Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-10
STRANGER THAN FICTION.
The Washington Heirs Win i'm the
Famous Bean Estate Contest.

HE STORY OF REMARKABLE AND ROMANTIC
CASE TOLD BIZ oSE OF THE PARTIES INTER
EsTED-TIIE ExAs ESTATE OF A CHILDLEsS
MAN WHO WANDERED FROM HOME IN YOUTH.
young man drifts slowly westward and
sOuthward and in course of time his relatives
lose all track of him. Nothing is heard of him
or from him for years. and IN the meantime he
Gccumulates an immense fortune and gathers
unto himself acres of land by the hundreds of
thousands. In the proper sequence of events
the younS man. who has had time to grow old
while all this is happening. dies, friendless and
chidless and, as far as any one knows without
kith or kin on the face of the earth. He leaves
behind him more than half a million acres of
land that had been his. but now all he can
claim Is about SIX feet of sod n very small por-
ton of the earth of which he haG owned so
much The most natural thing that could be
expected to happen IN such a case would be
series OF claims and law suits to decide the
ownership OF the dead mans property. This,
OF course, happens.
AFTER YEARS OF LITIGATION.
Such in brief is the story of the celebrated
Bean case that was settled recently after years
of litigation. The history of this case has
been told more or less fully at various times
and its every telling has attracted attention.
for the story is rs interesting as though 1t were
hcnon made TO order. The decision that was
rendered In the case by Judge Z. l. ACnew at
BOnham, lex. last week. is of more than pass
ing interest To many people in this city, for the
Bean case may be said to have had its origin
here and many OF the heirs to the immense es-
tate are now residents os this city.
Mr. ;. H. Bacon, a grandson Of Anne Bean
IN discussing this remarkable Case said to a
STAR reporter today; The Bean case, so far as
any one can say, Is at last closed for all time
The decision that WAS made last week is en-
L. i.
and one by one, as the trial progressed and our
proof was brought in, all the other claimants
withdrew. realizing the hopelessness OF their
case
THE CURIOUS STORY OF THOMAS BEAN
''What was the story OF old Thomas Bean?
Well. j: was rather interesting one I'll adj
init. having its beginning. as 1t did; in this CITY
az TIE time OF the second war with Great Brit
ain and the scene of its last chapter located in
Texas IN this year 1890. In 1912 Col. Bean and
WIniircd Murray, daughter of an old yir-
gina family, elOped and were married at
Christs Church, Navy Yard. IN this CITY, Her
parents never fOrgave tho runaway couple and
40 fatherly blessing was ever gwen to their
daughter. though she pleaded earnestly for
forgiveness. One son, Thomas Bean, was
the result OF this romantic match. He
lo4ioweu the star OF empire and ended
up by settling In Texas, where. as the
years rolled by, lie amassed a huge fortune
and became the owner of immense tracts of
Iexas land that has since become very valuable.
when he died. as Won remember n few wears
ago II was thought that there were no heirs at
nii However. thread by thread and strand by
strand the rope OF evidence has been picked up
ana twisted together until at last after years of
patient painstaklnS work it complete and
TIE relationship of Thomas Bean of Texas to
the Washington branch of the family was
SHOWN beyond n doubt.
The WASHINGTON HEIRS
According to Texas law as Thomas Bean
died without children, his estate reverted to
has parents relatives. Col Bean had three
brothers and one slstcr-Gcorgc. Ben John
and Anne-and their descendants. together
with the descendants OF Winifrcd Murrav's
family, are now the heirs to this great Texas
estate. 1 should think there were more than
twenty OF the Bean family IN this city who will
inherit under the law; IN fact. almost al! of
them reside here. many of them living on Cap
itoI Hill and near the navy yard. The other
share OF the estate will go to the family of
Ninlfred Murray in Virginia
The case has been carried through all the
courts. and everything possible was done by
the western Claimants to the estate to keen II
from coming back TO the eastern heirs. But
as told you. as far we can tell now the case
Is settled FOR good and all. and our representa-
tVes-Dr. III. =. Howard and Joe l.. Hume
have been appointed administrators of the
estate"