The San Francisco call., 1896-02-22
A Franciscan MILLIONS
He Was a Monk in the Santa
Barbara Monastery Years
Ago.
After a Bloody Tragedy in South
America He Amassed Wealth
as Sheep-RaiSer.

James Mcmahon of this City is taking
legal steps to prove his right, title and
heirship to property in Australia reputed
10 be worth SIS 600, ,00U.
An intensely romantic and tragical story
is connected with the litigation.
The property in question was amassed
by Mr.. McMahon's brother, who was once
a Franciscan monk and afterward became
a speculator.
HIS title when he arrived in this country
from Ireland was Father John Mcmahon.
When he landed on the shores OF America
he became associated with Bishop Laugh
lin OF New York.
Father Mcmahon was man of unusual
business capacity and it was not long
before he had built an orphan asylum in
Brooklyn and established Franciscan
monastery on Baltic street in the same
city. The deeds to the valuable property
were in his name and remain in his name
to the present day, but his brother of this
City can better tell the story in his own
language.
yes" said James Mcmahon yesterday,
''the property Is still IN his name, as is
that Of the Franciscan fathers in Syracuse,
n, Y, and also of the order near Santa
Barbara, this State. He and Bishop
Laughlin had falling out in Brooklyn,
and John went to Syracuse, where he
added to his possessions. But he was still
in the Bishops diocese, and as they could
not get along he determined to leave the
East for good and come to California.
He reached Santa Barbara in 1868 and
joined the Franciscans at that point. AS
[ said, he always hac an eye to business,
n u tAI,a b.
several valuable acquisitions. AS the
property was acquired through his indi-
vidual efforts and by using money from
his private funds he kept the title deeds
in his own name and they remain SO to
this day. l am told the property is valued
at over a million. Whether it was his
superior business talent or some other
cause, he and his associate monks could
not agree, and he left them and went to
New York, intent on leaving the church
for good and becominga Il speculater
II think it was In 1867 that he returned
to New York. My mother, sister and l
were there at the time. l Der his
exact words to me when he left us for
South America, where he intended to buy
land and engage in sheep-raising. He
said: John, | have left the church and am
going to Buenos Ayres to get a fortune. If
| fail | can always come back to the fold
and have my old armchair at the monas-
terry on Baltic street. or go back to Cali
fornia.
Before leaving California in 1867 he
placed $1,000 in the hands of Father
Morosk to be given to mother and sister in
case they should ever come to want dur
ing his absence. He prospered in Buenos
Ayres, but his career as a sheep-raiser
in that country was brought to ar abrupt
and tragical termination. He had some
trouble with one of his neighbors and shot
and killed him,
at cost him $4,000 or $4,000 to get out of
that scrape, and he gathered his pos
sessions together and went to Australia
That was in 1873. Before sailing for Aus
tralia he wrote to mother, sister and ME
that there was big money In sheep and
that he was determined to make grand
fortune in the new land. And he kept his
word.
WAS my brother an old man2 Yes, he
was born in County Monaghan, Ireland, in
1924, which would make him 72 If he had
lived to the present time. He entered the
Corifean monastery, County Galway, when
he was II years OF age. He was only %
when he came to this country.
"A curious mistake was made by press
correspondent several days ago in tele-
gram published in New York paper. He
said that my brother was transported
convict; that he mad been thrown into
prison for perjury and assault and was
afterward sent to Australia to serve a
seven years term. The correspondent
then goes on to say that at the end of a
year he was paroled by the Queen on ac-
count of good conduct and became mem
Der of the mounted police squad; that he
saved his earnings and engaged in sheep
raising.
"Tne only way that my lawyer, Thomas
ONeal, and can account for the error
that there must have been man who
was a convict and afterward became a
sheep-raiser, and the correspondent con-
founded the two men on account of the
name of Mcmahon.
besides his millions in Australia is the
property in New York and California all
OF which his heirs can claim. AS we are
honest mem bers of the mother church it
is hardly likely that we will attempt to
disturb the church in its possessions. That
would not be right, wouldit? l know that
my mother and sister feel the same. My
mothers name is Ann Bernard Mcmahon,
and my sisters Anna.
"There will probably be great deal of
red-tape litigation. but my lawyer appre-
hends no serious difficulty in proving our
clear and proper title to the estate. There
will be no opposition"