The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-23
TWO WIDOWS IN WILL FIGHT.
AND TWO WILLS TO DISPOSE OF
LOUIS ROSSIGNOT,S MONEY.
Frenohman VINO Started His Fortune With
Hair Dressing lnvention-Dted
Abroad, where One woman Was with
Him-Other In Business Here.

thoroughly aired In the Surrogates Court
before the estate OF the late Louis Rossignot
lie settled. A little OF the story came out
yesterday when will was offered for
probate. Fortunately for the widows,
seven brothers and sisters and the lawyers,
the estate Is worth fight. So far about
$4,000 worth Of property has been found
and thSre may be more. The lawyers are
still searching.
Rossignot was born at Oyieres, not far
from Lyons, France, In ls45. He learned
the trade OF hairworker and came to this
country about 1870 Not long after he
came here he noticed that fashionable
women seemed to have considerable trouble
with their foretops. Some women objected
to cutting enough of their front hair to
make bang or teasing curIs," and others
couldn't get the locks to behave themselves
once they were cut.
Wen change all that" said Rossignot,
and he invented a portable foretop and
'teasers," which women could take of
and put on at their pleasure. He got a
patent for his invention. 1t sold like hot
cakes and 1t wasn't many years before
the inventive hairworker was known in the
French colony as a man OF considerable
wealth.
After he had become well-to-do, he found
his way into Wall Street, and Wall Street
treated him kindly. Either through good
advice or good luck he managed to keep
pretty generally on the right side of the
market. Those who knew of his operations
In the Street used to say:
took bath"
Ten years ago or so he found himself
possessed OF a very comfortable fortune,
retired from business and devoted the
rest OF his life to travel and to having
good time. He died on Aug. IA, last. at
the age Of 50, at Bourbonne les Bains. only
a little way from his birthplace of 0yieres.
With him when he died was woman
who was supposed TO be his wife. She said
she was and 30 did he. Rossignot had two
/ brothers and three sisters in France and
one brother, Claude, who lives at 18a West
relatives were notified Of the death and
they took the body back to the old home
for burial.
The widow disappeared. and in due
time the French Consul-Ueneral at New
York was notified that the innkeeper at
Bourbonne les Bains, at whose house NJ
and Nine. Rossignot stopped, would like
somebody to settle the board bill, amount
ing to the mere trfie of $500 or $500. The
Consul General passed on the notification
to the New York brother, and the claim
has now become charge against the
estate.
Claude Rossignot knew that his brother
was wealthy, and he retained Lawyer
II. A. Vieu Of 500 Broadway to look after
his interests. No will could be found,
and so Claude took out letters OF admins
tration.
Mr.. vieu learned that the dead Louis
had a safe deposit box in the vaults of the
Mercantile rust Company, and he got an
order from The Surrogate permitting him
other SECURITIES amounting to nearly $3.50 geo
in the box to indicate that the dead French
man owned any real estate anywhere,
The will which was found bequeathed
brother Claude Antoine. who lives at
OyieIes One-sixth of the remainder was
left TO each Of his other brothers and sisters,
and to a niece, the daughter Of Il deceased
sister, There was no mention of wife
or children.
Meantime word came from France that
q will had been found among Louis's papers
at Bourbonne les Bains, drawn in 1897
Under this viii each brother and sister
and the niece were to share alike in the
or children In this will. Mr.. Wen sent for
certified copy Of the will found in France.
But before he. got it, French steamer
arrived here and passenger on her was
Rossisnot. She went to the Hotel St.
George in Brooklyn, where she now lives.
That was on Oct 10. Soon after, the woman
directed her attorneys, Underwood, Van
Worst & Hoyt Of Is Broad street, to take
such steps as might be necessary to estab-
lish her claim to Rossignot's estate, assert
ing that he was her husband.
In carrying out their directions the
lawyers got into touch with Claude Rossig-
not's attorney and found out about the
ton. They promptly objected to the 1897
executed Then they objected to Claude's
appointment as administrator and obtained
an order directing him to show cause why
In her application for this order the
alleged widow stated that she had married
Rossignot In Florida on March 80, 1904
that abe had q certificate Of marriage
which she did not see fit to produce, that
from the time Of her marriage until his
death and that she expected to become,
in about foul months, the mother OF child
Of which the'dead Rossignot was the father.
She said her maiden name was Aimee
Michel.
When the New York b{other heard about
this widow, he began to wonder what had
become OF another woman whom Louis
had acknowledged as his wife Tor many
years. She was known In business, as
Marguerite Baroux and runs Q big dress
making establishment at IA West Thirty
first street under the name Of Marguerite
Baroux 4 Co. The "Copaftnership Direc-
tory" states that no information could be
obtained about this firm.
Claude looked up the only Mrs. Louis
Rossignot he had ever known and found
her doing business at the old stand. She
said she had heard OF Louis's death In the
papers What she said about that other
woman" has not been revealed. But If |
there must be q widow Claude IL for Mar
Ruerite. She has done nothing to prove |
her claim to any part OF the estate. She I
has, though, donned a widows weeds. |
TO Sun reporter yesterday afternoon
she said:
Il have nothing to say at present for |
publication. I do not know that ever
shall. The fact is, however, that ! am
Mr. Rossignot's widow and never heard
OF that other woman
aThat other woman" is said to be about
80 years old and very good looking. She |
receives only her intimate friends at the |
81. George, sending otheE the message
that she begs to be excused, as she is not
feeling well.
Louis Rossienot never had any fixed
Ii Il, vnrG far Mr. |