The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-27
Butte Department..
THEY LAUGH AT IT
The California Claimant Does Not
Worry Anybody in Butte.
SHE'S MISTAKEN IN THE MAN
Her Husband Was One Abe Davis.
and Detectives Have Traced
His Pedigree and Know
no All About Him.
SHE'S MISTAKEN IN THE MAI

The California woman who claims to
be the surviving wife Of the late An
drew j. Davis, and demands the entire
estate for herself and two daughters,
will have a hard time establishing her
claim If what other claimants say is
true. Andrew ]. Davis, jr., was asked
by Standard reporter yesterday what
he thought of the California woman's
story. 1T is nothing but a blackmail-
ing scheme" he said. Mr.. Davis then
denied the statement made in San
Francisco that he had ever negotiated
with the woman for a settlement and
that she had been promised share in
the estate. II never wrote a letter to
the woman in my life," he said, and
no serious attention has ever been paid
to her ridiculous claims by me-"
1t is known, however that the par
ties to the late settlement, by which 1t
was arranged to divide the estate
among the John A. Davis people and
the Root contestants, have trump
card up their sleeve that will surprise
the California woman IL she should
ever obtain a standing in court. 1t was
stated to a Standard reporter yesterday
that as soon as the woman's story was
first heard Of the Root people and the
John A. Davis parties started to inves-
tigate the matter. They put detectives
on the case and a stack Of evidence has
been accumulated that, in the minds of
the Butte heirs, proves beyond doubt
that the California woman, to put IL
mildly is at least mistaken in her man.
The investigation developed the alleged
fact that the woman was, as she says,
married to a man named Davis in Ar
kansas in 1912; that they had two
daughters; that the husband left his
family and went to California; that he
neglected his wife and children and
that Mrs. Davis subsequently married
under the belief that her first husband
had been killed in California, which
afterwards proved untrue. Her story
regarding her subsequent career is not
disputed except in so far as she claims
that Andrew ]. Davis was the Davis
she had married in Arkansas. The fact
is, IL is claimed, that her husbands
name was Abe Davis and the Butte
heirs of the Davis estate have his ped
igree down pat" as one of them put IL
yesterday. From California his career
has been traced back to Texas, from
there to Arkansas, where he married
Huldah Queen, and from there back to
Tennessee, where he had lived a num-
Der of years before going to Arkansas.
In Tennessee the investigation was
stopped as sufficient evidence had been
obtained to establish the Righteousness
of the California woman's claims that
her husband and Andrew ]. Davis were
identical
The detectives found many facts that
are not made public but II is under
stood that a record of the Arkansas
marriage has been obtained and that
that itself proves the falsity of the Cal
ifornia woman's claim. Andrew j.
Davis, jr., states positively that Judge
Davis had never been In Arkansas in
all his life. and that proofs of that fact
are abundant. 1t is also argued that
II the alleged widow were sincere in her
belief that she was the wife of Andrew
]. Davis. she would not have postponed
fling her claim until the last minute
and that she would long ago have
come to Butte to establish her claim
properly.
Two more petitions were filed yester-
day for the revocation of the probate
of the alleged forged will. One was by
Calvin p. Davis of Sebastopol. Sonoma
county, Cal. n brother of the dead mil
lonaire. and the other by Harriet
Wood. of Springfield, Mass. a sister.
Both were ignored in the Root settle
ment. Their petitions are similar to the
ones filed in behalf of Elizabeth S. Bow
dom and Diana Davis except that they
are a little more full in the allegations
regarding the legatees named i'm the al
legged forged will. The will provided for
a lifetime interest for Caroline Bergett
and her two children, Pet Davis and
The petitions filed yesterday recite the
fact that Pet Davis has died and that
her husband, John Downward survives
her, and that Caroline Bergett has
since married a man named Smith and
that her present place of residence is
unknown. Citations were issued in both
cases and made returnable April T. The
attorneys in the two case are Esseltyn.
Ketcham and Stafford Of New York, and
c. p. Drennen Of Butte. who also APP
pear for Mrs. Bowdoin and Diana
Davis.
Thomas jefferson Davis. who has
been in Butte for a week or two, left
suddenly and Unexpectedly yesterday
afternoon for his home in Salt Creek
township, Iowa He had retained an
attorney and contemplated commenc-
ing some kind of an action in connec-
tion with the will case. but his sud
den departure puts an end 10 that.
What induced him to go is not known.
Attorney Hinckel of Iowa Is in the
city looking out for the interests of
Caroline Bergett Smith. who had a life
interest I'm the estate according 10
terms of the probated will. He also
represents the man Dial Downward, the
surviving husband of Pet Davis, VINO
thinks he should succeed 10 his wife's
interest. Whether or not Mr.. Hinckel
will take any action towards securing
Downward a share will probably be de
termined to-day when the entries close.
The other contest filed yesterday was
in behalf of Mrs. Elizabeth A. Smith
of san Francisco and is probably the
most important of all contests. The
particulars appear under a separate
heading in the Standard this morning.
1t Is evident that many OF the con-
testants are laboring under a misap-
pr.hension as 10 the real value OF the
estate. Andrew ]. Davis stated TO a
Standard reporter yesterday that the
total value would not exceed s.. 800 600.