The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-12
READS LIKE FICTION
STRANGE STORY OF "DR. THEo-
DoRE KEAT-TLE's" HEIRS.
TWO CLAIMANTS TO ESTATE.
AND ONE HAS CLAIM TO MILLIONS
IN AUSTRALIA.

Children Found of Punta GordR's
Strange Genius Who Lived Thirty
Years Man and Proved to BE n
Woman at Denth-A SON Discover
ed I'm Kentucky and "A GrnnddauGh-
ter I'm San Francisco, Each With a
Strange HistOry-The Latter Claims
10 BE Heir to "A Fortune of %25.-
CO0,CDC, Left by Her Father i'm
Australia.
Louisville. April 1.-THE Courier-Jour-
nal tomorrow will say;
Hugh II. Haviland of Greenville. KY.
claims to be oua of the heirs of fortune
left by "Dr. Theodore Keattle" another
Murray Hall"
Or Keattle" died at Punta Gorda,
Fla, in 1896. Then it was discovered that
the Doctor was a woman and that for
thirty years she had so masqueraded The
woman was a mother. Those who were
supposed to know. say that in 1858 a lit
tie boy was placed In the Protestant Epis-
copal Asylum at Louisville by "Dr. Keat-
tle,' then confessedy a woman known
as Kate Haviland. The boys name was
Hugh H. Haviland. He was later bound
out to farmer and finally rose to an in
dependent position at Greenville This is
the story of Hugh Havland. told by him
selm in a letter to the Courier Journal.
For nearly forty years he knew nothing
of his parents. Then came a letter from
New York lawyer, G. Tnrleton Goldth-
waite, l4l broadway, who wrote that
while searching for the heirs of "Dr.
Theodore Keattle." whom death revealed
to be a woman, he had found that In
1853 she, going by the name of Kate Hav-
Hand. had put Hugh Fl. Haviland in the
Protestant Episcopal Orphan Asylum at
Louisville. Hugh H. Haviand at Green
vile is regarded as that boy. That Kate
Haviland was "Dr. Keatte" was. it is
said. practically established by witnesses
in New York and Brooklyn.
Another Heir, Another Fortune.
But Hugh Haviland is heir to but half
the fortune. A girl who is expected to
divide 1t with him, Grace VI. Clark. ELL
oft Havilands niece, so Lawyer Goldth.
waite says. believes herself sole heiress to
lmpray Clark OF Australia, who died
worth $4,000 OO0
Hugh Haviland's little sister, Kate Hav.
| LANDS other child, according to lawyer
IgGo,dthwaite. was put by the mother with
foster parents. The girl grew up, married
Clark and went West with him. In 1871
they went to San Francisco and there a
! child was born Within two weeks the
delicate mother Kate Havilands daugh-
| ter, died. The baby was placed in the
hands of Mrs. Martha A. Griswold, super
| intendent of the Home for the Friendless,
by lmbray Clark. who sailed almost inn
mediately for Australia
Heir to S25,O0O,O0O.
Several years after Mrs. Griswold heard
of Clarks death and advertised for some-
one to adopt the little orphan girl The
| Elliotts responded and on Aug. q, 1878.
were granted papers of adoption by a
court in San Francisco. In 1897 the FL
| liotts learned that Imbray Clark had Ieft
fortune of $25,O00OOO to which there was
no heir, and began fight for their foster
| daughters rights. The estate is tied up
| In the English courts and though hun
dreds of claimants have come forward
none has been able to prove claims to the
| satisfaction OF the British authorities.
| Grace M. Clark Elliott had almost Civ
| en- up hope. when Lawyer Goldthwaite's
| letter came telling her she was heiress
| to the estate of her grandmother. the
| spurious "Dr. Keattle" of Punta Gorda.
| Now Miss Elliott expects to prove her
claim.