The sun., 1907-11-12
FOR WIDOWHOOD END$iOO,OOO
MRS. LEES CONFRONTED WITH
ALLEGED LIVING HUSBANDS.
Two Children Are Also In Court Rt the
TriRB OF Her Damage suit Against
the Elevated. One That She Brought
There aud One That she Didn't Bring.


There aud One That she Didn't Bring.
Bertha Lees a stout. comely woman
under 40. trying e. collect SlOO.OHO
damages for the loss of her husband. WILL
lam Lees. killed on the Ninth avenue
elevated railroad on September II, 1905.
was in the Supreme Court yesterday with
her sister. who carried a baby described
az tho pOsthumous child Of Lees. In
another corner was another child.
Mrs. Lees testified on cross-eSamination
that she had married James f. Williams in
1895. but that he disappeared almost inn
mediately, and in 1902. after taking legal
advice. she married Lees. believing herself
20 be at liberty to do 40. The advice she
said, came from a lawyer named Spain, who
is now dead.
John r. Mcintyre interrupted his cross
examination 10 call on james T.. WilliaIus"
To stand mp.
A man in the uniform IT private in the
United States Army stood up NJ attention.
"Izn't that man your hushanh7" the
lawyer demanded Of Mrs. Lees.
She looked at the soldier steadily and
replied:
"No, sir, do not know that man at all.
II il is. ne has changed 80 much that do
not recognize him"
Mr. Mcintyre called for "the Rev Dr.
Hcncirickson." A clergyman stood up and
faced Mrs. Lees
"Isn't thiS the clergyman who married
you and Williams?" Mr.. Mcintyre asked.
"He is not, sir. | never saw the gentle
man before, 10 the hest Of my know ledge, "
replied Mrs. Lees, whose voice and features
showed now that she was under a heavy
strain.
Lawyer McIntyre's next move WA to
show her an insurance policy FOR 5000
on the life Of Bertha Pancoast." The
policy was made out in 1902 and Harry y.
Pancoast was named IA the beneficiary Of
the policy and the husband Of Bertha
PanCOast.
Mrs. Lees denied that the word 'hus-
hand" was in her handwriting. She did
Admit that the policy was on her life and
explained that she had insured her life to
protect an illegitimate child, Of whom
Pancoast Was the father.
Mr.. Mcintyre promptly produccd a GER
titicate Of the baptism on September 4, 1892.
by the Rev. Matthew +. Scanlon, Curate
Of the Church of the Holy Cross in West
Forty-secOnd street, Of an infant named
Juliette Pancoast, daughter Of Harry b.
and Bertha PancOast.
Harry b. Paucoast" was the next name
called by Mr.. Mcintyre. and in response
arose "A man who had been sitting az the
side of the second child mentioned.
Mrs. Lees identified Pancoast. but denied
that she had ever married him. Mr. McIn-
tyre switched her OF quickly with this
question::
Didn't You at one time claim a man
called Lynch ~ your husband?"
Il never did" answered Mrs. Lees, her
voice breaking.
Didn't YOU receive s5,OOO from this
Lynch in return for a general release OF all
claims you might have against him?
Mrs. Lees's voice dropped almost to a
whisper and she sObbed az she answered:
mfr. Lynch never gave me any money.
for he had none to give me. He was never
anything to me and never had to give me
Mr.. Mcintyre then produced a certificate
recording the marriage OF James r. Williams
TO Bertha Brown. The ages OF both Will
Jams and the bride were given AZ 25 The
certificate purported to show that the mar
riaRe was performed az 20 West Sixty-fifth
street by the Roy. n. A. HendriCkson. The
lawyer placed the certificate in the hands
of Mrs Lees and asked her to read il,
The paper in her hands shook a. she
gaslIed out that she had never seen it before
and knew nothing Of IL.
Mr. HendricksOn, she sobbed. never
Unmarried me. II was DIR. Littieheld. and
| can't can't
When she was calmer she said that she
thought DR.. Littlefield lived NJ 70 West
Forty-seventh street.
The LAWYER drified back to her marriage
to Lees. and got her TO admit that she had
given her age as ~. although she had waited
seven years since sh" was married 20 VIII
iams al ?5 She said she had given her age
falsely the second time because Lees did not
want people to knON that he was the
Younger Then Mr. Mcintyre called for
and produced the Lees marriage CertiN-
cate in which il appeared that she had
described herself as single and had stated
that she had never been married before.
On redirect Mrs. Lees testified that she
had twin sister who resernbel her 80 much
that they we're often mistaken for each
other.
In the course Of his CROSSE examination
of Mrs Lees Lawyer Mcintyre had called
on Lieut.. O'Donnell of the Detective Bureau
for some ROgues' Gallery photographs.
Lieat. O'Donnell produced them and they
were shown to Mrs. Lees. who declared
that she could not recognizes the original
of the pictures as Harry B. Pancoast.
alias Harry Il. Brown"
Justice Hendricks reserved decision on
Mr. Mclntyre's motion TO dismiss the com
plaint on the ground that the plaintiff
was notthe lawful widow Of Lees.
Mr. MoIntvre then opened the defence.
He said Enoch Williams had been driven
from his home by his wife's unkindness and
had returned after a supposed reconcile
ation to find another mans pipe ON the
and another man in the
kitchen. Then he -'listed for soldier"
Mr. Mcintyre also said he would show
that Mrs. Lees had passed frequently as
the wife Of PancOast. who still lives and
that the baby is really her second child by
Pancoast.
The evidence for the defence will begin
to-day.