The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-10
/, GIRL WITH $4,OOO,OOO.
END OF THE FAMOUS BLYTHE
WILL CONTEST.

VIII Give Away q Fortune-Florencs
Elvthe, When She Shall Attain Her
Majority, win Present 81, 100000 to
the Contestants.
From the PHILADELPHIA Record.
SAN Francisco, CAL, Nov. 6.-The
closing act in the most famous will contest
that was ever made in this state will be
reformed on Nov. 10, when Miss Florence
BLYTHE, pretty young girl, will give away
81 100000. She will hand over TO the moro
than 100 Iigitants that portion Of her q, 600, p
coo fortune for the sake of avoiding all
future contests for the vast estate which she
inherited from her father.
Miss Blythe will attain her majority on
the coming eventful day. and she has given
notice that she will then forever settle
her absolute claim TO her extensive prop
critics.
The great case began seven years ago,
and one year ago the courts decided that the
girl was entitled to the whole estate.
Inc story Of the case reads like a
romance.
AN ARMY OF CONTESTANTS.
Thomas H. Blythe died suddenly on April
4, 1878 He had led a very irregular life,
and though over 60 years of age when he
died, and the possessor of property valued
then at from 81, 900. 900 TO 81, coo 900, he left
no will. He died of heart failure while TAX
ing bath in the apartments of Alice Edith
Dickerson. on Geary street, San Francisco.
Miss Dickerson is one Of the two women who
claim TO be the widow of Blythe. She based
her claim on reputed marriage contract
which she entered into with Blythe
Nellie Firmin also claims 60 be a widow
OF the dead millionaire. The other con-
testants number 1914, including the Will
Jams heirs of Liverpool, the Blythe Com
pany, the Gypsy Blythes, the Savages Of
London, the Scotch-lrish Savages, James
Witt Pearce and William and David Saw
age. The case has claimed the attention Of
the people Of two continents thousands and
thousands of dollars have teen spent by the
contestants, the laws the state of Cali
fornia have been changed TO accommodate
it, dozens of lawyers have been engaged on
It for years. and several lives have been
wrecked by reason OF 1t.
FORTUNE IN A TOWN LOT.
Back in the "fortissn Blythe was a ped
dler in this city. He loaned money on the
mortgage of the block of land bounded by
Kearney, Geary, Market and Grant streets.
1t was worth next to nothing. Soon boom
struck the town, and in q little while
Blythe's town lot was worth over $500, 900.
1ulo WOO q BOOu bIyBQ6 went
to England soon after he had made his for
tunate investment, and remained there
until 1874. In February, 1873, while IN
London, he met a pretty girl of 20. He
was 30 years old. The girl was Julia Perry.
An intimacy ensued, the result of which
was daughter named Florence.
Florence was taken TO Sau Francisco i'm
mediately after Blythe's death by the
grandfather and grandmother, Mr.. and
Mrs. Perry, and W. II. H. Hart, her attor-
ney. She was sent to school at Oakland
When Blythe died the great army Of
claimants turned up. including the two al
legged widows. The attorney general, a
number OF years ago, asked to have the
property escheated to the state
The case was brought to a termination
on July 81, 1890. when the probate court
decided that Miss Blythe was the sole
heiresS.
A PRTNCELY FORTUNE.
The income from the San Francisco Dor
ton OF the Blythe estate Is 81, 900 a month.
In addition to this the estate includes about
$4,000 acres in Southern California, a grant
of about 300,000 acres in Mexico, three
fourths interest in a grant of 100000 acres
also in Mexico, property in Oregon, and
large holdings in Arizona mines. It is all
worth 100000 or more.
Several of the Gypsy contestants came
here from Scotland six years ago, ami have
remained in this city since that time.
Not very long after Perry and little
Florence came to California to contest the
estate an attempt was made to kidnap
Florence. Frank Rene was charged with
the attempted abduction at Berkeley,
Alameda county, on April Z, 1886, but was
acquitted
Miss Blythe has feir educltion, is
quite pretty, and, naturally, is the reclpi-
ent OF unusual attentions.