Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-05-24
RUSSELL HOPKINS SUED
BY MRS. J. ]. LAWRENCE
Grandmother-in-Law Claims He
Secured Large Sums by
False Representations
Cspecial Dispatch to The JOurnal)

ESPECIAL Dlep2NCu ne a1ulAldA-f
NEW YORK, May 22-Russell Hop
kins. the young man who came from At
lauta several years ago and eloped with
the beautiful le-year-old Vera Lawrence
Siegrist. who has something like S2,Oo0.ooo
In her own right. or coming to her, and
who gained much subsequent publicity
because he drove pair OF zebras down
Fifth avenue and kept a private menag-
erie. Is hack in the spotlight today as a
defendant in a suit charging fraud.
brought by his wife's grandmother, Mrs
Josephine Lawrence, who makes her
home at the Plaza
Mrs. Lawrence is the widow OF DIT.
Joseph j. Lawrence, Of St Louis, md
this city He made millions in drugs
. and medicines and died March, 1903.
Mrs. Lawrence charges that her
Eranddaughters' husband practically
held his wife and infant daughter as
hostages. and under cover Of a threat
to remove TO the far west and deprive
the aged widow Of their love and COM
pany, which she says is the one thing
above all else that she lives for. Undue
ed her 10 give him many thousands out
right. to buy him the Hopkins home at
Io45 Fifth avenue. and TO sign certain
alleged fraudulent notes, aggregating
sI25.0o0.
The DR.. Lawrence estate was left in
trust for the children OF his grand
daughter, Vera Lawrence Seigrist Hop
kins. During his WIDOWS life the plain
tiff in the suit filed today was to en-
10Y three-fifths OF the income. while
her granddaughter received two-fifths.
After the death OF either. the sur
vivor is TO receive all the income. Mrs.
Lawrence charges that her grandson
in-law sued the executor OF her hus-
bands estate for $4,000 on false
CLAIM for debt, and induced her TO pay
him large sums in cash and give GER
tain notes 10 make a privat settlement
OF his claim and keep the case out Of
court which. she alleges. he said would
avoid undesirable publicity.
SCHEME TO DEFRAUD.
Two years ago. Mrs. Lawrence says.
Hopkins said he had a chance TO make
a very large sum Of money in Califor-
MIA. but he would have TO move there
with his wife and child for eight years.
Rather than have her baby grand
daughter taken from her, Mrs. Law
renee says she agreed to give him the
same money he was TO have made out
west-s1. sou a month for eight years
She now says that il was all scheme
to defraud her. and that he never
meant to go west at all
Mr.. Hopkins is now but twenty
EEEAA years NAG- ne usually ANGA0GS
with his family. his wife and two chill
dren at the stregis. he has a fine
place at Irvington-on- the Hudson.
where he continues TO indulge his PEN
vhant for wild animals. Frequently,
neighbors say, he is round strolling
over his slxty-acre place with a pet
lion on one side and ag rizzly bear
trotting at his heels. They have fire.
quently expressed the hope that Meth
er lion nor bear will decire 20 enlarge
its liberties.
six years ago Mr.. Hopkins met his
wife and they eloped on his yacht Uno,
and were married at Peekskill. Mr.. and
Mrs. Lawrence were almost as tickled
over II as the clippers. and the grand
father gave Hopkins his blessing and
the fine Tarrytown estate to show how
he felt about such doings.
Henry II. Earle, OF Earle & Russell,
IS Liberty street. counsel for Mrs. Law
renee. Is In Albany before the court Of
appeals At his office il was said that
nothing would be added TO the statements
contained In the petition fled in the
courts.