The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-05
AFTER BLYTHES MONEY.
A SCRAMBLE FOR MILLIONS NOW
UNDER WAY IN CALIFORNIA.

Over 200 Pretended Heirs Claim an
Interest in the Estate-some of the
Queer Stories They Tell-FIorence
Blythe's Chances for Wealth. .
From the Ne,o York Sum
SAN FRANCISCO, April 24-Probably no
man was ever credited with more birth
places or had more obscure history than
Thomas H. Blythe. He lived in San Fran
cisco for over thirty years, accumulated
vast fortune, was known as widely as any
other rich man and when he died no one
could write an authentic biography of him.
His estate was large, no one of indisputable
relationship to him was known and no will
could be found. Claimants for the prop
erty, which passed into the charge of the
public administrator, came forward by
the dozen. Although nearly two hundred
persons have. asserted kinship with the de-
ceased their number is not as remarkable
as the diverse accounts they have given of
whom he was. Each set of claimants has
traced his descent in different way from
the others. Several of them said he was an
Legitimate child of a relative of theirs
Others averred that his true name was not
Thomas II. Blythe and each of these theo-
rists gave him a different title. Still others
SAID that he was an escaped convict from
the penal settlement at Tasmania. None
of them, however, agreed as to his nativity
or parentage.
after, according to the recollection of par
ties who knew him, began raising vege-
tables in South San Francisco. Later he
peddled fancy goods and notions on the
streets, by which he accumulated a few
hundred dollars. Most of this sum he
loaned on a triangular piece of property
bounded by Market, Grant avenue and
Geary street. The money was not repaid.
the morIg gage was foreclosed, and Blythe
came into possession of the properly.
Though it proved the foundation of his
wealth, he was not foresighted enough to
Sc its value then, and wanted the late
millionaire James Lick, who was then also
paving his way to fortune, to take the
property off his hands. The sudden growth
of the town increased the value of the land,
and now it is in the heart of the city, worth
many millions of dollars, and yielding a
monthly income of about 81 ,000
In addition to this the estate includes
about sc, 600 acres in Southern California, a
grant of about $50, 900 acres in Mexico, a
three-fourths interest in grant of l., 10000
acres also in Mexico, property in Oregon,
and large holdings in Arizona mines. The
value of all this is $4,000, 900 or more.
Blythe died suddenly in April. 1888. leaving
no will. He was never married, though,
like old Senator Sharon, he had penchant
for pretty women, and this trait has
brought prominently into the foreground
two of the contestants-one the woman
with whom he associated up to the time of
his death, and the other a bright child,
whose mother Blythe met during trip to
London.
The contest was brought to focus by
this latter claimant, Florence Blythe, who
is now II years old, aud has during the
trial grown eighteen inches. The girls
story was apparently without flaw, and
strong evidence in the form of letters and
other documents was introduced to substan-
tate it. She is comedy girl, and has
throughout the trial enjoyed much of the
public's sympathy.
Following the claim of the little girl was
that of Alice Edith Dickerson, or as she
now chooses to style herself, Mrs. Blythe.
She first met Blythe seven or eight years
before his death and was then poor artist.
The millionaire befriended her and their
acquaintance grew till his home was hers.
He fitted up luxurious apartments i'll one of
his Geary street buildings, and the two
lived here until he died. After this Alice
Edith continued to occupy the rooms, spent
great deal of money ard so gave herself
up to liquor that she was for a time con-
pranks was TO expose herself in nearly nude
condition to public view. On one occasion
ste seated herself on a balcony overlooking
a crowded business thoroughfare, and, while
singing hilariously, took off all but one of
her garments. This she would have thrown
aside had she not been dragged into the
house At another time she appeared on
the top of the building entirely without
clothing. In presenting her case the
woman brought forth several witnesses who
swore that she had been introduced to them
as Mrs. Blythe. No marriage certificate,
however, or even contract, was brought
to light.
The most interesting claimants were
those who endeavored to prove that Blythe
was Scottish gypsy, direct descendant
of Jean Gordon, character made famous
by Walter Scott. According to the evil
dence it was pure Romany blood that
coursed through his veins In his heart he
was proud that he belonged to the race, but
the preiudices of the world caused him to
keep the secret to himself. He was born
about 1922 in some gypsy camp in one of
the border counties of Scotland His father
was Adam Blythe and his mother Elizabeth
Savage. known among her people as Betty
Savage. Esther Faa, second cousin of
Thomas H. Blythe, and the last queen of
the gypsies, was descended from the royal
Faas, celebrated in Scottish romance and
ballads
The story of Blythe's early life concerns
camps and rowing bands, and all that be-
longs to ideal gypsy life. Blythe was born
in camp, saw his mother in a fight with a
kinswoman in Lowrie's Glen when he was
child, and during his early manhood, after
be had gone 10 school in a gypsy settlement,
was himself peddler all through Lothian
and other countries in Scotland, and also in
England in the neighborkood of Liver
pool. Pottery was an important feature
In the trade of gypsy peddlers, and
one night when his parents had camped at
a pottery at Preston in 1847 his mother was
in some manner thrown into a fire and
burned SO badly that she died. In 1S49
Blythe was in or near Liverpool, got the
gold fever, took passage on the Antelope,
and William Robinson claims to have seen
him on shlpboard. Members of the family
interested in the case have nearly all aban-
doned the rowing life of their ancestors, and
are permanently located here and there in
various callings. Many are working at
trades, some are merchants, and nearly all
are prosperous, and some even quite
wealthy.
A story quite as unusual es the gypsy tale
was brought out when an effort was made
to prove that the dead millionaire was once
a convict. 1t was said that when he was a
young man, employed by London tinker,
be stole a small quantity of goods, was con-
victed of the theft. and sentenced to the
penal settlement of Tasmania. After serv-
ing a few wears there he was given terlpo-