Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-12-10
A CALIFORNIA ROMANCE.
A scheminE Wfdow-A Daughte
DesfrOys Her Fathers VIII.

destroys Her Fathers VIII.
A letter from San Francisco to the
Cincinnati Commercial says:
About the year 1925 Scottish sailor
boy. named James Black, deserted from
a ship lying in San Francisco bay, and,
after divers adventures, settled down at
Mission San Rafael, about twelve miles
above the metropolis. He learned the
Spanish language, and eventually mar
RED into the Spanish family of Sepul-
yeda. He received an immense grant
of land from the Mexican Government,
covered it and 10000 acres beside with
his cattle, and gradually enlarged him
self into the form and stature OF an old
time California grandee. In the process
of time he had a daughter born unto his
house and vast estates Ahis only child, l
believe. s.s..,s--.a-s--4-s.
Then came the amazing rush and
thronging hither Of thousands, and again
thousands of hungry miners, and this
whilom Scottish lad, who had once
skulked like malefactor in the TILE
swamp, found himself suddenly in pos
session of 'wee bit of silver. Some
are born great, some achieve greatness,
and some have greatness thrust upon
them" He was evidently Of this latter
sort, like many other early Californians,
for he appears TO have been Of rather
feeble order of understanding. He
decided one Of his valuable ranches to
his daughter, and, in 1864, she married
dentist in San Francisco named Bur
dell, nephew of DR. ,Bardell, murdered
in New York, to which marriage her
father was opposed. dL
About a year afterwards Mrs. Black
went down to San Francisco, to. have
dental operation performed by her SON
in-law, and she died under the influence
of his chloroform. This drove her hns-
band almost distracted; he became dis
sipated and besotted, fell into the tolls Of
a managing Mexican widow named Pa
checo, who scared him by falsehood in
regard to her condition into hasty mar
rage. She poisoned his inbecile mind
against his daughter, and caused him to
believe that she had mortgaged the ranch
ne decided to her. He became Eighty,
made new will every, week and tore it
ID, but in every one alike he cut off his
laughter portionless, except for the ranch
llready given.
Finally he fell of his horse on hill
ide while riding after cattle, struck his
ead with violence on a rock, and, after
lingering awhile, died, though he made
10 new will after his head was injured.
after his death the parties assembled in
he family parlor to listen TO the reading
# the will, and the daughter then
earned beyond a peradventure that she |
vas cut off without a dime, except the
-anch. She rose quietly and calmly, |
md asked TO see the will, II was handed |
o her, and in the tvinkling of an eye |
the tore off her fathers signature, and |
would have reduced it TO ribbons in a
rice if she had not been seized.
She was indicted for this offense,
,ut nothing was done. She now appears,
through her counsel, to contest the will |
On the grouhd that her father was Of un-
sound mind. and the case has been tried |
once, the jury disagreeing, and is now
On the taps again, exciting great inter
EST at San Rafael. The value Of the
property involved, for which the schem-
ing widow Black is struggling, is said to
be $750.00Og feA