The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-01
sHE Is AN HEIRESS.
Matthias Half-Breed Daugh-
ter's Claim Allowed.
aysea SIMILAR CLAIMS LIKELY.
=. rftv wins the Patent ssit-Husss
psmarrer ovsrruied ON Three
Pslnss-Divorcs Case.

I. she case Of Rebecca L. Graham va. e.
| x.,ss;as e. al, which vas tried in the
| rs.s<d States court . short time since.
ssfas Hsnfori last evening rendered a
z-rssIon Ia which he held that MIRA. Gra-
-. Tie halfbresd daughter Of Frank
| usfbsss. is In the eyes OF the saw, Eegiti-
,r..< child. and ss such entitled to inherit
- tsfser's estate. The Matthias estate
Mined at about ss0.0
A grs1t deal Of testimony was given At
- rIsl Of the case. for the woman there
.rs&srlng s. F.. Coornhs, ID. B. Ward. Rev.
tsssl Bagssy, t. ID. Hinckley, NJ. n.
rsaasx and z. 4. Thorndyke, all OF
skcm testified 10 the effect that Frank
rxtkiss and Mrs. GrAhau's mother
msgntained intimate relations Tor time
htors and after her birth. but these wit
p<ss<s we're unable to testify TO the facts
vithin their own knowledge tending to
rors either a marriage or that the couple
.slly lived together. The folloxing Wit
Kisses, however, Frank Dolan. Richard
lis. A. s. Pinckam. William ID. Shaw,
Eco coleman (Indian). w. Il. Haffner,
KnL Mary Blakeley. David II. Webster,
10. Williams and Alex Spithill, testified
so,stlvely that Mrs. Graham's mother did
Iss 9Th Frank Matthias. having kept
Aouss FOR him three or four years. 1t Was
<1risg this period that the child vas born.
sAsse Indians. Jake foster, William
Rsrsrs and Chief William. testified that
.Aess xas an actual marriage, but Judge
Eanford rejected their testimony as being
nsnifsstly false.
On the part Of the defense Hillory But
n. A. A. Denny. Dexter Horton, T.. NJ.
snlthsrs. W. III. surDer, Henry Van
ASSET and Mrs. Wyckoff testified they
ssre well acquainted with Frank Matthias
1srlng nearly al the time he lived In
ssstEis. but never heard of his having an
Ialian woman to keep house for him, but
Aar evidence showed that he did asso-
ssis sith Indian women. In passing on
ne case Judge Hanford said last evening:
NY conclusion from all the testimony
bshst Mrs. Graham 10 the daughter of
yank Matthias. but that her parents
ssre never married to each other. / find,
however, that there in a decided prepon-
tsssnce OF the evidence that they did live
Ie9staer ~ man and wife for q time before
and after Mrs. Graham was born, and she
b, therefore. in law legitimate child. and
q such entitled to inherit her fathers
state under the provisions Of q statute
sascssd 1t the first session of the legisla-
llre Of Washington territory, In 1854,
shich has never been repealed. Ii Is the
bird section of an act entitled; AN Act
10 Regulate Marriages, and provides as
iellows:
"'All children born Of marriages de-
tsred void by the preceding section, and
al children born of persons living and co.
kabiting together, as man and wife. and
oil children born out of wediock whose
PARENTS shall intermarry shall for oil pur-
,0ses be legitimate
II consider that the Law does simple JUS
Zee to the innocent offspring OF men and
somen who live together as IL they were
carried, aud effect should be given TO 10
b the courts when the evidence shows
Bat there Is no probability of injustice be-
ag done by palming of upon the family
curious offspring. Upon the evidence in
bis case / consider that Mrs. Graham Is
Intitled To a decree establishing her right
10 Inherit her fathers estate"
This Is test case and will prove very In
'sresting TO great many people. Ii Is
aid that several similar cases. which have
seen held of awaiting decision in the
Matthias suit, will now be filed In court.