Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-12

~ FATED in her elegantly furnished
suite of rooms on the first floor
~ of the Hotel Ems. 321 South Olive
street, Mrs. Laura Biggar Bennett,
known ON the stage for years as
Laura Biggar, last night cast aside for
a while the privacy that has marked
her presence in Los Angeles and gave
to a Herald reporter her version of the
suit of 100000 brought against her in
Brooklyn, N. Y, by Mrs. Mary Agnes
Hendrick, alleging the alienation of
the affections of the latter's husband
The once well known actress in
melodrama had just received a tele-
graphic dispatch from New York stat
| ing that the jury had decided in favor
I.of Mrs. Hendrick and had awarded
Hendricks former wife a verdict of
$4,000.
without the least outward display Of
emotion Laura Biggar Bennett received
the verdict, and as she read the dis
patch her only utterance was:
"What awful wickedness! Yet thank
God, 1 am tranquil. The truth will,
as it always has, prevail. believe
now that the judge is contemplating
some action which will set aside the
verdict of the wicked jurors. l will
pray for those who have misjudged
me-"
Located with Difficulty
1t was with no little difficulty that
Laura Biggar was located, albeit she
denied that she had attempted to con-
ceal her presence or identity while in
| Los Angeles. She admitted that since
| the institution of the suit of Mrs. Hen
| drick, the affections of whose husband
| she was accused of alternating, she had
remained in her rooms and conversed
with friends by telephone
At the Ems the former actress is
registered as Mrs. Laura Bennett.
using the name of her husband, the
| Pittsburg millionaire owner of the
Bijou theater, whose death in New
| Jersey several years ago first brought
| the actress-nurse into the limelight of
| the courts.
She at once entered into discussion
of the suit brought by the wife Of DR.
Charles C. Hendricks, the man who is
| alleged to have a wonderful power
over Mrs. Bennett.
"In the first place, wish tn state
emphatically that my relations with
| DR.. Hendrick were simply platonic, de-
spite the many canards that have been
published to the contrary. I regard
| DR. Hendrick only in the light of a
| friend, legal and medical adviser.
am sincere in my statement that 7
owe my present health and the fact
| that I have been snatched from the
| grave on several occasions to the eX-
traordinary ability of DR.. Hendrick
Defends Hendricks Reputation
at is true that the doctor and I have
| Travelled together a great deal, but
our journeys always were made as
a doctor and his patient, or a lawyer
and his client. 1t is an outrage to
besmrch the name of DR.. Hendrick
| For my part. / do not worry. Since,
at the instigation and teaching of DR..
Hendrick, I embraced the doctrine of
| Christian Science, all thoughts of evil
| have been expunged from my mind.
Evil thoughts and worries I believe
/ to be the source of all sickness, but
have found a cure"
After relating how she became i'm
l'bued with the truths of the Christian
| Science church she again talked Of the
lawsuit which had been unfavorable
! to her.
1T is far from me to speak unlindly
| of a fellow being, but l really believe
that Mrs. Hendrick is not of sound
mind. I have seen Mrs. Hendrick kick
chairs and furniture about in a spirit
| of frenzy, and also beat her children'
The published reports that I hugged
and kissed DR.. Hendricll in the pres
ence of his wife or outside of her
. DI6SHuCc are pure anu iiflllNlOuS AeilSt
| hoods. It's terrible, and if I did not
have the solace and Comfture of my
God and religion I could not endure
the publicity. But now it does not af-
feet me- ] see things in a different
light. Everything pertaining to evil
has been banished by the ministrations
of DIR. Hendrick and I feel only com
passion for misguided persons.
Doctor Got Good Fees
'oTo prove that my relations were Of
a business nature only 1 have re-
ceipts to show that I paid DR.. Hen
/ drick $4,000 for professional services.
And" she added emphaticallys he
earned every cent. Several times he
snatched me from the verge of the
grave. When 1 sought ,his services /
was afflicted with dropsy, my hair was
] falling out, my eyes were dim, my feet
swollen and I saw nothing but the
gaunt specter of death approaching. 1t
was at this critical time, two years
ago. that the doctor took me to God
and Christian Science. Look at me
now" and she drew herself to her
/ fullest height, with the appearance Of
| a woman but little over 80 years old.
Il have not $4,000 to pay this wom-
an but 1 have confidence that right
will prevail and the unjust verdict be
set aside. God will show me the way
/ out of any dilemma"
When asked as to the present where
abouts of DR.. Hendrick Mrs. Bennett
said he had left Los Angeles and was
| in Cincinnati the last time she had
heard from him. For time Mrs. Ben
nett and DR.. Hendrick are said to have
/ lived in Albuquerque, N. NJ, where the
doctor ran a newspaper which did not
| prove to be success.
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Lose a sood-pay tenant. or boarderf Lat