The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1908-08-06
BIG SENSATION
IN WILL CONTEST
ADOPTED DAUGHTER WILL AT.
TEMPT TO BREAK LAST TESLA
MENT OF BENZ. HART.
UNDUE INFLUENCE ALLEGED.
Case Promises to Rival All Others or
Account of Millionaire's Pri-
vate Life.
WIFE MAKES HER APPEARANCE

NEW YORK, Aug. 3.-What prom
ises to be one of the most bitterly con
tested will fights that New York has
seen in many years was begun when the
will of Benjamin Hart, the American,
who died in Paris last May. leaving an
estate valued ut several millions of dol
lars. came up for probate i'll. the surro.
gates court. Before the case is settled
there probably will be untoidcd tale
of free love and IN alleged affinity
thai will make exceedingly interesting
reading.
Separated by Woman.
BENJAMIN Hart amassed Il fortune dur
ing the Civil war rs Il clothing ped
dlcr. and increased it greatly by JUDI
cioUs investments III New Ork real eS'
tate. Thirty years ago he took up hi
residence in Paris, and five years later
adopted an Italian child, Gabrielle lo-
sephine Lucches. who aftcrward can't
to be known as Isabel Hart. Later sh,
married II French diplomat, Jean Gull
lemin. Some years later, Hart set up an
establishment for Il woman named Ga
brielle Julictte Antoinette de Bic, who
benefits largely under the present will.
Harris friendship for this woman of.
Tended Nine. Guillcmin, and it was SAID
that i'll consequence he disInherited her
In the will. however. the testator says
he amply provided for her III her mar
riage. He left her two art objects,
which bequest he revoked in codicil. Sc
she gets nothing.
Another Wife Appears.
To make the situation more complex,
last February a Mrs. Wright, who said
she lived at p Perry street, this city
proclaimed that she was the wife of
Hart. whom she said she married in
| Ian 1--WE
lived together three years before sepa'
rating From that time she said Hart
gave her Il monthly allowance. She. as
well as the adopted daughter. Will con
test the will. The third contestant is
said to be Nine. de Bic.
The benetici;.ries named in the will. all
of them being .elatives. are Mary L. II.
Jones of South Orange, \. j., niece;
Benjamin Hart of San Francisco, a
nephew; Franc BrvItcd of Chicago, a
niece: Imogene v Hart of South
Orange and Michael Hart of New York
city.
Undue Influence Alleged.
In cOdicil. the teStator directed thai
1.-THE annuity of $1,000 which in my
second codicil | did bequeath To q. j. y.
de Bic. shall be paid to her free of all
possible taxes, assessments, commissions
or Deductions
In another codicil he bequeathed ITO
Gabrielle ,Juliette AntOinette de Bic my
house aud land Mt - Rue de Galilce.
Paris, together with all personal proper
~ and effects in said house. except ar
ticles specifically bequeathed. lie also
directed that SO 600 be paid to Mile de
Bic, free of all taxes. Immediately after
his DEATH The residuary estate TO he
created into "A trust, the income from
which Is to be paid to his nephew
Michael Hart.
Donald Harper lawyer, is here from
Paris to look after the interests of Nine
Guillcmin, Harris adopted daughter, III
the coming will contest. 1t Will be
claimed that Hart had always given his
adopted daughter to understand that she
would inherit the bulk of his millions
and that they We're always on most al
fectionate terms until the aged million
aire met Mile. de Bic. One OF the
ground for ceutestiug the will will he
that Mile. de Bic exercised undue lntiu-
euce over him.