The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-01-08
HEWITT GIRLS
NURSE AYERS
THREATS

started by the 100000 damage
suit filed by Ann Cooper Hewitt,
21-year-old heiress, against her
mother. two prominent San Fran
cisco physicians, and psy-
chiatrist whom the heiress accuses
Of trucking her into a steriliza-
ton operation.
Mis- Grace wilkins, one Of the
nurses who attended Ann follow
ing the operation in August,
1884, declared she had received
yelled threats of death and kid
mapping if she talked too much. "
Miss wilkins charges followed
an anonymous telephone call to
the office Of Russell L. Tyler, the
girls attorney.
Nurse Tells of Letter
Miss Wilkins said that after
she attended the girl in the pent-
house of Mrs. Maryon Cooper
Hewitt, AIMS mother, she received
q written warning to remain Isl
lent" about the operation. Miss
wilkins said:
"The letter was delivered to
me by the husband Of Mrs. Har-
riet EastOn, Mrs. Hewitt's sister,
ON October IA, 1894, the day
after I had left Mrs. Hewitt'S
employ. 1t was typewriter on
stationery Of the Park Lane
(atOp which Mrs. Hewitt main
tanned her penthOuse) but / rec
Ognized Mrs. Hewitt'S signature.
at was rambling and told me
to be absolutely silent about
things 1 had observed. The let
ter informed me if 1 was not
silent there were ways to keep
me silent I regarded the letter
rs threatening in tone"
Miss Winkins is one Of three
nurses who have filed affidavitS in
connection with the suit of daugh-
ter against mother. The suit also
names as codefendantS, DR.. Tilton
e. Tillman, DR.. Samuel E.. Boyd,
and Mrs. Mary S. Scally, pSy-
chiatriSt.
Girl Under Guard
Meanwhile the heiress was
closely guarded at the home OF
friends and unavailable to all
callers.
Aaron Sapiro, New York and
Chicago attorney representing
Mrs. Hewitt, arrived here from
Los Angeles and Immediately be-
gan laying plans for defense. -.
He urged a speedy hearing OF
the charges which he tlatly denied
on behalf of Mrs. Hewitt. declar-
ing she was a flowing mother" to
her daughter. The attorney said:
81 feel certain it is not Ann
speaking. Someone has captured
her mind, pouring into her ears
malicious falsehOOdS that have
fired her imagination"
He described the girls charges
as fantasies"
Legal, Is Contention
The heiress, in her suit, accuses
her mother of plotting with the
three codefendantS in inducing
her to undergo the sterilization
operation while she still was a
minor. The girl declared she be-
lieved the operation was for re-
moval of her appendix.
Freely admitting the operation
was performed at the mothers
request, Drs. Tillman and Boyd
have declared lit was for the
good of the girl
Mrs. Scally, the pSychiatrist.
filed a notarized affidavit with
the doctors that the girl was a
''high-grade moron" Under Cal
ifornia law it is legal to steril-
ize such a person.
The girls attorney has denied
the girl is not normal in all re-
SpectS.
Fortune in Background
In the background of the bitter
litigation are the millions left in
trust by AIMS father, the late in
ventor, Peter Cooper Hewitt, who
died in Paris in 1921.
BY terms of Hewitt's will he left
two-thirds of the income of the
trust to Ann for life and then to
her children. In the event she
died childless, this fortune was to
revert to her mother. The
mothers lawyer said:
Mr.. Hewitt specifically pro-
vided that in the event Ann
died without issue, the body of
the estate reverts to the Cooper
Union College, and that in no
event was Mrs. Hewitt to have
it.
"There would be absolutely
no way for either Ann or Mrs.
Hewitt to get the capital of the
estate except by breaking the
trust fund established by the
will"
The trust fund was estimated
here as valued at $10,000,000 but
Mr.. Sapiro declared it was consid-
erably less, according to an inven-
tory filed by the trustees. He in
timated the defense would claim
the mother was justified in order
ing the sterilization operation, and
that she acted in the best inter-
estS of her daughter.
Mine Union Leaders
Ara Cunl L. cor nnn