The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-04
ROMANCE TN THE
PROBATE CUORT
Mrs. Susan Scribner's Estate
Reveals a Strange
Story.
Dashing Elopement From York,
England, Fifty Y ears
Ago.
Richard Barnes Wife Game to Cali
fornia With Tom Hogan
in l849.

The spirit of romance continues to
haunt the precincts OF the Probate Court
and from time to time the odd expert
ences of some of the pioneers OF California
are brought to light through the legal
roceedings that are necessary in settling
up the estates of early settlers.
The latest illustration of this was pre-
sented in Judge Coffey's court yesterday
when the matter of the estate of Susan
Scribner, deceased, was called up for con-
slderation. In this affair considerable
difficulty was encountered by Attorney
Charles j. Heggerty, who was appointed
by the court to represent the absent and
unknown heirs.
When the will of Mrs. Scribner was filed
for probate the fact was developed that
she had never divulged to any of her &C
quaintances the history of her early Lille
and that in truth no one IN California
could give information on the events OF
her existence before she came to Califor-
nis in 1849. She was accompanied by
man named Thomas Hogan, who was
supposed to be her husband, and they
continued to live together as husband and
wife until his death. which occurred
several years ago, after which she married
John G. Scribner. During the greater
part of this time Mrs. Scri Dner resided in
San Andreas, Calaveras County, this
State, and by the thrift of herself and her
TWO husbands accum ulated snug little
estate, which at the time of her death
amounted 10 about $50, 900.
Scribner departed this life before his
wife, leaving no issue and she accordingly
inherited all his possessions. In her will
Mrs. Sclibner made number of requests
to relatives of her husband and to her own
personal friends. She also devised the
residue of her estate TO four persons whom
she designated as her nephews and nleces
She spoke of them as Elizabeth, George,
Jane and Samuel Barnes, Living near
Clifton, Y Yorkshire, England"
When Mr.. H-ggerty began to search for
the alleged nephews and nieces ne found
that no such relationship had ever e1-
listed between the deceased and any other
person, living or dead, but that the per
sons mentioned by the testatrix as her
nephews and nieces were in truth her own
sons and daughters.
Then by patient inquiry and resea rch
little by little the whole story of Mrs.
Scribners life was gathered up and
brought to view, the result being pre-
scented in the shape OF an official report to
The court
1t appears that in 1s45 Richard Barnes
couple in York, Eng. They had been
married only few years and it was sup
posed that they were happy, for four
charming children blessed their union.
After they had been married about ten
years Mrs. Barnes disappeared, and it was
told by her husband that he did not know
whittier she had gone. At any rate, he
made no attempt to get her back, and her
leaving was treated by him as q subject
not to be mentioned in his presence.
There was at the time some gossip to the
effect that dashlng young Irishman
named Tom Hogan had left town about
the same time That Mrs. Barnes took her
departure, and these tales were current
even within the memory of her eldest
daughter, but in Difference to their fathers
wishes the children did not attempt to
draw aside the veil which covered their
mothers name and memory. From the
day OF her departure until the lawyers
wrote to them to ascertain their relation
ship to Susan Scribner, a period of fifty
one years, these children never heard
WORD from their mother, and even in her
last will and testament she sought to hide
from them her identity by styling them
her nieces and nephews, instead of men,
tioning them in their rightful characters
as sons anddaughters.
Richard Barnes, the first husband of
Mrs. Scribner, died in 1856 and one
daughter and one son died before she did,
but of these facts she knew nothing, as she
| included all of them in her will. She evil
IDENTIFY did not know their true abodes, as
she gave their address as Clifton, whereas
they were scattered, and they and their
children live in differen mt parts of England.
When first communicated with the chill
dren of Mrs. Scribner replied that thew
had never heard of any such person and
were not able to trace any RELATIONSHIP
but by esta blishing the fact that their
mothers maiden name was Weatherill
and by recalling what some of their old
neighbors had whispered about her rela.
tons with Tom Hogan all was made clear,
and the parish record showing the mar.
riage OF Susan Weatherill and Richard
Barnes, followed by the birth certificates
of their children, the claimants now in
court supplied the necessary proof of heir
ship.
Inasmuch as the children of the tesla.
trix were not mentioned in the will they
were entitled to claim the whole estate,
but in order to obviate litigation and to
| respect the wishes of their mother the
greater part OF the legacies will be paid,
some slight deductions being made in or.
der to equalize the costs of the admins
| tration and to meet certain claims that
were presented by Eastern creditors.
dreas had been Mrs. Scribner's legal id.
wiser after her last husbands death, and
it was by this cans that he had learned
of her maiden name, q circumstance that
was OF value in tracing her relationship to
the true heirs.
The legatees in this City are the four
children of the late DR.. Jones, 1136 Guer-
zero street, who will receive $3.50 each.
The little son of DR.. John r. Dorroh OF
Angels Camp will receive $40.