The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-28
ON WARSHIP'S DECK
SAVANNAH LAWYER WILL MOVE
ON CAROLINE ISLANDS,
TO CLAIM KINGS FORTUNE.
O'xEEFE's WIDOW SEEKS TO RE-
COVER VAST ESTATE.

Attorney Walter c. Hartrfdge Has
Returned from Washington With
Letter Addressed to Commander
of Asiatic SquadrOn-VesseI Will
BE Placed at His Disposal and
Government VIII Assist Him in
Enforcing the Rights of His Gil
ents-Nidow and Daughter of the
King of zap EndeRvOring to Sc
cure Fortune in the South Sea.
Germany Claims Sovereignty over
Caroline Islands, but Savannahian
Raised United States Flag over
Three of the IsIets.
With letter addressed to the COM
mander of the Asiatic Squadron, in
which the commander is instructed to
place at the disposal of the bearer any
warship o. vessel of the fleet,
to proceed to the Caroline group
of islands to enforce the rights of GER
tain American citizens who are his
clients, Walter C. Hartridge, Esq, has
returned from Washington.
AS the legal representative of Kath-
crime O'Keefe, widow of David OKeefe,
the King of zap, and a Savannahian,
Mr.. Hartridge went to Washington
last week for the purpose of securing
passports, credentials and other docu-
ments before leaving for the islands
in the South Sea. He has returned
with the papers for which he went. He
was seen by a representative of the
Morning News yesterday morning, but
was extremely reticent about his plans.
viii Use Rarship.
Mr.. Hartridge admitted that his trip
to Washington had been a successful
one, and that he had been given let
ter to the commander of the United
States squadron, stationed in the Far
East. In this letter the naval COM
mander is instructed to place a war
vessel at the disposal of the lawyer,
ard convey him to the Caroline Islands,
where most of the valuable estate of
the former Savannahian is located.
The estate of the Savannah seafar-
ing man who went to the South Sea
poor, and who accumulated vast wealth,
is valued at a million and a half dol
lars. Some of his belongings are in
is in the Caroline Islands. Mr.. Hart
ridge will probably first go to Hong
Kong, and in the name of the widow
and daughter, will begin action there
to recover the property left by King
O'Keefe. He will then proceed to Ma
Mia and present his letter.
VIII Tackle zap.
On one of the vessels of the American
fleet, he will proceed to Yap, the chief
island of the group. The islands are
claimed by Germany and Mr.. Hart
ridge has a letter to the German con-
sui. setting forth his mission. He will,
at the same time, present proof of the
marriage of David O'Keefe, showing
that he was a citizen of the United
States, and that his widow and daugh-
ter in this city are entitled to his es-
tate.
There are no United States consuls In
the group of islands. and the claims
will be presented through the German
consul at zap. The rights of the heirs
in Savannah Will of course be question:
ed, and an effort to secure possession
of the estates of King O'Keefe will be
resisted. In this manner the Savannah
lawyer will probably have his hands
full in China and in the Carolines.
May Cause Trouble.
While Germany claims sovereignty
over the group King O'Keefe claimed
in his lifetime two or three islets and
over these raised the flag of the
United States. He wrote his family
of the incident and always claimed
the islands in the name of his govern
ment. All of these things tend to COM
phcate the situation and before the
matter ends the efforts of the Sa-
vannah O'Keefes to secure that which
they are rightfully entitled to may
in on extremity result in information
al complications.
The widow and daughter of the King
of Yap do not intend to sit still while
others conf1scate the fortune amassed
by him in the South Sea. The Sa-
vannah sailor who crossed the Pacific
and became a monarch never relin-
quished his claims as a citizen of the
United States and his government will
protect the rights of his widow and
daughter. This fact is shown by the
attitude of the officials who were seen
in Washington.
Goes Very Soon.
Mr.. Hartridge will not say when he
will leave for the Far East to begin his
fight for the fortune left by the Sa-
MAMMALIAN whose remarkable career,
first as sailor. and then as King.
brought him to the notice of the civil
lied world. His hazardous life and his
accumulation of wealth, carrying with
1t absolute sovereignty, among a peo-
pie who were cannibals when he went
into their midst. is familiar to the pub
lie and his experiences, recounted by
himself, make story stranger than
the strongest fiction.
1t is probable that the Savannah
lawyer will leave in a short time, most
likely within the next two weeks 1t
will be several months before he will
be able to accomplish anything and
then the last few months of the life of
the King of zap will be known from