The San Francisco call., 1898-01-06
REPUDIATES . THE AGREEMENT Florence Blythe Hinckley Files a Surprising
 Document.
Says Inexperience Led Her to Sign Away a Tenth of Her
 Fathers Estate.
Alleges She lndorsed a Docunaen Held by Mrs. Byrne Without
 Knowing It's Contents.

There Is now on file in the County Clerks office legal instrument in the nature of an answer by Florence Blythe Hinckley. as codefendant in the actions of Henry J. Lang. Levi Ko- walsky, Henry Mohr, Samuel G. Mur- phy and Ida J. Phillips against Kate c. Byrne to recover sums of money alleged to have been advanced by them to Mrs. Byrne to be used in the prose cution of Florence Blythe Hinckley's claim to the estate of her father, Thomas H. Blythe. which practically amounts to a repudiation on the part of Mrs. Hinckley of the agreement held by Mrs. Byrne, and which she al- leges entities her to a 10 per cent in- terest of the estate lately recovered by Mrs. Hinckley. The filing of the paper, however. notwithstanding the serious ness of its wording, is not accepted lit- orally by those interested, as Florence Blythe Hinckley has agreed to pay Mrs. Byrne, in lieu of her efforts to re- gain for Florence her fathers estate, the snug sum of S2S0. .000. which is S120,- 900 short of Mrs. Byrnes original claim
 The agreement referred to Is one which was entered into at the begin
 
 Thomas H. Blythe. Mrs. Byrne, who as Mrs. James Crisp Perry was step grandmother of Florence Blythe Hinck- herfor an aggregate sum of about $780, of Florence made the agreement with her and on that paper became the cred itor Of the people who are now suing her in an aggregate sum of about $780, 900. Now that the estate of Thomas Blythe has been given Florence, it is alleged that Mrs. Byrne Is entitled to a share of the property, and in conse- Quence those who lent her their money and services are anxious to recover.
 In her answer filed yesterday Flor ence alleges that the agreement now held by Mrs. Byrne giving her a right to a tenth interest in the estate of Thomas H. Blythe was obtained in a manner not beyond reproach. Florence states that when she signed the agree ment on the 12th of March, 1892, she was young and inexperienced and as she had lived many years with the holder of the agreement she signed the instrument when 1t was pre- scented to her without reluctance. was presented to her for that purpose. Mrs. Hinckley also states that owing to her trust in Mrs. Byrne she did not even read the paper when it was pre- sented to her for her signature and in consequence repudiates 1t.
 In the original application for the honoring of the agreement, Mrs. Byrne asked for 10 per cent of the estate which she valued at s4.000,000. This amount was too large to suit Florence Blythe as she claims the estate Is only worth $2.s00. .000, and on her figures a compromise was reached. Florence Blythe Hinckley has agreed to live ur to the terms of the compromise and just what the effect of the legal repu-
 iiation of the agreement will be re- mains to be seen. The cases of the va rious claimants for a portion of Mrs Byrne's portion of the estate are now being heard by Judge Seawell and a decision on them Is expected in the near future.