The San Francisco call., 1896-02-23

liam G. G. Pitt, of San Francisco, besides
a number of relatives residing in England,
Australia and British Columbia, all Of
whom intend to make a strong fight at the
proper time. One of the earliest events in
the strange career of Captain Wilson oc-
CURED when the Duncan Bank closed its
doors In San francisco in 1879. Wilson
had $lOO,OO0 on deposit, and at the point
OF pistol he compelled Duncan to turn
over to trustee named Bradley $50 lots
in the Haley & O'Neill Tract in South San
Francisco.
1.-The most singular affair in connection
with the history of Captain Wilson," said
Mr.. Pitt to-day, "is that no one is able to
establish the death of the ancient mariner
The only guide we have to go by is a
rather suspicious entry in the death rec
ords OF Sonoma County, which sets forth
that one Captain William J. Williams
died at Santa Rosa, December 80, 1891.
"The romantic history of Wilson dates
as far back as 1S49, when he met and mar
ried his wife Jessie in New Haven, Conn.
He followed the sea for living and wear
later found him in California, having left
his young wife behind. Two years in the
mines enabled him to return with about
$4,000. The meeting between husband and
wife is said to have been pleasant, and he
urged her to accompany him west, but she
firmly refused to do so. He returned to
the coast alone and drifted into the Aus
tralian and New Zealand cattle trade, and
finally became wealthy.
He owned several ships and bought and
sold his own cargoes. While commanding
one of his own ships he carried as a
passenger lady named Mrs. Priscilla
Burch, a grass widow, and as a result
of the acquaintance formed at sea the two
became fast friends. During a hurricane
the couple without resorting to the formal
ity of divorce plighted their troth and
then lived as man and wife for twenty
years. When the cattle trade proved to be
no longer profitable the couple went into
the wheat-carrying trade between Europe
and San Francisco. At different times
they owned the ships Olivia Quits,
Monetti and Oregon.
''In 1870 they settle down and selected
Oakland as their home. About this time
couple of married sisters came to visit
him. One of them was Mrs. Heartwig.
now Of San Jose, who came from New
Haven, where the captains abandoned
wife resided. They beseeched him to send
for his wife, but he refused to do this, and
so they sent for her. When she discovered
the state of affairs she soon obtained a
divorce and $4,000. Captain Wilson then
repented OF his double love and SO he re-
courted his divorced wife and they re-
married.
AFTER a time Mrs. Wilson brought a
new suit for a division OF the community
property without divorce. The captain
was charged with nearly every crime in
the calendar, and spent much time either
in court or in Jail. Sixteen years were
spent in litigation and then the wife died
and had it not been for her attorney.
Fisher Ames, she would have been buried
in a pauper's grave. She left behind her O.
legacy in the shape of her attorneys fees,
which suit is still pending against Wilson.
This suit proved source of annoyance to
Wilson, and in order to evade it he fled.
and his property has been transferred so
often that its ownership is now doubtful.
Among his possessions were $50 lots in the
O'Neil & Haley Tract, South San Fran
cisco, three houses and six lots at West
Oakland, a fruit ranch in Sonoma Valley,
a house and lot in Petaluma and personal
property said to be worth 100000.
"On leaving Oakland he joined Mrs.
Priscilla Burch and resided for a time at
Santa Rosa. Wilson was rem arkably
well preserved man and the announce
ment of his death was a surprise. The de-
mise was not known till about wear ago.
when one Miller filed motion in the Su-
perior Court of Alameda County asking
for dismissal of the suit OF Wilson VS..