The Washington times., 1931-02-06
NEVER HEARD
Of. ADOPTION,
SHE SAYS
Woman Asserts She Never
Knew Any Members Of Fam
lily; Court Action Due Soon

NII6W ANY WStIIUC'S W o"'
lily; Court Action Due Soon
(Continued From Page -
you about the weather, topics
In general and make myself
agreeable. But, so far as the
Henderson case Is concerned, /
would rather say nothing"
AS the conversation went on,
Mr.. Wholean revealed that he is
q Harvard graduate, a World War
veteran and one-time manager OF
the RollS-Royce Automobile Com
pany, here. He is about 6 feet 2
inches tall and weighs more than
200 pounds.
Waif Story Doubted
Asked whether he believed Mrs.
Henderson's charge that his wife
was a waif, he looked ouizically
at the reporter and said:
IF you don't mind I'd rather
not discuss that. That has
nothing to do with the case
that will come up in court. Yet,
Mrs. WhOlean and l are both
convinced that she is the
daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs. John
B. Henderson, jr."
Mr.. Wholean said he and his
wife "are not worrying" about
the case, and often "have a lot
of fun reading accounts Of it.
Refusing a cigarette with II
don't smoke, thanks" he said:
"Well, I'm sorry I must run,
but / have an appointment.
The sooner this case dies down
In the newspapers, the better 1t
will be. Yet neither Mrs.
WhOlean nor myself is worry
ing. We are just waiting to
see how it all turns out"
Saw Baptism Record
Mr.. Wholean was asked whether
he had seen the birth certificate
Of Mrs. Wholean. He. heSitated
and then said:
81 have never bothered about
finding out about that. / have,
seen her baptiSmal records and
others, but Pm not at all in
tereSted. She is satisfied on
that score and so am /. The
rest doesn't matter"
Nurse Denies Hoax"
The mysterious Miss Syl-
vester," who is said to have been
a nurse at a founding institution
from which Mrs. Wholean was
taken when an infant Is years
ago, today denied any knowledge
of the hoax"
Miss Jane Sylvester, who con-
ducts a Sanitarium at zoos Kalo-
rama Rd. N. W., is the nurse who
was said to have been present
when the infant later to become
heir to the Henderson millions,
was taken. She said:
81 know nothing about any
such condition. / have never
known any of the Henderson
family and the story that /
was present when a baby was
turned over to them is absurd.
It Is true was a nurse in q
Washington sanitarium in 1906,
the year in which an infant is
supposed to have been taken
from a sanitarium, but it is all
news to me-"
Ignorant of Case
Miss Sylvester said she did not
know she had been linked with
the case. However, she admitted
she was a close friend of DR..
William Frye at the time who is
said to have been in ~charge Of
the institution.
Miss Sylvester continued: -..
81 was a nurse at Sani.
tarium on Thirteenth Street in
July, 1906, but came to my
KaIOrama Road address in
August, 1905. 1 went to Paris
In 1928, but I have no knOwI-
edge of the case of which you
tell me-"
Miss Sylvester said she knows
Of no infant ever being taken
from the sanitarium for adoption
purposes. It was primarily an
institution for adults, she said.
She said she knew members of
the Henderson family only through
reading about them. She added:
II wish I could be some help
toward clearing up the matter
but I know nothing at all
about it,"
7he legal fight over the COM
potency of Mrs. Henderson to ad-
minister the millions Of the vast
estate. will be opened next week
when attorneys file answer to
the suit Of Mrs. Wholean to re-
$4,000 has