The San Francisco call., 1895-10-15
A PIONEERS TWO WIDOWS.

Queer Complications Over the $4,000
Estate of James d. Sullivan.
James D. Sullivan, a California pioneer
of 1849, died in New York last month and
he left two widows, several children and
an estate consisting of $4,000 in bank.
The original widow, Mrs. Mary Sullivan,
resides in this City, and she has son who
is stereotyper here.
After deserting his first wife, though q
divorce was never obtained, Sullivan mar
ried three other women. Two of the latter
are dead, but one of these two is survived
by two children. Sullivan, who was 70
years old when he died, made no dis
position of his property by will, and a
queer sort of q contest over the estate is
likely to be made in the New York courts.
In several other instances widows have
come out of the East and established their
claims to property that Western wives had
expected to inherit from their husbands,
but it is believed that in this case the win
ming widow will go from the West.
Sullivan lived during the latter part of
his life at SO King street, New Y ork, and
there is the home of the fourth wife and
second widow.
The man came to San Francisco at the
time of the first gold excitement, and in
1852 he married A son and two daugh-
ters were born here, but only the son, who
is the stereotyper alluded to, is still living.
One of the daughters grew up and mar
ried, and her son is q member OF the origi-
nal family.
Prior to 1860 Sullivan returned to the
East. He was at New York during the
early portion of the War Of the Rebellion,
and there he went into business as a
dealer in kindling wood. Like everybody
else at the time he made money. He de.
posted his earnings in the Bowery Bank,
the Emigrants' Bank and the Blocker
street Savings Bank, and from 1865 not q
dollar has been withdrawn. Although the
original savings were small the money
now amounts to $4,000 or upward, and it
is thought that there may be other prop
erty which has not been discovered.
Sullivan married his second wife, a New
York woman, in 1874 but she died year
later, and then the man went to Ireland,
his native land. In 1879 he came back to
America. and he brought with him third
wife and two children. Sullivan carried
on the express business for several years,
and he was successful in that.
The third wife died about 1880, but in
1885 there was another wedding, with Sui
livan as one of the principals, the wife be-
ing about twenty-five years younger than
the husband. This is the wife that is now
living in New York and who is expected
to contest the San Francisco widow
claim, though no litigation has yet been
commenced.
Adele Sullivan, daughter of the third
wife, applied for letters of administration
on the New York estate and in the peti.
ton she included the latest wife as one o1
the heirs. She had never heard of the
original wife in this City, but the fourth
wife had heard of the son here and she
telegraphed to him about the death of Mr.
Sullivan and stated that there was no will
Then the existence of the bank accounts
was not known and it was supposed thai
the entire estate was not worth more thar
$500.
The son engaged Lawyer Charles NJ
Beattie of New York to represent him
Then the bankbooks were discovered anG
Lawyer Beattie is searching for more prop
erty.