The sun., 1889-12-11
WAS Mr.. BLYTHE A GYPSYY
FIERCE CONTEST FOR TIE MILLIONS
LEFT BIZ THE CALIFORNIAN.

lS<kGN BI THE CALlEDRNI\M
| Dssoendants or Old EnEIIah ayppy Bands
Trying - Prove that he Descended Troru
the Woman whom Waiter Scott Immor-
tailEed as Meg MerriIIes-A Romance.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 10.--The Blythe will
contest. which Is q remarkable legal fight for
fortune. and which during the four or Eve
months OF it's trial has developed some won
derful tales. to-day started on q new turn, and
testimony was taken to prove that Thomas II.
Blythe the dead millionaire. was q Scottish
Rypsy. direct descendant OF Jean Gordon, q
character made famous BY Walter Scott as
Meg Merrilics and the nephew Of Esther. the
famous gypsy queen. The claimants OF the
fortune number over 1s0, but have by various
processes been cut down about half Should
any of their stories prove true Blythe led a
career OF varied romance. He lived in San
Francisco thirty-four years, was widely known
throughout the country. and when he died no
one could write the history OF his life.
Blythe arrived in California In 1S49 pre-
sumably from the British penal colony In Tas-
mania, whore he was sent for stealing. He
had not q dollar In his pocket He soon gath
cred small sum doing odd Jobs, and bought
stock Of trines which he peddled on the street.
After a time he accumulated a few hundred
dollars, which he loaned on piece OF property
then q sand dune, now triangular piece Of
land In the heart Of the city between Market
and Geary streets and Grant avenue. covered
with buildings which yield net monthly In
come OF $1,000. He died suddenly In 1883,
leaving property valued at 100000 and no
will. and as he never married. he was apparently
without heirs.
1t was not long. however before claimants
spranR up by scores. Two alleged wives. q
daughter. Florence. and numerous distant rel
atives were among them. Ono alleged wife.
Anna Edith Dickinson. later went insane
through dissipation. Each Of the four stories
already told In court are remarkable for con-
sistency In detail. but none is quite equal to the
this narrative several witnesses will testify In
court. and the depositions OF fourteen others.
According 10 the evidence already deduced,
hrSash gas PReo veins "a ho@Ss nf BytSe fsfa
race. but the prejudices. OF the world caused
him to keep the secret to himself. He was
Ss 81 pH
was Adam Blythe and his mother Elizabeth
Savage. known among her people ss Betty
Esther Faa. the second cousin Of Thomas II.
Blythe a5d the Last 81 the SyPpsss vas rs
The story Of Blythe's early life. however. con-
and Tong bands and all th
camp. saw his mother Betty In a fght with a
kinswoman in Loyrie's Glen when he was q
child. and during his carly manhood, after he
had gone to school in q gypsy settlement, was
himself a peddler all through Lothian and
other counties In Scotland and also In England
In the neighborhood OF Liverpool. Pottery was
an important feature in the trade OF
his parents had camped at pot
terry at Preston, in 1S47. his mother was
in some manner thrown into q fire and burned
30 badly that she died. In lS49 Blythe was in
or near Liverpool. got the gold fever. took
passage on the Antelope. ana William Robson
saw him on shipboRrd. Members Of tho fam
lily interested in tho present case have nearly
all abandoned the rowing life of their ancestors.
and are permanently located here and there In
some are merchants, and nearly all are pros
porous. and some even quite wealthy.
James g. Blythe. grandson OF John Blythe.
is President OF tho bank In Downieyille, this
State. is part owner of four banks in Texas.
tending the trial. John W. Blythe OF Fulton.
KY. who has been most active in working up
the claims, is q prosperous merchant, and has
been present at the trial since 1t commenced.
1t will probably bo many weeks before the
trial ends. and after Probate Judge Cofiey de-
cdes on the case 1t will no dou ubt 90 to the Su-
prone Court as no compromise is likely. In
the mean time the property involved In this
greatest Of California will contests Is rapidly
occumulatfn0