The sun., 1918-04-08
BINGHAM WILL
CASE SETTLED
WITHOUT SUIT
Testatrix's Husband to Get
G.OOO.OOO and Her Niece
Bulk of Flagler Fortune.
S65,741,552 Is INVOLVED
Startling Charges Which Fol-
lowed ELIMINATION of De-
cedent Are Dropped.
S65,741,552 Is INVOLVED

4
All Of the family differences that led
10 the comparatively recent sensational
charges regarding the death Of Mrs.
Robert ". Bingham. widow Of Henry
~ Taglet. have been settled, accord
Ing to despatch received last night
from Lexington. Ky. The bulk OF the
estate, listed in Kentucky as being
worth Ss5.74i.55e. goes to Mrs. Blng-
hams niece. Mrs. Laurence Lewis OF
Cincinnati and New York. and the be-
quest OF 35.000.000 to Judge Robert
Worth Bingham will be paid withou,
question.
The State Of Kentucky will get be-
tween 100000 and $4,000, 900 Of In
heritance tax, and controversy that
has kept four States interested Is to be
buried through an amicable adjustment
Frequent conferences that have taken
place among the representatives Of the
warning interests have brought. about
the final arrangement.
The settlement brings to a close one
Of the most sensational Issues ever
raised in this country. Mrs. Fiagler was
the daughter Of the late Capt william
il. kenan Of Wilmir gton ~ G. She VS.
the second wife Of the noted Standard
OH capitalist. After his death she was
married 10 Judge Bingham, one Of the
best known lawyers Of kentucky. on
November Is. 1916. The wedding took
place at the home Of Mr.. and Mrs Penn
broke Jones. 8 East Sixty.irst street,
this city.
Prenuptial Contract.
There was at once a financial question,
Is was quite natural when so large an
estate came under the purview OF Judges
Cupid and Hymen. 1t was found that
under the laws Of Kentucky. which gov
erned the residence Of the couple. a
husband would be entitled to one-half
Of the estate Of the wife In the event
she died intestate. and also that prior
to the wedding Judge Bingham had
entered into prenuptial contract limit
Ing his prospective interest to $4,000. 900.
Mrs, Bingham died July 81. 1917. at
her home in Louisville. Her will was
duly probated and It was found that
1t left to her niece. Mrs. Laurence Lewis
the bulk of the estate, with the stipu-
lated S5.o00.000 for Judge Bingham and
surdry minor beQuestS to members Of
her Immediate family In North Caro-
Ina The body was taken to Wilmington
for burial.
Mrs. Lewis. the niece, had been edu-
Gated at Dobbs Ferry. ". Y. and had
passed most Of her life in school near
this city. with a finishing touch in Paris
and on the Continent. She had ma FRIED
the son OF Mr.. and Mrs. Thornton Lewis
Of Cincinnati.
Hardly had Mrs. Bingham died on
July -. 1877. and the last rites had been
celebrated at the old home in North
carolina, when there came news that
an armed guard had been placed about
her grave by order Of her immediate
'elatives, and then came the news that
The body had been exhumed' at night
and that the vital organs had been
rak"n for chemical analysis. There was
STIR over the unusual proceeding. and
The papers were filled with questions as
70 the events that Immediately preceded
me death OF the woman who had come
into the Standard Oil fortune.
Basis of Investigation.
The vital organs were Sent to New
nk' nork' where Dr. Charles A. Norris. at
bellevue Hospital. was placed in charge
OF an investigation that had for It's basis
The in'imation that Mrs. Bnghams
death might have been due to some
cause other than that stated In the
oncial certificate. No report OF the
C"en!cal analysis Is known to have been
hiade. Friends Of Judge Bingham indig-
hantly met the implied charges with the
statement that there WAS nothing In the
Ease that should take 1t beyond the
"'os' ordinary death report.
It had been supposed that a contest
soih develop over the will. especially
tad
.uuge bingham. when the tldings came
shectel
ihero have been many sensational in
.,dehts in the case. One Of them took
pace when unascertained persons en-
,e'ei the office Of DR.. N. l.. Ravitch, q
,DulhNliie physician who attended Mrs.
nhsham in her last illness, and took
from his desk his medical records. The
esai representative Of the kenan heirs
a. hehtucky disclaimed At the time any
nnpWledge OF tho unusual rifiing of the
victor desk. nor did they seem to know
"'a' william J. Burns. the head Of the
se'sct''e agency that bears his name
"a1 been present at the North Carolina
e"et"ry whom the grave containing
'e body OF Mn. bingham was opened.
vAnong the assets that will pass to
ms Laurence Lewis are the famous
s."s OF the Fagler estate that are in
.r ns vaults Of the Fidelity ard Columbia
'ust company at Louisville. These
,sne's are officially listed as being worth
'''f'i@, ana experts say that this Is
10" valuation for the scintillating COL
he"Ty ~ Flagler, who made the
"'Nh" hat Ia involved In this Interest,"
90 case, was one of the founders OF the
~ ,nlard Oil Company. He huilt the
"r''a East Coast Railway and more
"I" any other man WAS responsible for
an,ns .aas the famous Florida winter re-
s'fs come into their own.