Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-31
HEIR TO SDOO,OOO.
"A Son OF the Famousuthern Novelist
May Be MilliOnaifor the Asking.


From the Hsao Y; Journal.
Govan Singleton Sils, a son OF the
famous Southern no~t, W. Gilmore
simms, is promlsing>ung actor now
ION the road" and is prospective heir
tomillions which he isiking to recover.
The property consis of a villa near
Bristol, Eng, aud h a dozen ware
houses in Liverpool, vch are estimated
to be worth about 90, 1000 or SIC, 000,O 900.
1t isn't often that suc mint of money
goes abegging, when can be obtained
almost for the askinlnd yet this is ac-
tually the case, stra, as it may seem,
with this estate.
Thirty-ive years o young SimmS
grandfather inheritehis splendid prop
erty from his aunt, IS Mary e. Nash f,
who died in BristolThe grandfather's
name was Nash Roaand he was then
living on the Standardization OF 5000
acres at WoodlandsouthCa Carolina, with
the family of the moist, whose wife was
Mr.. ROach's only Oh.
A cOpyoi the villas forwarded from
England to Mr.. Roa. who was then adj
Vanced in years anmjoying life quietly
as became wealthold Southern plant
er. He dreaded tn discomforts of an
ocean voyage and srtly after the copy
OF the will was recEed he exclaimed:
II wouldn't go to agland for all the
property there. / he money enough for
me and mine as longs we live, and am
satisfied with that
Mr.. Roach died nOlong after the prop
erty was bequeathS to hin, and when
the war broke out tb exciting events OF
that period, tOgethr with as exacting
literary labors, lefthr, Simns no oppor-
tunity to go abroa.
When the SiInmeamHy we're forced to
refugee" in Columbia Cen Sherman put
a guard around thu plan atom to protect
1t from stragglen. After the Generals
troops passed on the 200siaVes OF Mr..
Simms pillaged the princel mansion OF Its
Valuables and fired the pice.
In the contlagratiOn VS. destroyed a
library that the novelist Wuld not have
parted with for $4,000 andhe copy Of the
will Of Mary E. Nash.
Mrs. Simms died befor the war was
over, and the novelist follTed her in 1870.
He left no Will aud his pAntation, under
the old English law, wet to his eldest
son, who bears his nan and is now a
CLERK of the Circuit curt of Bamberg,
S. G.
Some years ago a menber of the Simms
family wrote to JUDI p. Benjamin at
London, Offering him retainer to look up
the will, but that gentleman haughtily re-
piled that will casef were mot in his
Iine."
An advertisementAppeared in news
paper in San AntopO, Tex, in 1878, in
Iuiring after the Sims heirs, but I'M
the fanny did not hear of 1t
until four years aftcward in a rOunda-
bout way, and ever effort to procure a
copy OF the paper Ciled.
The original willwas seen in London a
ew months ago bya lady friend of the
simms family, VIII wrote over to that eff
ect, but she did not think far enough
ahead to have cpy made OF it.
GoVan Simms, Who has made a hit as
Dr.. Ceneri in 'Caled Back" and is am
,Itious to avail himself of the advantage
II handsome fOtune to attain the front
'ank in the profession, has decided to
make a strenuous effort to recover the
property in QUESTION for himself and
'rOthers and sisters. He has Entrusted
he matter to the care of Lawyer Dudley
:. Horton, of Blair & Horton, No. 149
Mr.. Horton has written to London for
opy of the will, and on its receipt will at
nee take the necessary steps toward put
ing the Simms heirs IN possession OF their
property.
Besides Govan Simms the other heirs TO
he property in England are his sister
iary L., wife OF Col. John Nj. Kinloch, a
otton merchant Of Charleston, S. o.,
'hevilette E.. wife Of Justice ID. J. Rowe,
t Bamberg, S. c., Carroll Simms, a law
er, who recently married Judge Maher's
aughter in Bamberg, and W, Gilmore
INNS.
Govan Simms is a fine looking young
elbow OF % and Is now travelling with
he Brooklyn Theatre Company through
be West and South. After he comes into
ossession OF bis share Of the London es-
ate he intends to devote his life to the
tage IN hopes of winning as much re-
own as an actor as his father did in the
outh as a novelist.