The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-23
WANT KINGS GOLD
WIDOW OF DAVID O'KEEFE SEEK
ING HIS TREASURE.
TRIP TO THE SOUTH SEA
WILL BE MADE BY HER BROTHER
AND A LAWYER.

Attorney Walter C. Hartridge Has
Necessary Papers Before Leaving
Tor Hong KOng-Win Leave for
the Far East With Lee p. Masters
Early Next Month - Savannahian
Who Was Monarch of the Island
of Zap Was Reputed to he Worth
MiIIiOns-SuppOsed to Have Met
Tragic Death in the Pacific Ocean
Months Ago
The first step towards ascertaining
the value of the possessions of David
O'Keefe of Savannah, known 20 fame
as the King of zap, and believed to
have met a watery grave months ago
somewhere on the China coast, is be-
ing taken. Walter c. Hartridge, Esq,
left yesterday morning for Washing
ton, D. c., to secure certain papers be-
fore departing for the former Savan-
nahian's kingdom in the South sea-
Early during the present month
Katherine O'Keefe applied in the Court
of Ordinary for temporary and perma-
nent letters of administration on the
estate of King OKeefe, who was her
husband. Temporary letters were
granted by Judge McAlpin, and the
first step towards claiming the king
dom of zap in the Pacific ocean was
taken by the Savannah O'Keefes. I'M
mediately after Mrs. O'Keefe became
reasonably certain that her husband
had met a tragic death she secured the
services of the firm of O'Connor,
O'Byrne G. Hartridge and steps were
at once taken to protect her rights.
Told by the Kings Secretary.
The news of her husbands death
reached Mrs. O'Keefe through the
Kings private secretary. There was
no absolute certainty about the tragic
end of the monarch who once lived
in this city, and it was only known
that he had left Hong Kong for zap
on one of his vessels and had never
been heard of again. 1t was presumed
by the secretary and King O'Keefe' $
subjects that the vessel had been lost
in the Pacific with all on aboard. Mrs.
O'Keefe had been receiving letters
from her husband regularly and lib
eral allowances accompanied them.
He had given her to understand that
he was wealthy and the sums of mon
ey that he sent her and their daugh-
ter. made it apparent that this was
true.
King O'Keefe was reputed to be
worth millions and his wife and
daughter determined to take steps to-
wards recovering the treasure made
by the Savannahian who located on
the little island in the South Sea. The
United States minister at Hong Kong
was instructed by the proper author
titles in Washington to protect the in
terest of the Savannah heirs of the
King of Yap. Since that time Shere
has been a great deal of correspond
ence and Mr.. Hartridge left yesterday
morning for the purpose of bringing
matters to a close in Washington. 1t
is expected that he will return with
the necessary papers early next week.
VIII Go to China.
During the first part of February,
probably on the 10th. the Savannah
lawyer and MIR. Lee p. Masters, Mrs.
O.Keefe's brother, will leave for China
and the isle of zap. They will then
ascertain just what King O'Keefe left
and will claim his possessions in the
name of the widow and daughter.
Attorney Hartridge and M Masters
will be absent for several I onths and
will not return to Savannah Until af-
fairs in the Far East have been
Strengthened out so far as the OKeefes
here are concerned. O'Keefe went to
the South Sea islands many years ago
and made a fortune. His life story
reads like one of the tales from the
Arabian Nights. He bought up small
kingdoms and principalities and ruled
his possessions like a veritable mon
arch.