The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-21

between the Ye.Ier and Iowrnap families; IN
snort, that Nj Tesiey was an Legitimate son
sao mat, alter bis birth, the brother OF the
l-ownsn claimants married his mother II ihe
bowman clsiments are heirs at law and
there should prove 10 be no will they would
snare among them half the estate, the widow
Nta6lns TIE other half: If the statement that Dir.
iesier wss natural son should prove 10 De
tFoe- they would gs, nothing excep. by specific
Of9u@s' From whichever standpoint they ex-
PSeS TO prove their claim, they are keeping a
e4o.e watch On the course o: events through
saeir attorneys. II is understooi that J. ID. Low
nan, TIE only member o. the family resident in
tAIs CITY Is disiEtsrestei spectator o. the con-
lest, IS NJ Yesier gave him the quarter block
BOUNDED by Front ard Cherry streets for very
Email consideration as compensation ior his
abe management of thu property, and ne there
lore expects nothing more
There have also been wsIl-deened rurnors that
there are one or more half-5-eed claimants 20
the property. Its well known that IN the first
Jew years after the beginning OK settlement o;
TIE SOUND there were very few white women n
The community. and rnauy Of the men had IL
liclf relations with the women OF the friendly
Indian tribes who used to live great part Of
the time IN and around the settlements. Among
these Was an unusually comsly young klootca-
man, known as Skooxum susy, who spent
good part OF her time il shack near the COOK
house OF the Old Yesier mill. she
was daughter of Chief Cur!ey, OF
The Salmon bay tribe, who was
one OF the most steadfast friends OF ths whites,
ana was favorite among the settlers One day
IN 1875 she gave birth to e hali-Dreed girl baby
and IN after years common report attributed the
chIIds paternity % Il. l. Teser, though for
several years afterwards the woman was living
with Frank Matthias. The girl was named Julia
and, being bright and pretty, became a favoTite-
When sic reached the age of about "A years she
ynU1 s.-.z -. IT,
nestle, but was treated as one OF the
family and educated by Ms. Sarah
b. Iesler. Mrs. Yesier used TO take her
10 S4a Francisco on her occasional trips
and always treated her with great kindness.
~ hen the g.Tl reached the age OF about IS years
an Oakland dre-smaker took fancy 70 her,
ard as she was laGylike in her manners and had
good taste, took her as apprentice, and there
she remained for several years, receiving occa-
sonsl visits from her former protectress In the
meantime her mother had married Capt J. :.
Benson, and Julia TOOK their name and lived
with them on her return IRON Oakland. The
Bensons had daughter named Hannah, who 10
now about . years Old and is the wife of a man
named Brehms. living in Skagt county, near
Mount Vernon. For four or FIVE years she lived
a. the house of Rev. George F. Whitwortn,
leaving there at the age of about IS to keep
house ior her uncle, Daniel Benson, in Skagit
county.
These the only children OF Indian ma
ternity whom rUmor has ever attributed to Mr.
Yesier, and inquiry among the Old settlers
pretty well disIoses of their claims An Old
lady who knew susy at the time of the birth of
julia, saw her the day after that event. and, in
the course of conversation, Susy said she
had Boston man, and, bang asked who
he was, replied: Frank Matthias" So sure
was the girl that Matthias was her father
that az the time of his death she set up claim
10 share OF his estate and was headed of by
being told that if she asserted such a claim she
could not claim TO be the child OF Mr. Yesler.
The reports that the veteran pioneer was her
father seem to have been based on no ether
foundation than the gossip OF the then village
and the fact that she had so long been q member
of his household. As she was rather Mrs. Yes
lers pTotege than his, this fact would tepd to
disprove her claim, for, If there hsdD been
any suspicion that the old gentleman was
her father. it is hardly likely that his wife
would have allowed her in the house. Further,
Matthias afterwards decided TO her two iots on
Sixth, at the corner OF Jefferson street She has
for three years been married TO man named
lntermeia, by whom she has fine boy 10
months old, and the couple is living happily
at Quilcene, where they own claim.
As Mrs. Intermelia also owns property
at the corner of Marion and Eighth
streets, on which she is putting up some fats.
and other city property, she is weii-to-to and
she is held in nigh respect as any OF her
neghbors II any step has been taken on her
behalf to set up claim TO share in the estate
i. is being kept remarkably secret II is very
doubtful, even ii she were to succeed in proving
that Mr.. Yeser was her father. whether she
could base any claim on the fact, for the su-
preme cGur: ruled in the case OF Haselrne VS..
Mclaughlin, which was tried last September,
that illegitimate children had no rights as such
unless they were acknowledged in writing by
their fathers
This narrows the contest down to three parties
Mrs Ieser. the LOwman heirs and the city.
II there is no will the widow will take half and
the Lowmans the other half among them. If
they can prove the testator's legitimacy. other
wise. failing the appearance of any other COL
lateral heirs, the widow would take all If
there il Il will and il should prove to have been
lost destroyed or stolen, as has been intimated,
the code makes the following provisions:
Sec. S7l n.36T Whenever any will be lost
or destroyed, by accident or design, the supe-
Tior court shall have power 10 take roof of the
execution aud validity of the will. and to es-
tabiish the same, notice TO persons interested
having first been given; such proof shall be re-
Guced 10 writing and signed by the Witnesses
Bat no will shall be allowed to be proved as a
lost or destroyed will, unless the same shall be
proved to have been in existence az the time of
the death OF the testator, or be shown 10 have
been fraudueut!y destroyed In the lifetime OF
testator, nor unless its provisions shall be
c-cAFIS anu distinctly proven -pv at least TWO
credible witnesses.
sec. $50. When any such will shall be es-
tablished, the provisions thereof shall be dis
tinctiv stated in the Judgment establishing il,
and copy OF such decree shall be certified py
the clerk, under the seal of the court; and
such copy. together with the testimony upon
which the decree IS founded. shall be recorded
"a other wills are required 10 oe recorded. and
letters testameatary or of administration. with
the VIII annexed, shall be ISSUED thereon III
the came manner as upon wills produced ana
duly proved.
The first skirIolsh in court occurred Yesterday
morning when Preston, CarES Preston, on be-
hail of the Iowmans, opposed tie appointment
nf Nr. Maddocks as administrator before Judge
langley In the probate court. Z. NJ. Carr began
by saying that he desired 10 tie petition TO
that effect representing Ann b. Johnson,
Elizabeth c. Barnhart aud D. : bowman tho
two half-sisieTs and the half brother of Mr.
1esler WAC reside in Maryland. The Petition
alleges information aud belief that Nj
Yesier make a VIII just before his death, aud
that tGis VIII was III existence at the time of
MS death, aud suil is III existence that the
subscribing W Illnesses reside out OF the state and
been afordei; that the petition OF Mrs Yesler
ground THAI under the present circur,-
mtnIstrator might unnecessarily COM
The value ~ the estate : placed ri over 5000 O.
but the debts outstanding against It ale over
$4,000. Mr.. Carr urged THAI no further steps
be taken IN ;he g;c cedings Tor space Of SKY
days, IN which time the witnesses may Re ex-