Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-15
A DUEL RECALLED.
Judge Terry Fought With Senator
Broderick in California,
AND KILLED HIM BY TREACHERY
His Tragic Death is Not Undeserved in
the Light of History.
HOW A PIfTsBURG HEIR WAS CHEATED

The sensational shooting Of Judge Terry,
who was shot in San Francisco yesterday,
revives the story of the Broderick- Terry duel
in which a number of Pittsburgers were in
terested. The killing of Judge Terry was
live topic of conversation among a number
of well-known residents of the hill, who are
distant relatives of United States Senator
Broderick, and who have a claim pending
for q share of the Senator's vast fortune.
The claim was put in the hands of num-
Der of attorneys, Who were unable to do any
thing az the time, but the people hope to
receive what they claim rightfully belongs
to them.
The direct descendants of Senator Brod-
erick are William White, well-known
young notary public OF Diamond street, and
Mrs. James Powers, vile of ex-Councilman
Powers, of the Fifth ward. Both persons
reside on Wylie avenue, and are in pos
session of all the papers relating to the case.
POLITICS WAS THE CAUSE.
About 1850 Judge Terry challenged and
killed Senator Broderick in a duel. The
former was a Republican, and the latter
Democrat. During the heat of a campaign
while sitting at a breakfast table in San
Francisco hotel the two men quarreled, and
agreed to settle it with pistols. The pistols
used were provided with hair triggers, but
Broderick was unaware of this. While
raising his frearm the elatter was discharged.
and the bullet few wide of the mark. Ter
ry, who had been notified of the nature of
fho mis- al hop he fr1lI Iu
at the first fire fatally wounded his oppo-
nent. The latter lived for three days, and
in his dying moments was attended by a
priest, he being Catholic.
Broderick left will, in which he be-
queathed $50, 900 to one Catherine White.
His whole estate was worth over 81 ,00O, ,O00
but by an alleged forged will the whole
property fell into the hands of a Mr..
Wilkes, of New York City. and a Mr..
Glenn, OF California. The men were COM
panions and associates of Senator Broderick.
Being unmarried he left no children, and
by some means the men got all of the prop
A few years after his death, word reached
Catherine White, wife OF Richard White, of
this city, that the person mentioned in the
bequest had never been found. This was
the first intimation the woman had about
the matter, and naturally made inquiries to
ascertain if she was the person for whom the
money was intended.
WROTE TO THE PRIEST.
She had a firm of lawyers write to the
parish priest, who had attended Broderick
in his last moments. The clergyman ad-
vised her to investigate further and put in a
claim for the money. Her maiden name
was Broderick, and by family records she
found that Broderick's grandfather. was her
granduncle. This she claimed made her a
second cousin to the Senator, and naturally
Broderick would want to leave a share
of his estate to her. She had
Father Hickey, who was then
rector at St. Pauls Cathedral, write to the
priest in California, and also communicated
with Broderick's god-mother in Washing
ton. She also found that all of Broderick's
relatives and her people, including herself,
had come from the same place in County
Cork, Ireland. She established q good
claim, but the others having the money, she
could not get it. Two alleged nieces of
Broderick's in this city also put in claim
for share Of the money, but Jared no better.
WILKES HAD TO LEAVE.
At the time of the disposition of the great
estate, the matter was the talk of the coun-
try. In New York City, where Wilkes
lived, scandal was created, and he had to
leave the place.
Mrs. White was one of the best known
residents of the FifthI ward, and died May
18, 1871. On her deathbed she firmly be-
lieved that the money was intended for her,
and some day her children would get it.
The latter have not done much about prose-
cutting the matter, but think they will get it
some day by one of the persons dying and
making confession that they were entitled to
l. Al a l. h..
knew of the case there was little regret ex-
pressed last night over Judge Terry's
death, they saying that he had at last re-
ceiyed the just deserts OF his rreachery.
Mrs. John Broderick, well-known resi-
dent OF Seventh avenue, is niece of Mrs.
White and came from the same part of Ire
land that the Senator's people did.