, 1888-12-20
BLYTHE'S MILLIONS.
His Vast California Estate
Claimed Abroad.
HOW HE MADE HIS WEALTH.
Many Claimants In San Francisco, One of
Them Said Co Be His wife-A
Romantic Career.

SAN Francisco, Dec. 15 Special The
report that the heirs to the Blythe estate
in England have been found has created a
sensation here where there are claimants
as numerous and as thick as mosquitoes in
a New Jersey swamp The estate has been
engaged in endless litigation, and prob.
ably will remain so for years to come. The
claims of the English heirs will be strongly
contested. One of the principal contestants
will bea woman who claims to be Blythe 3
wife. She is now In the home for the in
eoriates. Her mind Is deranged from
drink. -.
Thomas H. Blythe is supposed to have
been the grandson of John Savage, an in
auential man in Hampshire, England, in
1920, Savage had a =. very handsome
love with Thomas II. Blythe, an ilIiterate
day laborer upon her fathers estate.
Sarah had been very carefully educated
and was the ackno lodged beauty of the
shire. She had suitors In plenty, but her
fancy turned to the stalwart young hay
maker, who is described as having been
a rustic young Adonis.
| She first saw him working in her faith
er's fields, and the acquaintance soon
ripened into intimacy. Secret meetings
] between the pair ended in their deciding
/
girls parents turned to anger when they
found that their daughter was soon to be-
come u mother. She was dis0wped by her
parents, and for eighteen months the cou-
pie lived in cottage on the outskirts of
the village. II was there that their only
living issue was born, boy. This was in
1928, and there are documents in Brook
lyn certifying to the birth of this child.
| When the child was seven months old
4 Sar,,b 90 vauo on1 Tbo,naa II pI,kh, a,,l
denly disappeared taking their infant son
with them. No trace of the parents has
since been discovered, although large
amounts OF money have been expended
and the shrewdest detectives in England
have been employed in the effort.
In March. lS49, the ship Antelope
sailed from Liverpool for San Francisco.
Her passengers were chiefly emierants in
search of the newly discovered gold.
26 years of age. He registered as Thomas
II. Blythe. In August the Antelope ar.
rived in San Francisco and Blythe lost no
time in getting to the mining district,
where he marked out claim. He was
extremely successful and soon became one
of the gold kings of California. In man
ner he was extremely reticent, and even
those most intimate with him could never
get him TO speak of his past history.
| Only on one oc casion, to business asso-
ciate, did he give any clue to his identity.
under discussion. Mr.. Blythe requested
| that it should be named "The Sarah"
THAT war the name of my mother. "
said he. He afterward stated that he was
not aware that he had single relative
living, excepting second cousin on his
mothers side. The cousin to whom he re-.
ferred was the mother of I. w. Pearce, a
former bookkeeper of l. l.. Matchett, of
| No. 43 Corlandt street, New York, for
| Brooklyn. Sarah Savage and Mrs. Pearce
| we're cousins.
In 1873 Blythe paid visit TO England,
and it is stated that while in Manchester
| he formed the acquaintance of woman
| who afterward gave birth to daughter,
, to whom he continued to send presents up
to the time of his death. The child was
known as Florence Blythe, and on the
death of Thomas II. Blythe, which took
place in San Francisco in 1888. she made
| application through her guardian for let
ters OF administration on his estate. The
| application was heard by the surrogate of
| San Francisco during the early part of last
month, and it was thrown out. Adver-
tisements were inserted in American and
| English papers calling for the heirs OF
| Thomas FL. Blythe, deceased, to file their
claims with the surrogate of San Fran
cisco on or before Dec l, 1886, and thirty
| claimants appeared. They we're from all
parts of the world, but when it was learned
that by the laws of California the estate
of a natural son who dies intestate goes to
| the mothers relatives many withdrew.
Those who continued in the contest
| caused advertisements to be inserted in the
| Birmingham and Manchester papers, Of
fering a reward of e500 for the marriage
certificate of Thomas H. Blythe and Sarah
Savage. the father and mother of the de.
ceased millionaire.
Eight million dollars was the figure at
which the fortune of the late Mr.. Blythe
was first estimated, but it is supposed to
be great deal more than that.
Phillip A. Roach Of San Francisco was
appointed administrator of the estate.
Last March suit was brought by William
McCann against the Blythe estate for
81 ,226, ,743. claimed to have been due him
on account of certain land transaction
with Blythe in 1882.
Il. w. Pearce sailed for England in 1856,
but was unable to Rnd the missing links in
the chain of evidence establishing him as
the heir to the estate. All claims have
been held sub judice, and the vast estate is
still in the hands of an administrator.
Mr.. Pearce. the contestant, left for Cali
fornia two years ago, where he has resided
ever since.
CARL DUNDER.