The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-05-18
REVENGE IS sweet
TOFORMERSpOUSE
OF HOE CLAIMANT
First Husband Against
Kentucky's Most
Beautiful Woman.
UNDUE INFLUENCE
1t is Claimed, Was Used to
Secure the Property of
Aged Millionaire.

Secure the Property of
Aged Millionaire.
New York City.-A.ter waiting
for years Lewis L.. E.own Of Covj;g-
ton, KY, is to get Il chance to re-
venge himself on his former wife,
now Mrs. Ar.'lu: Johns of this city.
She is suing tue estate Of R,bcrt
Hoe printing press builder, are and
rare book collector, for $4,000
bond she says the aged millionaire
gave her as his ward, shortly before
his death in her fathers home in
London. One-fourth of the Hoe Ii
brary has Just been sold for almost
81 100000.
The executors of the Hoe estate
yesterday got from Justice Bischoff
in the Supreme Court an order under
which they will examine Brown be-
fore the trial of Mrs. J%ohnson's
suit. The executors said Brown has
expressed his willingness to testify
against his former wife. She has
been called 1.-The most beautiful
woman in Kentucky" and King Ed
ward so much admired her, it is said,
that he summoned her from her own
box to the royal box in a London
theatre, several years ago. Brown is
to be questioned as to what he knows
of the relations between his farmer
wife and the aged printing press
maker.
Other Actions Against Estate.
The examination will take place in
the Office of William A. Peck, a law
yer, at No. 165 Broadway. Mrs.
Johns has under way several other
legal actions against the Hoe estate,
claiming title to 100000 in securi-
ties she say Mr.. Hoe promised ler.
Mrs. John, whose husband is a
Wall street lawyer, was Margaret
Johnson. She is the daughter OF
Claude NJ. Johnson, now living at
No. 81 West Eleventh street, who was
at one time head of the Bureau Of
Engraving and Printing in Washing
ton. Later he became the head Of
the foreign branch of the Hoe print
ing press concern, with headquarters
in London.
According to a statement made
to The World some time ago by Mr..
Johnson, his daughter, who was born
and raised in Kentucky, first met
Robert Hoe in the johnson home in
Brunswick square, London. MIR.
Hoes eldest daughter had just died,
and he was depressed. Johnson's
daughter, who at that time was Mrs.
Lewis F. Brown, cheered him up,
and he took an interest in her and
later bought the house next door
and had a doorway cut between the
two residences.
Brown, who was a Chesapeake and
Ohio Railroad ticket agent, was with
his wife in the Drury Lane Theatre
when King Edward summoned the
beauty to the royal box.
Later it was reported Brown and
his wife fused over the Incl lent.
When Brown returned to America he
came without his wife and she wrote
refusing to return to this country.
Thereupon Brown in 1907, got a di-
vorce on the ground Of desertion.
Hoe Her Financial Backer.
Johnson says Hoe backed the for
mer Mrs. Brown financially when she
opened an art shop in London, which
was later transferred to No. II West
Thirty-frst street, this city. In jan
uary, 1910, she became the wife of
Arthur Johns, whose first wife, al
daughter of former Gov. Robert S..
Green of New Jersey had died in
1903.
According to Johnson, his daugh-
ter was promised a $4,000 share
in the Hoe estate, by Hoe himself,
in case she outlived him. If she
died first, her heirs were to have no
claim on the Hoes.
Mrs. Johns names as the defend
ants in her action Phineas F. Chew
and Frederick w. Crane, the e%xecu-
tors of the Hoe estate. When the
for the probate Of Mr..
Hoes will were pending in the Sur
rogate's Court, she claimed the bond
and mortgage were hers, and that
she still had them in her possession.
According to the executors allie
Citations in the proceeding, she OBJ
that some such system must be In
in this country to place
the finances on a safe and conserva-l
i've basis that will last through all
and not be subject. as II IN to.i