The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-20
THE DOUBLE
LIFE LED BY
MICHAEL GOSS
A Wife in Malta and
Another Here.
CHILDREN IN EACH PLACE
A CONTEST NOW ON FOR HIS
CALIFORNIA ESTATE.
Wife Number One Proposes to En-
force Her Rights-Goss Left
Quite Valuable
Property.
CHILDREN IN EACH PLACE
A CONTEST NOW ON FOR HIS
CALIFORNIA ESTATE.

Citation has just been issued concern
ing the administration Of the estate of
Michael Goss, deceased. Goss lived in
San Francisco for thirty years, during
which time he was engaged in the COM
mission business. He accumulated a
comfortable estate, Notwithstanding that
all these years he had been supporting
two families, one in San Francisco and
one in Malta Not till his death did
either family know Of the existence Of
the other.
Goss married Rosa Baldachino, a
wealthy widow of Malta, in 1851. Nine
years later he came to America, intending
when he had found a place to make a
home to return and brine out his wife
and three children. The civil war broke
out soon after his arrival and Goss en-
tered the navy and fought to the end Of
the war.
UP to this time Goss hau been known
by his proper name of Michael Caesar,
but on going to enlist, the recruiting of
ficer's knwledge of Maltese exceeded
promised on a name that both could
spell and Michael Caesar became Michael
Goss. He had, in this country, always
kept this Is. name AN while in Mata he was
Sar.
Goss was wounded at the capture Of
Fort Donelson and sent to New York to
recuperate. While there he became ac-
quainted with the woman who for thirty
three years has been his recognized wife
and is the mother Of his five children. At
the death of GosS she took out letters Of
administration on his estate.
Through her attorneys the Messrs.
Cormac, Donohoe baum, the Maltese
wife now asks to have the letters Of adj
ministration set aside and her attorneys
appointed instead She has waited year
after year in Malta and wondered why
here, and during his last illness wrote to
the British Consul, AIalta being under
the control Of Great Britain.
Inen LOT tne net nlsr tis sne o iear G nov
however, had been in San Francisco and
he says that Mrs. Goss of San Francisco
knew of the Maltese wife and knew
there had never been a divorce. Cuts
eppe, however, was not introduced as the
son, but as the nephew of Michael Goss.
Friends and this son from Malta
know what they talked of? They always
ese?" said Mrs. Goss No. yesterday.
Goss always sent a regular remittance
to the wife in Malta and seems to have
kept his own counsel leaving every one
in ignorance of his double life. He was
where he was employed as interpreter,
speaking well all the languages of the
Mediterranean countries.
The property at present Is about equally
divided between hfs estate and that in HIS
San francisco wifes name. As the
Malta n wife has the Prior tight h b she
bands name. The fight will be made
over that remaining in the name of the
American wife.
The contested property consists of two
houses at Is and 80 Hartford street. in one
of which the family has lived for years.
Three of the children were born there and
still live with their mother.
The youngest daughter, a girl Of 10, with
the dark eyes and straight black hair
of her Arab ancestors, refuses to believe
her father could have been so wicked"
and whether or not her mothers sur
prise is genuine. hers certainly is.