The evening world., 1922-04-19
BURTON HEIRS CALL
! HIS WIDOW FL|RT
IN FIGHTING WILL
Woman Accused Of Many Love
Affairs in This Country and
Abroad.

tho SStdtS VI IliC ldto II IdTk NluCSnI
Burton, millionaire merchant. and
member OF an old New York family,
during litigation. Mr.. Burton was a
member of the cotton goods firm of
Burton Brothers & Co., No. 367 Fifth
Avenue. He died March IL. His will,
leaving about 81, 800, 900 to five chill
ldren, was offered for probate April IL
1t Newburgh.
Mrs. Claire Louise Burton, of No.
qob Park Avenue, asked to be made
Administrative pending her contest of
the will. and the executors filed their
answer yesterday to her petition. They
file as part of their exhibits numerous
extracts from letters said to have
been found in a trunk of Mrs. Bur-
ton. She was his second wife and was
cut off without penny. Mention was
made of an apte-nuptial settlement,
an annuity Of $4,000 year.
In tho answer Mrs. Burton is
charged with having been an intcrna-
tionai fiirt and companion of rich
men and therefore an improper per.
son to serve as an Administrative. She
was charged too with having lived
with Burton before their marriage,
Nov. 20. 1919.
AEFT INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE
EXECUTORS.
George r. Hurd, counsel for the ex-
ecutors. declared that the Burton
family was acting on instructions
from MIR. Burton. made many times
before his death, that II Mrs. Burton
ever made an attempt to raid the
estate they were to conceal nothing
s4knd take all the cards to court. Mr.
Cassidy, who drew Mr.. Burton's last
two Wills. referred to two codicils to
the 1918 will, one dated in November
1919, leaving $50, 900 to his wife, pro
viding she made no attempt to break
the will, and a second codicil in Feb
ruary. 1920. revoking the other.
"a monstrous fabrication!" was
Mrs. Burton's exclamation when the
gist of the allegations of her hus.
bands children were read to her by q
reporter.
Mrs. Burton occupies a fuxuriou,
apartment at No. 4o5 Park Avenue
She Is tall and fair. with hazel eyes
II am so thunderstruck dom
know what to say" she said. "Thi;
10 the first intimation have had thai
any such charges had been. or would
made.
II don't know any of the men will
whom 1t Is alleged 1 was associated
/ never even heard the names yor
mention. don't know about any
trunk full of letters. I had no such
letters. It rs not true that I lived
with Mr.. Burton before I was married
TO him.
81 can't conceive the motive OF the
prton family in making such state
Siients. They must know that sucf
things cannot be said without thei,
being called on to prove them"
DENIES THERE WAS AN ANTE
NUPTIAL AGREEMENT.
Mrs. Burton refused to discuss mos
OF TIN statements contained in thu
answer filed yesterday. To a ques
lion as to the ante-nuptial agreement
referred to, she shook her head
Never heard of it." she said. Sh'
confirmed the statement she had neve
lived at her husbands apartment a
No. $40 Park Avenue, but said sh'
did live for a time at his Newburgi
estate. All other questions abe re
ferred to her attorney, Mr.. Noble.
mir. Noble knows all the details,
she said, land my husband knew
everything there was to know. Every
thing will be brought out when III
matter Is gone into. as I intend to do
j am going to fight these outrageou
charges. and ! am also going to figh
cor my share of my husbands estate
a don't believe he was in q condition
~ make a will on the date when he |
said to have nade IL, and | am no
going to let myself be intimidated int
giving up what is my right, but
want to conduct the case with dignit
N-'~-
terrible statements"
Mrs. Burton said the superinten
dent of the apartment house where sh
mes told her recently her telephon
Ire had been tapped.
The executors who bring the charge
against Mrs. Burton consist Of he
two step-sons, Frank Vincent Burtol
Jr. and Van Duzer Burton: her broth
er-in-law, John Howes Burton, wei
known as Chairman OF the SAY
New York" Committee, and Howar
II. Clark, a cousin of the deceased.
Attached to the answer OF the eX
ecutors is mass of documentary evi
dence against Mrs. Burton, including
love letters said TO have been writer
by and to her, papers in a suit file
by her in Germany, bringing wha
amount to breach OF promise claim
against a German, and an excerp
exhibit "A") from The World G
Jan. 8, 1905. describing Mrs. II. Hyll
sted, wife of a Danish musician, as
woman who had been friendly wit
Charles T. Yerkes.
This Mrs. Hyllsted is alleged to b
Mrs. Burton, who was divorced fro
August Hyllsted in Chicago July 20