The sun., 1890-08-01
FLORENCE BLYTHE WINS.
COURT DECISION THAT GITES HER
MILLIONS or DOLLARS.
Enc OF tho Famous Blythe WIN Contest Case
Tho IlieEIJImAte Daughter OF the MIL
llonnlre Declared TO be MIa Law nj melr.


Blythe will contest which began in July, 1883.
ended to-day Judge Cofroy rendered de-
clson In favor OF Florence, illegitimate child OF
Thomas II. Blythe, tho deceased millionaire,
awarding her the bulk Of tho estate, OF total
value OF about $4.O00000. The contestants In
cluded the plaintff, Florence Blythe, Alice
Edith Dickson, alleged widow OF Blythe. tho
Williams heirs OF Liverpool, the Blythe Com
pany. the ginsy Blythcs, the Savages OF Lon
don, the Scotch-Irish Savages, james Witt
Pearce, and William and David Savage Tho
Court hold that. according to the laws OF this
State Florence had established her claim to
be tho daughter of Blythe, the lattor orally and
In writing having acknowledged her as his
child.
The central figure in the Blythe contest was
Florence. she is the granddaughter OF DR..
James G. Fish Perry. Florence was born at 10
St Charles street. London, In 1873. She is now
q slender girl Of medium height and we'll
educated for one OF her age. She resembles
her father and has peculiar expression on
her countenance which lends strange charm
to her appearance. She 10 an illegltimate
child. her mother having been betrayed by the
millionaire under promise OF marriage.
Blythe met Julia Ashcraft while on q visit to
England In 1874. She was then young girl
and quits pretty. Blythe invited her to visit
his room. That visit sealed her fate. Whom
Blythe departed for America he left n note re-
guessing Julia to name the child Vernon II q
boy, Florry II girl" The child when born
was christened Florence. When Blythe was
informed OF the little girls birth he manifested
deep interest In her. He told number OF his
friends that he was her father. and whenever
he snoke OF the girl 1t was with expressions OF
affection.
When she was old enough TO write she corre-
sronIed with her father, and his replies lndi-
bring her 10 America to preside ovor his home.
At the time OF his death he was prepnrng
raio' % where he expected to i've With Fiorence's
mother and the girl
Florence Blythe was ono OF about two hun
was apparently without flaw, ana strong evil
dence In the form OF letters and other docu-
is II comeiy girl. and hes throughout the trial
enjoyed much OF the public's symrathy:
GT or Sh aa obsere bsUy Sas
blythe. He lived in, san Francisco for over
thirty years; accumulated vast fortune. wa;
when he died no one could write an authentic
biography of him; His estate was large. no
known, aud no will could be found. Claimants
for the property, which rassed into the charge
the sI dozen. Each set OF Claimants las Traced
his descent in y different war from the othors.
More OF thcnl. however. agreed as to his nativ-
He arrived hero on Aug. 5, 1s49, and soon
alter. according to the recollection OF parties
South San Francisco. Later he peddlet fancy
| goods and notions on the streets; by winch he
this sum he loaned on a, triangular piece Of
property bounded by Market. Grand avenue,
and Geary street. The money was not repaid.
| the mortgage was fOreclosed, and Blythe came
proved the foundation OF his vast wealth, he
then. and wanted the late millionaire. James
| Lick. who was then also paving his way 10 for
s%dn h eSWn the
| of the land, and now 1t Is in the heart Of the
city worth many millions Of d0aTs G1 and yield
| In addition to this tho estate includes about
| so 900 acres in southern California grant OF
| interest in grant OF 100000 acres also in
Mexico, rroporty In Oregon and large hold
nGS onS on on more HyIhe was M never mnrried
though, like old Senator Sharon, he had q PEN
tor Sg no tho aq 5 hSS
he as as .oclated up, to the time Of his death, ana
the other. the girl who is now declared his
Following the claim of the little girl was that
| to style herself. Mrs Blythe, She first met
Blythe seven or eight years beloro hi death.
Snd waI men zen ape pGor baI aTIis dHe
| till his home was hers, He fitted UP luxurious
apartments in one Of his Geary street build
| Alter this Alice Edith continued 10 occupy he
rooms. spent great deal OF money. and SO
time confined in an asylum. In presenting
| her case the woman brought forward several
Gneea 10 s9 as rs Gyt5e W No oVGH
brought TO light.
The most interesting claimants were those
| who epdeavOred TO prove that Blythe was a
Scottish gypsy. direct descendant Of Jean
| Gordon. u character made famous by Wal or
| Scott. According TO the evidence it was pu
| Romany blood that conrsed through his veins
| In his heart he was proud that he belonged to
| caused him to keep the secret to himself. He
| one Of the border counties of Scotland. His
| father was Adam Blythe, and his mother Eliz-
a5eth Savage. known among her people as
| Thomas II. Blythe, and the last queen of the
gyrGies. was de.cended from the royal Faas'
The story Of Blythe's eaTly life concerns
camps and rowing bands. and all that belongs
e. ndsr S Ebt wth
Lowrie's Glen when he was child, and duri1g
| his early manhood, after he had gone to school
all through Lothian and other countries in
Scotland, and also in England in the neighbor.
feature in the trade of gypsy, pedders, and
one night when his parents had camped At a
on1e SONS manner thrown into a iiro and burned SO
badly that she died In ls49 Blythe was In or
near Liverpool got tho gold ,t' fever to9k pas, AS
claims to have seen him on shipboard. Mem
| bers OF the family Interested IN the case have
nearly all abandoned the rowing life Of their
ancestors, and are permanently located here
and there In various callngs Many are work
ing at trades. some are merchants, and nearly
all are prosperous. and some even quite
! wealthy.
| A story quito rs unusual rs the gypsy tale
| was brought ont when an e1oft was made to
prove that tae dead millionaire was once a
| convict. 1t was said that VIXEN he was young
man, employed by a London tinker. he stole q
| small quantity OF goods, was convicted OF the
| theft, and sentenced to the penal settlement OF
| Tasmania After serving O few years there he
| was given temporary freedom es q ticket-of-
| leave man. and In some way secured passage
| to San Francisco. whore he landed without Q
cent In his pocket
A score OF other stories were told In court.
| but they were for the most part commonplace.
Tle peculiar feature Of the entire proceedings
was the detail and apparent accuracy with
| history from his particular point OF view The
case drew witnesses and claimants from all
parts OF this country and the British Isles, and
is so far the most remarkable legal fight in
California history.
New York q. A. Il. Posts in the Boston
| Parade.