The Washington times., 1894-06-10
M.cARRAHAN HAS AN HEIR.
And He Is to Soon Begin His Poor Father
Weary Game.
rrrr

And He Is TO Soon Begin His Poor Fathers
Weary Game.
TsrEcIAL TO THE TIMEs.l
ST.. LOUIS, June 9.-Walter Il. McGarrahan,
Of No. 713 North Seventh street, East st.
Louis, is now spending considerable Of bis
leisure time hunting up evidence which he
thinks will eventually entitle him to an inter-
esting share Of ell, 900, 900 silver mine estate
in California rendered famous by the litiga-
ton over 1t by the "Great American claim
ant" poor old Billy McGarrahan, whose pa
thetic death occurred in Washington on April
"a last, says the st. Louis Post Dispatch.
Walter II. .McGarrahan says heis q nephew Of
the deceased claimant, his father having been
q brother OF old "Billy." He says that as far
as he can learn all OF the claimants brothers
and sisters. including his CWalter Mc0arra-
han's) father. are now dead, and that as the
famous claimant LETT no children the big Cali
fornia ranch should 20 to his nephews and
entitled to an even share with the ''re5t Of
them" Mr.. McGarrahan says these nephsws
and nieces are scattered all over the country,
some being in Canada, some in Peoria, H.,
others in New York and still others IN the far
West, each of whom, he said, Is working in
dividually to prove his or her identity and
have hired legal aid.
ne LAS occutcu, no eolu, tuc ScfVlctb Ol
Judge Messick, OF East st. Louis. Senator
Eppa Hunton, he said, had charge Of the bill
now and intends to press it through Congress
yet, despite old "Billy" McGarrahan's death.
Mr. McGarrahan Is at present looking up all
the other members Of the family who live or
have lived in this vicinity. He came to see
the mortuary clerk in the health department
in the city hall at st. Louis recently to in
quire II man named McGarrahan died in St.
Innia ahout fhirfaan Tbia Me-
Garraban, whose first name he did not know,
came here from Sligo, Kellery, Halfpoint Of
Ballintore, near Drumohare, ireland. His
fathers name, he said, was Bartholomew Nc
Garrahan. and he supposed he had lived here
for some years, and that he was bridge car
penter or steamboat captain. He could find
no trace of his supposed departed relative,
city directories and said he would probably
hunt up the marriage records at the recorder 8
office.
The story OF McGarrahan's claim reaches
back to 1S49, when he went out to California
on the breaking out OF the gold fever. he
made money, and on December %, 1857,
bought from Vincent o. Gomez tract Of land
known as the Papoche Grande ranch, but
when he went to take possession thereof he
found the New Idria Mining Company already
intrcnched thereon. McGarrahan spent the
remaining forty-flve years Of his life fighting
for his right TO the property, and died with
out obtaining it. The company attacked his
title, and finally, in 1868. the Supreme Court
decided against him. Then he got the matter
before Congress, and there it has been since.
Congress after Congress denied him justice,
until finally the Fifty-second Congress passed
1t, when it was vetoed by President Harrison
on legal technicality. McGarrahan, having
spent his fortune fighting for his claim, died
a poor, broken-heartsd old man at the age
OF 20.