The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-10
MANY FRIENDS IN BUTTE
Contest Over the Estate of the
Late DR.. Defreye.
MRS. TOWLE THE LITIGANT
She Appears to Be the Only Heir to the
Estate-The Sole Living Relative
OF b Dead Man-Had No
Wife in Butte.

There is probability of a will contest
over h estate of DIR. Defreye, who
died near Vienna in July. leaving val
liable estates in San Francisco and
Spokane. DIR. Defreye lived in Butte
In the early SOS and enjoyed an extern
eive practice here as a specialist. He
was a conspicuous figure and was quite
popular. being pleasant of address and
always ready to enter into conversa-
ton on most any subject. He could
speak half a dozen languages, and with
this faculty made friends among the
many nationalities residing here. He
was more popular with the Germans.
however. and found among them some
Of his most confidential friends.
Recent reports from San Francisco
say that a Mrs. Towle of Monterey
county, California, has presented her
credentials for entrance To "a contest
for the Il In this connection IL
was also said that a rumor was abroad
that the doctor had a wife living in this
city. He had no wife as companion i'm
this city. and IL was his boast that he
could enjoy b~achelorhood at all times
and for time to come. He was never
known to keep the of women.
While not considered a woman hater."
the fact that he did not seek q ASSOC
ciate with them was frequently com
mented upon. IL Mrs. Towle Is a rela-
tive heir. she Is probably the only
one In this country to make such a
claim. The Examiner just at hand has
this 10 say in regard to the claim Of
Mrs. Towle:
IAN heir has hoap found 90. A. ~.
eate of the late DIR. Charles Defreye.
who died on a railroad train near Wen
ma July 4. leaving honey i'm a bank i'm
San Francisco and real estate and min
sing stocks in the Northwestern states.
Fol six weeks an unsuccessful search
has been made for a legal representa-
tive Of the deceased physician. the pub
lie administrator I'm the meantime petit
fioning for and obtaining special letters
of administration. Yesterday a Mrs.
q. s. Towle OF Monterey county pre-
scented herself as the sole heir of De-
freye. and through her attorneys. WILL
Jam A. Stuart n T. j. Lyons. she will
to-day petition for general letters Of
administration. Mrs. Towle claims she
1s the sole living relative of the dead
a being a first cousin on the ma
ternal side. She is in that case entitled
90 the entire estate. real and per-
sonal.
Many letters n dispatches Of in
quiry have been sent from Vienna dur
ing the past two months regarding the
surviving heirs Of the dead man. IL
was rumored that the doctor left a
wife residing in Butte. Mont. but she
has at least not not made her legal APP
pearance to claim a portion OF the es-
tate. Special letters OF administration
were granted Public Administrator
Freese on Sept. %. and at the hearing
set for tomorrow morning before
Judge Trout. general letters will have
been granted that official had not the
adverse claim OF Mrs. Towle been pre-
scented. IL has been learned that there
IL some 81. 900 deposited in a local bank
In the doctors name. and that valuable
stock in a number Of mining compa-
mics in Washington and Idaho are ac-
credited to DIR. Defreye as a stock
holder.
The peculiar circumstances OF the
death OF the physician were related in
n Examiner Of Sept. % in a dispatch
from Vienna A description OF the de-
reased was also given. which attracted
the attention Of Mrs. Towle. Born in
Germany. Defreye moved later TO Brit
fish Columbia. where he resided for
many years. About 10 wears ago he
visited the present claimant to his
property while she was living in San
Jose.
Agents have been searching in many
countries for relatives of Defreye. but
without success. and apparently Mrs.
Towle n the only living heir TO the es-
tate In the world. With all his travel
ing Il seems that he left no valuable