The Portland daily press., 1894-01-02
CLAIM BEAMS MILLIONS.
Maine People Think Texas Estate is
Theirs.

Maine People Think Texas Estate is
| Theirs.
| Mayor James o. Brad bury of Saco has
| returned from Texas where he was en-
| ployed as counsel by the Maine claim
| ants of the Bean fortune, the legal battle
| over which constitutes one of the most
sensational stories among the romances
of that State.
1t is case which has excited interest
throughout the United States, not only
by the enormous amount involved, but
because claimants have turned up in
| nearly every State in the Union. Just
| at present there are six sets of claim
ants, and the members elch assert that
they are the heirs of millionaire Bean
They are as follows: The Beans of
Maine, the Murray people of Georgia, the
Maufitts of Tennessee, the Hankins of
Missouri and two other sets of claiamnts
in Maryland and Pennsylvania. There
are in Maryland half a dozen other
claimants.
When Mayor Bradbury made his last
trip to the Lone Star State he supposed
the case would be then tried, as it has
now been in the courts of Texas for sew
eral years; but at the request of various
alto. neys the case was again continued.
The next session of the United States
court begins next week, and it is proba-
BILE that the case will then be assigned
for trial.
The life of Thomas &C. Bean, the dead
millionaire, was of a very romantic ma
ture. He was surveyor and land specu-
lator, and at the time of his death was
70 years of age. He was never married.
When he died he owned a large part of
Bonham, Tex, whore he lived, as well
as valuable lands in other parts Of the
Lone Star State.
He died very suddenly of heart disease,
and left no will, SO far as his fellow
townsmen know, although his estate
was estimated to be worth between 81
Co., 600 and S3,0O0,ooo
His vast property was placed in the
hands OF an administrator to await
developments, which were but short
time in coming. Before the expiration
of twelve months no less than five differ
emit claimants came forward from differ
emit parts of the country and declared
that they were the lawful heirs to Mr..
Beans large fortune.
A short time after his death Henry G.
Howard of San Antonio, who claimed to
be nephew of the deceased, made aplli-
cation for letters of administration upon
the estate, although the deceased had
always denied any relationship with him.
Then man from Mississippi appeared,
claiming that Thomas G. Bean was a
long-lost brother, that he had killed a
man in Mississippi early in the thirties
and had fed to the Lone Star State.
| Although he brought forward, large
| amount Of evidence he could not prove
| his claim to the satisfaction Of. the court
| and his case was dismissed.
Thus they came one after another.
The story told by the Maine heirs is
confident of winning his case. 1t is in
| substance as follows:
Thomas Chesley Bean was the Oldest
! son of Thomas Bean. well-to-do farmer
of Limerick, nfteen miles from this city.
He was born January 80, 1919, and was
one of family Of twelve children, six
| sons and six daughters. When Thomas
was child his father moved to Athens,
| Me.
| Of the large family only one son and
| three daughters are living, and it is they
| that are pushing the claims.
! In 1888 the family moved to Harmony,
| and it was from this townsthat Thomas
| G. Bean, then in his teens, left home to
| seek his fortune.
| In Texas he began life as a surveyor
| and afterwards as land speculator. He
rapidly accumulated wealth by loaning
his money to the Texans at high rates Of
interest. He also engaged in a num- Der
of business enterprises.
| A bout five years ago the mem bers Of
| the Bean family in this state received
| inquiries as to TIC. Bean and informa-
| ton in regard to a man of that name in
Texas was conveyed to them. Mr. Brad
bury was engaged by members of the
! family to go to Texas to investigate the
case, and after making a thorough ex-
| animation was satisfied beyond doubt
| that millionaire Bean of Texas, was no
| other than Thomas C. Bean of Maine.
| A bout year ago Mr.. Bradbu I'M
earthed what he considered most i'm
portant piece of evidence in the shape of
| a photograph taken of Bean a few years
before he died. The picture was identi-
| fed by several parties In this state who
saw Thomas shortly before he left for
| the West.
| Now three of the six sets of claimants
have attached afidavIts to copies of this
picture, which they say greatly resem bles
| their long-lo brother, and it must be
| him and no other.
During the last trip to Benham.
Texas Mr:Bradbury talked with num-
| Der of prominent citizens of the place
| who were we'll acquainted with Mr.. bean
| some time previous to his death. They
will testify that the deceased told them
he came from Maine.
He also told them about the singing
| school, spelling bees" and lum bering,
| fishing and cunning in the state, and
how when he was a boy the teacher used
to thrash him when he played his pranks
| on the other scholars.
| On the other hand, the Maryland
claimants have no less distinguished
| witness than ex Gov. Morton of that
,xy1,D will tb,nt I,
and became acquainted with Thomas G.
| Bean in 1885, and afterwards met a
millionaire Bean of Texas, and they
were one and the same.
If none of the claimants succeed in
establishing their claims, the entire estate
| will revert to the State of Texas