Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-01
THE LAURA BIGGAR CASE.

Laura Biggar, the actress. who lived
with the late Henry Nj. Bennett formerly
of Burlington, for the four or five years
preceding his death last April. was bene-
icary under his will to the extent of 60
per cent Of the entire estate, valued at sew
eral hundred thousand dollars. She was
to receive that GO per cent at the end OF
five years In the meantime she was to
receive $500 a year from the estate She
not only made no objection to the will at
the outset but, over the signature Laura
Biggar" filed petition for the probate of
the will. Subsequently she affirmed, at n
session of the orphans court, that she
was not Laura Biggar but Laura Bennett,
the widow of Henry M. Bennett, and the
mother OF a posthumous child by him. Tn
der the law in that State a child born
after the death of its father would inherit
regardless of any will. The actress fur
Their declared that her posthumous child
had died eleven days after birth and that
she as the dead childs heir should inherit
the whole OF the Bennett estate.
The three main points in Miss Biggar's
story were corroborated by Samuel Stan
ton, IIoboken justice of the peace and
DR.. Charles c. iIcndrick. proprietor Of a
sanitarium in Bayonne. Stanton swore
that ne married Laura Blggar and Henry
NJ. Bennett on Jan. 2. 1898. DR.. Hendrick
sHore that the child was born and died n
his sanitarium. Laura Biggar also swore
to the marriage and to the birth and death
of the child.
Stanton also sworc that Il certificate of
the alleged marriage was the original GER
tilicate hllod out by him and given to the
woman on the night Of the ceremony in
1895 1t was afterward proved that u
blank on which the certificate was made
out was not printed until 1900 The case
hung on that fact when the State of New
Jersey caused the arrest of Laura Biggar,
Hendrick and Stanton on the charge of
conspiracy to prove false marriage and
birth to defraud the other Bennett heirs
for the benefit of Miss Bggar, The jury
in the trial brought in a verdict Wednes-
day afternoon acCqultting the woman and
finding Or. Hendricks and eX-JustiCe stan
ton guilty OF conspiracy, as charged In the
indictment. The verdict was received with
much surprise, The New York Sun quotes
one of the jurors named Brown as saying
I'VE argued all night by spells Soon as
we got excited we'd just shut up for a
while and sit quiet till everybody was
calm Then we'd argue II all over again
and we kept on that way till we got a YER
dict. The first vote was six to convict all
three and six to acQuit all three. 1t was
that way all night till we heard from
the judge. Then II was three of us to ac-
quit all for a while and nine to convict the
men and let the woman go. Then by golly.
we finally got our verdict with all hands
| for the lady and against the men"
we thought that verdict would be more
popular than anything else we could do"
| The New York Tribune's report says:
| The jury. 1t Is understood. stood nine to
three for acquittal Of Miss Biggar from
the first ballot to the last, 1t was only
after % hours OF argument that the three
| jurors voted to free the woman. All II
are said to have been a unit from the first
to convict the two men.
| When the jury came In and asked II 1t
might convict two and acquit one, the
general surmise was that Stanton would
escape. 1t was generally believed that,
| if the States contention was true and he
did any wrong he did 1t for cash. The
prosecutor does not want to talk, but it
| is known that he is disappointed, as he
aimed to convict Miss Biggar more than
either of the other two. and it was against
her his sharpest attacks were made. II
Hendricks and Stanton should obtain n
moved now that Miss Biggar is safe rom
attack on the conspiracy charge. II is
said to be probable that the perjury In
ldictment may be moved, Stanton Is also
under Indictment for perjury.
| 1t IL expected that Miss Biggar will at
once reetart her fight for her share OF
Mr.. Benefits money. She stands In an
excellent position. The bulk OF 1t IL hers
If the will he sustained and there now
seems no reason why II should not be. The
genuineness of the document has never
been questioned. That 1t was legally
made and signed seems undisputed. The
Iclause forbidding a contest may prevent
the persons opposed to Miss Biggar enter.
ing into fight.
Any how. 1t will be half a generation
before the Bennett will case Ia finally
wiped out and hns written to II, for II
will be almost that length OF time before
Miss Biggar will finally become fully pos
sessed of her share under the terms Of the
will.