The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-26
His Mother Captured a Million
aire by Her Great Beauty
and PretenSionS.
A SON PASSES AS A NEPHEW.
After Many Years of Litigation the
Rich Mans Stepson Inherits
the Property.

story III detail ana flch IN romance mas
been unfoided in connection with the suit
brought by Edward Mcmahon to gain pos
session of the valuable estate in California
| left by John Bensley, who died in San
| Francisco in June, 1889.
Mcmahon is manager for the Reed Roof
ing Company of this city. For nearly
twenty-nine years he lived under the sup
position that his name was MacMahon and
he was the son OF poor parents. Within
ninety days he has obtained evidence
which satisfies him that his real name is
| Granville, that he is a stepson of John
Bensley, and his mother was Bensley's
| wife.
At the time of Bensley's death all his
property was held in fee simple by his
wife, who died few months later. The
couple were apparently childless, so if Nc
Mahon succeeds in establishing his re-
lationship he will obtain the whole estate,
which consists of property in San Francisco
and San Diego, and in CentraIa, Wash,
valued at more than half million dollars.
John Bensley was one of CALIFORNIA;
pioneer citizens, and at one time in his
career was reputed to be worth $40, 00O,0 600.
He lived and moved among the set OF
multi-millionaires which sprang up like
mushrooms in California's early days of
lavishness. His home was in San Fran
cisco, where he was regarded as public
spirited and enterprising citizen.
In 1868 Mrs. Granville, who MacMahon
says is his mother, went to San Francisco.
She represented herself as the widow of
George Granville, member of Parliament,
and the daughter of the Earl of Evelyn,
Scotch nobleman. Mrs. Grenville was
handsome, accomplished and highly edu-
Gated, and her pretended noble connection
was not needed to ensnare the heart of
Bensley. He was twentynine years the
senior OF Mrs. Grenville, yet she gladly
accepted him when he proposed marriage.
The couple went TO Europe on a wedding
trip, and Bensley sought in vain for the
noble relatives and the castles and
country seats of which his wife had
boosted. 1t dawned upon him that he was
the victim of an adventures, but the dis
covery did not dampen the ardor of his
love.
They returned to California, and there in
1876 Edward A. MacMahon first appeared
upon the scene. He was living on farm
at Clarkville, Mo-, at the time, and was
sent for by Mrs. Bensley. He travelled to
San Francisco alone, and was affectionately
received by the woman he now says was
his mother. He was sent to the San
Mateo military academy for two years, and
afterward given a course at the University
at Berkeley. MacMahon was 10 years old
when he went to California. Mrs. Bensley
paid for his education and supplied him
with money lavishly, explaining to her
husband that the boy was her nephew.
And 50 affairs went on for several years,
when reverses began to come to John
Bensley. He found his fortune slipping
away from him, and to save something
from the wreck decided a considerable por-
ton of his property to relatives of his
wife. who in turn decided it back to her in
fee simple. The transfers were considered
suspicious by Bensley's creditors and liti-
CATION ensued, which was not ended for
decade. The case was still in the courts
when Bensley died in 1898. Six months
later Mrs. Bensley died at Las
Vegas, n. Mex, of paralysis. The
case in court was compromised and
four claimants for the Bensley estate
urged their rights in the Probate Court.
They were Jennie Goodrich, Lucy Roun-
tree, Sarah T.. Hardesty and B. G.
Chandos. The women were sisters of Mrs.
Bensley, and Chandos, whose right name
is said to be Zach Ingles, was her brother.
No other heirs appeared and the Probate
Court ordered the property divided among
them. This was done, but Chandos, who
engineered the scheme to gain possession
of the property neglected to have the
estate finally settled up, leaving loop
hole which MacMahon has taken advan-
tage of to have the petition set aside. 1t
was represented to the Probate Court that
the claimants were the only heirs of Mrs.
Bensley, when, as matter of fact, three
other sisters are living in the United
States.
Mrs. Bensley's maiden name was Marie
Louise Ingles. She was married three
times. Her first husband is now living in
Kansas City. He lived with her only
short time and left her to obtain divorce.
In 1866 she was married in London, Eng
land, TO Edward A. Granville, the father of
Edward A. MacMahon. The second mat
rimonial venture was equally unfortunate,
for a separation occurred after few
months The boy who is now fighting for
the California estate was the fruit of her
last marriage. He was born in Parkers-
burg, w. Va, en- January 4, 1866 To hide
his identity from his father the boys last
name was changed to MacMahon, the
name of his mothers aunt. Mrs. Bensley
left her son in charge of his grandmother
and went to California, where she met and
was married to her last husband.
Young MacMahon lived and was brought
up in the belief that Mrs. Sarah Hardesty
was his aunt and that his mother and
father were dead.
~ began to suspect" said Mr.. MacMa-
hon, in speaking of his strange case, that
there was something more than mere
friendship behind Mrs. Bensley's treat
ment of me. She educated me, gave me
all the money wanted, and something in
my heart hold me she was my mother and
now / know that she was. On her death
bed at Las Vegas she told the landlady at
the hotel that Edward MacMahon was her
son. have other proofs just as convinc-
ing, which, for ostensible reasons, it would
be unwise for me to make known just at
present. l gained possession OF these
proofs recently, almost by accident as one
j IL h..