The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-04-26
BISPHAM TORTURED
BY FAMILY, HE SAID
Told Secretary He Wanted
Wife Prevented From View
ing His Dead Body.

Miss Florence, il, anything happens
to me I want you to promise that you
will not let Mrs. Bispham look at my
dead body"
| Miss Florence Mayer pf 1875 West
Eighty street. repeated these words
OF David Bispham, barytone. before
Surrogate Foley and jury yesterday
! afternoon in the contest of Mr.. Bispham's
widow and a daughter. Miss Leone A.
Carnegie Bspham, who are seeking 10
prevent the bequest Of one fourth OF a
100000 trust fund for Mrs. Henrietta
NJ Ten Eyck of so Central Park West,
wife OF Jay Ten Eyck, former Judge OF
the Court of Common Pleas of Newark
and for several years friend or the
singer Miss Mayer was Mr.. Bisphams
secretary from November 10, 1920, until
his death last October.
Miss Mayer said that when Mr.. Bis
pham sough. the promise from her he
was in normal good health.
Barytone's Color Changed.
She told the jury that Mr.. Bispham
ION more than one occasion had dis
cussed with her his domestic relations
preached his face changed from its usual
colon and became "ashen." She con-
tinued
"He told me that he had been tor
tured a great deal During his illness
he said his wife or daughter wouldn't
have wanted to do one-sixth OF what
was trying to do for him. and that
IL he had said anything about 1t they
would have replied. had they been there,
If you are not satisfied you know what
you can do Then he said, Isn't hate
an awful thing y"
Surrogate Foley directed the jury to
consider this testimony as bearing on
the mental attitude Of the decedent dur
ing his illness and not on the relations
between him and his family.
Miss Mayer said she never had seen
Mrs. Bispham but once. land that was
at the funeral" nor had she seen Miss
Leone Bispham but once" They
never had gone to Mr.. Bisphams studio.
she said, while she was his secretary.
On cross-examir alton by George w.
Blackwell of counsel for the contestants
she said she did not know of instances
when Mrs. Ten Eyck either lunched or
dined with Mr.. Bispham. She said she
Bispham apartment until Mr.. Bispham
was taken i'll.
Saw Mrs. Ten Eyck mt studio.
Miss Josephine Monks of $50 Anster-
dam avenue. a maid in the Hotel Royal
ton. where Mr.. Bispham had both his
studio and living apartment until May,
1921, identified Mrs. Ten Eycx in court
and said she had visited Mr.. Bispham
nearly every day for eleven months
beginning in June. 1920.
The girl said she had seen lunch
served for the couple in the Bispham
apartment on the seventh floor, that af-
ter lunch Mr.. Bisrham placed the tray
outside his room, and put the catch on
the inside of the door"
Mrs; Ten Eycls's testimony. taken at
an examination in advance of the trial
and read into the record, told of her
residence in Newark, of meeting Mr.
Bispham at his summer home in Con-
necticut in 1909. and Of occasional meet
ings during the war when she was active
In relief work. She said that she had
sought Mr.. Bispham to improve her sing
ing. for which she paid or gave the
equivalent in service when she later
became interested in helping compile
song books. In addition to 'trifling''
gifts she said Mr.. Bispham gave to her
five shares of Lake Shore Railroad stock
which he felt he owed her for her as
sistance in his work.
job f. Hedges related conversations
with Mr.. Bispham In which Mr.. Hedges
attempted to discourage the idea Of a
memorial because Of inadequate funds
| The trial will continue to-day