South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-03-10
South Bend Spouse of DUAL
Husband VIII Share Estate
With NeU York Mrs. BorteL
Women Reach Agreement Hearing in Gotham Surrogate
Court Yesterday Both Appear Clad in Deep Mourning
for Man Who Lived as Husband of Both.

According 10 the decision handed
down yesterday fin the Surrogate
Court of New York city. Mrs Hattie
Bortel $40 Lincoln way W. this city
viii administer the estate left by her
husband. Frank BorteL in Indiana
and Mrs. Anna Bortel. of New FORK.
Will administer the estate left by him
i'm New York The case received
nation wide attention last summer
owing 10 the fact that when Bortel
died, the two women each claiming
20 be his legal wife and each UNI
aware of the previous existence OF
the other. claimed him as their hus-
band. The court proceedings yes
terday were TO determine which Of
the two alleged widows had the bet
ter claim 10 letters Of administration
Of the estate OF Bortel
Bortel. who was head OF the Pub
lie Service Freight Bureau. in New
York, died suddenly of heart trouble
IN his New York apartment on Aug
ust 19 last Immediately following
his death Mrs Bortel Of New York
searched his possessions to find any
A-Atff = ~ any OAAAEA lAN0AfAt NAeAAa vs.
She found a letter addressed TO a.
Folsom. South Bend, Ind. which
read "Give my love to sister Mary
She had never heard Of any sister
but thought it best to notify Mr.
Folsom regarding the death She
received the following reply 20 her
telegram. Am starting AT once for
New York with his wife"
Introduces two wives
Folsom arrived i'm New York with
his slster-in-law who said she had
been known for IS years in kansas
City and South Bend as Mrs Frank
Bortel They went Immediately TO
BorteTs apartment where Folsom
introduced Mrs Bortcl 10 Mrs BortcI
Wife No. ! of New York. was over
come and flatly denied the claim of
wife No. ?, of South Bend
Mrs Bortel. of South Bend
claimed that she was Hattie Schwartz
Of Burlington. Iowa. when Bortel
married her on June. Is. 1898 At
that time he was manager of a hotel
in Kansas City Mo. and it was in
this city that they were married.
She said that he had paid the rent
for her South Bend home ever since
going TO New York and had sent
her S10G a month regularly
Mrs Bortel. of New York refused
to surrender her claiius 10 her rights
as widow and at the time of EorteTs
death refused to give over the dis
| position Of the body to the other
/ claimant Bortel is said 10 have
/ left a fairly large estate
/ Mr.. Bortel was resident of
South Bend for - years and WAS
known here as an accountant Sc
veral years ago he made New York
] his headquarters although ne CONT
nued TO visit Mrs. Bortel Of South
Bend frequenaly. Tt is said that he
had advised his wife that his busi-
ness demtnded his being away from
home most of the time
Both Women i'm Mourning
At Yesterdays hearing the two
women. each I'm deep mourning were
present 1t was during the noon
recess of the court that the two
Mrs. Bortels reached am agreement.
Relatives of tho Indiana woman
testified that Bortel had lived with
her up to his departure for New
! York four years ago. taking her 10
cottage i'm Michigan for the sum-
mer and to bungalow in Texas
/ for the winters. Whenever her hus-
| band came 10 New York ne inva-
riably returned for over the hoH-
days often bringing his wife expen-
sive gifts they said
The New York widow. who is On
years younger than Mrs Bortel ot
South Bend. alleges that she met
| Bortel soon after he came 20 Sew
York in 1915