The times., 1898-08-17
THE bEA[L W|L[. MYSTERY.
Mrs. Brown Thinks Her Daugh-
ter's Claim Is Valid.
NO LEGAL STEPS YET TAKEN
Mother of the Young Heiress Talks
Freely of Her Daughters Devo-
ton to the Dead bookseller, and
Is Surprised That His Relatives
Should Contest the VIII fss%o

The disappointed relatives of the late
steps to recover the fortune so strangely
bequeathed to Miss May S. Brown.
Mrs. L. G. Brown the fortunate girls
mother, was quite willing to talk freely
of the affair when seen by reporter for
The Times yesterday
In a dignified way she expressed her
surprise that Mr.. Bealls relatives should
undertake to contest his WILL since they
all knew years ago, she said, that it was
not his intention to divide his estate be-
tween them. Her daughters claims, she
said, are so well founded that in her
opinion they cannot be set aside.
She bases this belief upon the fact that
Mr.. Beall made a will four or five years
ago, the terms of which were very SINH
lar TO those embodied in his last docu-
ment, the only difference being that the
first will provided that, In the event of
her daughter dying without issue, the
estate should go to a childrens hospital
in this city. This will. Mrs. Brown says,
is still in existence, and is in the posses
sion of Executor Mcdonald.
Referring to the subject of the friend
ship which existed between her daughter
and Mr. Beall Mrs. Brown could not
call it remarkable. 1t began, she said,
on the occasion of their first meeting at
the Baltimore and Potomac Depot, when
Miss Brown was but four years OF age
Her husband, Mr.. William P. Brown, of
Greencastle Ind, had, she said, shortly
before this event been appointed United
States consul 10 Nicaragua by President
Arthur. while she and her baby daugh-
ter were visiting her father and mother.
Prof. and Mrs. p de Janon, at West Point
Military Academy.
Mr.. Beall and her husband, Mrs.
Brown said had previously become very
intimate and when the former knew that
the latter was going to the depot 10
meet his wife and child, he asked TO ac-
company him.
Subsequently, Mrs Brown states, a
deep affection sprung up between Mr..
Beal and the child, who showed great
fondness for him on their first meeting.
The devotion of the youngster for Mr.
Beau. whom she always called Uncle
Robert" Mrs Brown said grew more
and more as the daughter advanced in
welfare This attachment, Mrs Brown
said. continued until the girl became very
i'll. some years ago, when at the request
of Mr. Beall he was made her guardian.
Her daughters deep regard for Mr..
Bean, Mrs. Brown further said was
shown in many ways. but never so clear
ly as in his last illness. When he de-
cided TO go 10 Providence Hospital and
even before then he was her daily care.
During his stay at the hospital she often
spent the entire day there. Mrs. Brown
said that on one of her daughters visits
TO the hospital she was accompanied by
Mrs. Indiana Foster. Mr.. BeaiFs sister
and ne refused positively to see her. The
daughter, Mrs. Brown said, appealed TO
him 10 see his sister, but he was inexora-
BILE
Mrs. Brown said that she was well
aware of the fact that Mr.. Beall sent
monthly allowance 10 his sister, Mrs
Foster. and she had no doubt that her
daughter would continue 10 do the same,
B. II. Mcdonald, the executor of the
Beall estate left the city yesterday morn
ing and will not return for some weeks
In the meantime, Mrs. Brown says, moth
ing viii be done in reference TO the set
tlement of the estate. Ii was said yes
terday by one of the attorneys who mas
been employed to contest the will that
every effort will be made 10 show that
Beall to leave his estate to Miss Brown.