The herald., 1895-12-12
After the Owners Have Crossed
the River
THE PHILANTHROpIST GIBBS
Leaves a Fortune Which His Erstwhile
Landlady Wants
John Gregg OF Santa Cruz Also Leaves an
Estate for His Relatives to
Quarrel Over
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
SAN Francisco, Dec. l1.An evening
paper says that the will of the late George
W. Gibbs, millionaire merchant, philan-
thropist and president of the Young Mems
Christian association, is to be contested.
About a year before his death Gibbs, to
avoid contest, distributed from 900
to 81, OOO, 900 dollars of his property by
deed among his relatives. his wife receiv-
ing the bulk of the property, and many
public institutions receiving large gifts.
AT the time of his death, two or three
weeks ago, the residue of his estate
amounted to only about $4,000. This was
left to his widow except that requests of
500 dollars each we're left to each of the
children of Mary Louise Hastings. 1t is
now said that Mrs. Hastings will contest
1.-THE will and try to upset the transfer OF
his property by which Gibbs vainly hoped
ito avoid q contest.
Mrs. Hastings is the daughter of Mrs.
Sarah Marie Grey. who. with her husband,
was a neighbor to Mr.. Gibbs in 1850.
Mrs. Grey's daughter, Marie Louise Grey,
Fin 1850 married DR.. Brown OF this city. by
whom she had three children. DIR. Brown
died in 1854, and few years later Mrs.
Brown married man named Everett,
with whom she went east. She was di-
I vorced from Everett and returned to this
icity She then married James Hastings, a
civil engineer of London, aud went to Eng
kand, where she resided until the death of
8 her husband eighteen months ago. She
returned to this city shortly before the last
illness of Mr.. Gibbs. In the early days
/ Mrs. Hastings mother kept boarding
house here, and Mr. Gibbs had taken a
great interest III her family. Mrs. Hast
! ings refuses to talk for publication, and
Eherl awyer will say nothing except that she
shas a valid claim against the Gibbs estate.
Santa Cruz Case.
SANTA CRUZ, Dec. 11.-Five years ago,
John Gregg, pioneer, died in Corralitos,
leaving the largest portion of his estate to
Mrs. Elizabeth Magee, his sister, if she
could be found one year after his death.
IF not then her portion was to be given to
Myrtle and Kittie Bradshaw, at whose
ahome he resided. After Mrs. Magee could
not be found her share was given to the
! Misses Bradshaw and the administration
closed. Soon after the county clerk re-
sceved a. letter from woman signing her
self Elizabeth Magee, claiming to be the
/ sister of the deceased. Soon after receiv.
ing information she forwarded affidavits
ASSERTING that she was the heiress. Then
Tit was learned on reliable authority that
she was an impostor. Nothing further
: was done by her. Subsequently the city
y clerk received letter from Elizabeth
y Magee requesting information regarding
the estate. Information was given her
but nothing further was heard until yes
terday when her heirs filed petition for
an order to the administrator and distribu-
tor to show cause why the decree of dis
tribution and probate should not be set
aside. They claim that Mrs. Magee died
last year in Ashland, Neb., and did not
learn anything of the estate until long
after it had been administered on. They
want the probate proceedings set aside so
they can secure Mrs. Magee's portion of
the estate, which was distributed to the
Misses BradshaW several years ago.