The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-22
NO INDICTMENT
 IN LEBAUDY CASE
Widow Shares Estate of Be tween $3,00O,O00 and
 $20,000,OO0.

Mineola, L. l., Jan. 22-Mrs. Au. gustine Lebaudy, who shot and killed her husband Jacques, the Emperor of Sahara" on Jan. 12 at her home, Phoenix Lodge, Westbury, left the Nassau county jail here and went to her home yesterday after the grand jury had refused to indict her.
 The grand jury's investigation, which has been going on for eight days, strongly indicated, it was said, that Jacques Lebaudy had plotted against his wife and daughter and that Mrs. Lebaudy was compelled to shoot him in defense of her life and her daughter. It was stated that the majority of the grand jurors were convinced that she acted in self-de- fense, but that the conclusion which they reached was not unanimous, a few of the grand jurors feling SsSt the petty jury should pass on the case.
 The grand jury's presentment simply set forth that the grand jury had investigated the issue, and found no ground for indictment. District
 
 the grand jury had made a thorough and conscientious investigation of all! the evidence, and that he had no fault to find with their conclusions.
 Mrs. Leabuady was in her cell in the county jail whel. word was con- veyed to her that the grand jury had refused to indict, and that she would not have to undergo d trial. She spent some time in prayeE and left the jail with her daughter and her lawyer, H. W. Moore, after an order of dis charge had been signed by Justice Aspinall. She asked Sheriff Seaman to convey her thanks to the people of the vicinity and to others who had sympathized with her and aided her in the belief that she acted in self defense.
 Mrs. Lebaudy and her daughter Jacqueline are the heirs to the Le- baudy estate, and the right of Mime Lebaudy to inherit her share is com pletely cleared by the finding of the Grand Jury that she acted in self defense
 No Will Found.
 No will of Lebaudy has been found at the Phoenix Lodge, and it is not known whether he left one in other hands. Whether one is in existence or not is probably of little moment in view of the volume of proof as tc his mental incapaCity, which would render any such document of little value. One of Lebaudy's freaks was that of slowing away papers and valuables in ingenious hiding places so that some time may elapse before all his possessions are discovered.
 Those familiar with Lebaudy's bus iness affairs say that it would be i'm possible to place any accurate valua- ton on the estate in its present con, didon. A large part of his inherited money was invested in non-income- paying stocks, from which he expect | ed to achieve value at a later date and in good mining properties which were closed down and sometime. flooded by Lebaudy as soon as ht came into control of them Lebaudy was believed to have pursued thi! policy be cause he was afraid to trust any one, so that he kept his property fir dn inactive state, which did no rVuuire the intervention of manager. and agents.
 Guesses as to the value of Le baudys fortune have ranged iron S3,000,0 900 to $20,OOO,O0o. The for tune of Max Lebaudy, the Frencl Sugar King" and father of Jacques was said to have been SSO,000, ,0OC { of which Jacques inherited abou one-fourth. On his brothers deatl he received a considerable legacy, ant in 1917 he inherited another larg fortune on his mothers death.
 Mother Had $9,5OO, 900 Estate.
 The total value of the estate of tn mother is Tot known, but the prop erty owned by her in this country wa among the largest in possession c any foreigner. Her estate last Fa paid to a New York Internal Reven71 office a tax of more than $1,000,OOC There was considerable speculatio at the time as to the identity of tn nonresident whose fortune in thi country had been so large, and it wa generally supposed that the estate i question was that of the late Jame Gordon Bennett but this was denied It has since been learned that tn securities and other property left b Mrs. Lebaudy in this country wer appraised at $9,50O,O0O.
 H. ". Moore. counsel for Mrs. Ie baudy, said yesterday that he had n reliable information on which to bas an estimate of the value of the Ee baudy estate. and he said there wa evidence that Jacques had hidde the papers relating to it in severs cities He said that Jacques had brother and sister in France. but tha the indications were that there woul be no legal contest over the estate.