The morning call., 1892-04-04
AFTER BLYTHE'S MILLIONS.
A Mysterious Woman With a Strange
Story.
SHE MAY MAKE TROUBLE FOR FLORENCE
The New Claimant Asserts That She Is the Legitimate
Daughter and Sole HeiresS Of the
Dead Capitalist.

For some months past an elderly woman
has wandered from one attorneys Office TO
another in the vain search for advice and
assistance.
She calls herself Miss Hyde. and sets up
the astounding claim that she is the only
legitimate daughter Of the late Thomas ii.
BY the and the rightful heiress to all his
millions.
1t will be remembered that when the
great trial to decide the right of succession
to the Blythe estate took place before Judge
Cofey in the Probate Court there appeared
a large number Of claimants to contest the
right of inheritance, which finally was
granted to Florence Blythe by the court.
People came from nearly every part Of
the globe, believing that they were relatives
of the dead millionaire. whose early life
had been spent in a manner known to only
a very few people. and in countries far dis
tant from the scene of his financial sue
ceSSeS and his death.
There were gypsy Blythes, English
Blythes. Irish, Scotch, and even German
Bythes. who either put in appearance In
person or wrote letters claiming direct de-
scendency from that particular genealogical
branch TO which Thomas III. Blythe was
said to belong.
GAP IN TOM BLYTBE's HISTORY.
The trial was long one. and every known
incident In the dead mans career was
brought before the court as evidence but
In spite OF all the efforts made there was
period OF several years during Blythe'S liie-
time which he passed In a manner unex-
planned. and none of the many lawyers and
detectives employed by the interested par
ties have ever been able to discover where
he was and what he did during the five
years between his departure from England
and his arrival in California in 1S49.
The claimants known as the gypsy"
Blythes based their right of inheritance on
the fact OF this disappearance. Iney tried
10 prove that Blythe had spent these years
in Scotland and there became the husband
OF gypsy woman, whose children they
are.
Miss Hyde. as she calls herself. who now
appears on the scene, also sets up the claim
to being the child Of IA woman Blythe mar
risd during that period, but she says. that
her mother became the wife OF the dead MIL
lionaire IN the West Indies.
1t is hard TO determine whether this new
aspiiant for the wealth of the late capitalist
Is demented, designing or sincere.
is SHE AN IMPosTOR?
There. are many who have talked with her
on the subject of her hereditary rights who
give the matter no consideration at all and
simply declare that she is a lunatic. Ger
talnly her very strange behavior gives much
foundation for such an opinion.
Others who have tried TO interest them
selves In Miss Hyde's case say that she Las
every desire TO set up false claim for
Bythes millions without having the ability
To become dangerous impostor.
Miss Hyde, when seen by reporter, said
that she was afraid to give any information
for publication, there beng many people
alive who would at once proceed to throw
obstacles in her way If { was known that
she was here and why she had come.
Later on, when pressed for Information,
hna alals aaA thuf ha in ha dc Of
friends. who had 10 be consulted before she
could make any statements 10 a newspaper.
These friends are now out of town, but
would return soon, she said yesterday.
The story Miss Hyde told to several at
torneys. among whom are franklin L. Bull
and G.. Harvey Brown, is a weird, wild,
romantic tale and, If true, forms the history
of a most remarkable life.
She saysi among other things that she has
been kldnaped three times. first when she
was an infant and last when she was Is
years old.
A SINGULAR STORY.
Stories of her adventures in many lands
and how she finally discovered her par
entage are followed by Tecitals of constant
prosecutions on the part of those who knew
her origin aud her right to large fortune.
Then she tells of her vain struggles In this
city, stating that she arrived here without
money and could not induce any attorney TO
take her case, although she is certain that
IL she had the means she could easily pro-
cure documentary evidence to substantiate
her claim.
Sitting in her apartments at 629 Post street
she said yesterday afternoon that she was
compelled to earn living as a dressmaker
and had been Mt work several weeks. but on
the return to this city of the people who
have promised to befriend her she will be
enabled to push her claim.
Whether Miss Hyde is an impostor or a
woman whose claim is entitled to consider
alton is ap open question. but one thing Is
certain that she bears n striking facial re-
semblanee to the man whose millions she
says are hers by right, aud that she is thor
oughly familiar with every phase of the
long trial before Judge Coffey, by the judg-
ment of which Florence Blythe was de-
clared the rghtful heress.
She declines 70 state why she prefers to
be called Miss Hyde TO asserting her right
to the name Of Miss Blythe. Altogether she
is a queer woman and her case mysterious
one.