their Paris homo and went to
England on a visit. When her husband
became worse she was sent for, and she
reached his bedside shortly before he
died
She brought back an infant with her.
but. Mr.. Semple said, Mr.. Bedford never
saw the child or knew anything about It.
When his relatives heard Of the child they
decided, In view Of Mr.. Bedford's long
their knowledge, to institute an inquiry
rs to the childs birth Mrs. Bedford IL
described as a very slight, delicate young
woman OF the blond type.
She had visited the Paris once Of Coudert
Bros. very frequently on business up 70 t,.s
Her husbands relatives learned from the
physician who attended Mr.. Bedford tat
the physician had no knowledge, direct or
OF a prospective heir, although
he saw his patients wife every day or 90 on
his calls upon the sick man.
With these facts in mind, Coudert hros.,
on behalf of the Bedford relatives, Beam
an investigation to ascertain the partlcu.
lars Of the birth Of Mrs. Bedford's baby
in England. The Registrars Office In Lon
don contained the record Of the childs
birth, and tho investigation revealed the
fact that the entry was made BY q woman
who represented herself as the sister of
Mrs. Bedford. Tho woman making tho
entry gave her own residence as Antwerp,
and she gave street and number as well as
her name.
Mr.. Semple said that his office found
that there was no such address In Antwerp,
not even such street in that city az the
one named by the woman at the London
Registrars office. The investigators then
discovered, he said, that the woman who
reported the birth answered in minute
detail the description Of Mrs. Bedford
herself They then betook themselves to
the hotel where the woman had said that
her sister, Mrs Bedford. was stopping in
London at the time OF her ACCOMPLISHMENT,
and learned that Mrs. Bedford had not
been there ct all. Furthermore, the land
lord and his wife and all the attendants
of the hotel swore, Mr.. Semple said, that no
child had been born at that hotel Ia the last
three years.
With tls evidence, Scotland Yard was
notified by the attorneys, and steps were
tnker in New York to prevent the succession
II tie alleged spurious baby to the interest
which Mr.. Bedfords issue would have had
NJ ArN4