Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-22
TO PROBE RUNORS
!. INTO W|FE'S DEATH
Bingham Will Send Friend to
Wilmington to Find Out
About Exhuming Body.
KNOWS OF NO SUCH PURPOSE
Grave Still Guarded at Night by
Officers Employed by Family
of former Mrs. Flagler.
KNOWS OF NO SUCH PURPOSE
INV :. ..ssn"ia:ed er",,l


LOUISVILLE. KY, September 2l.-A
personal investigation of various ru-
mors in connection with the death Of
Mrs. Robert w. Bingham will be made
by representative Of Judge Bingham.
Louisville attorney. former judge OF
the Circuit Court. and the second hus-
band OF the widow of / enry NJ. Flag
ler. Standard Oil and railroad mag
nate. who left her an estate valued at
more than S7o.00o.O0). a statement to
that effect was made to-day by attor-
ncys for Judge Bingham.
Advices from Wilmington. N. c..
where Mrs. Bingham was buried. were
that her grave is being guarded day
and night. and the proba biity existed
that her body would be disinterred and
an autopsy performed.
It, is intended, the statement by
Judge BinEham's attorneys recitcs. TO
find out exactly what. IL anything, has
been done there in this matter; whether
there has been any request for any
such thing. by whom such request has
been made. il any has been made. and
for what purpose such proceeding is
TO be had. and TO sec that. in tho event
there Is any such purpose (Which
Judge Bingham's representatives can
not believe TO be true). Judge Bingham
Is given fun notice. so that he may
have representative present"
The statement also denies a report
that DR.. r. NJ. Tavitch, the physician
who attended Mrs. Bingham prior to
her last illness. had been presented
with a fee OF $4,000 and an auto
mobile.
1t also was indicated that DR.. Ra-
vitch's Office had been rined and some
OF his records removed.
DEVELOPMENTS APPROACHING
GILMAN FOn WEEK s
Developments in the situation, which
has stirred Louisville, have been ap-
proachinG a climax for weeks. Initial
rumors were that a contest of the
codicil to Mrs. Bingham's will be-
aueathins $5.ecQ,ooo TO Judge Bingham,
would be contested. When the codic II
was offered for probate few weeks
ago. no formal opposition developed.
although attorneys for the heirs
named in Mrs. Binghan,'s will were
present and questioned witnesses to
IL as TO her physical aud mental stage.
a leading question referred to the
probability Of Mrs. bingham being
under the influence o: drugs at the
time she signed the cod:cil. Answers
were in the negative.
Rumors later reached Louisville
that efforts probably would be made
at Wilmington TO llsintcr Mrs. Bing-
hams body and have an autopsy per-
formed. The real purpose apparently
was not disclosed. and In the absence
OF any decided move In that direction
they were little needed.
Mrs. Robert Worth Bingham, former
ly Mrs. Henry NJ. Flagler. who died in
this city July 81. had ueen unconscious
twenty-four hours before her demise
Her death, according to the certificate
OF the attending physician, was due
to myo-carditis. Prior to that time.
II was stated to-day in a quarter close
to the Bingham family, she frequently
had felt i'll without apparently having
a special malady. DIR. r.. NJ. Tavitch
a close personal friend of Mr.. BinE-
ham. frequently attended her. When
she became acutely i'll Of heart trouble,
another Louisville physician. DR.. w. +.
Borgess. was called into consultation.
and attended her constantly.
RELINQUIsiIliD ALL CLAIM
TO HUSBANDS SHARE
II had been stated that when Judge
Bingham and Mrs. FlaEler were mar
ried, Judge Bingham. on his own mo-
ton, signed a document rciinquishinE
all legal claim to husbands share
in his wifes estate. Friends have
said. it is stated that Mrs. Blnsham
frequently referred to the waiver, and
announced her determination to leave
him portion of her estate. Appar-
emily in conformity with that desire.
she arranged meeting with a Louis
Vile attorney last June. and directed
him to add codicl to her will in
which the bequest OF s5.O0G.0O0 was
made. Judge Bingham was out of the
city al the time. 1t is said. and knew
nothing OF Mrs. BinGham's intention.
y month later airs. Bingham dieG