The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-24
TO SECURE HALF
OF KINGS ESTATE
KING o'KEEFE'S LEGAL HEIRS
IN SAVANNAH GET HALF OF YAP
ESTATE, CABLES MIR. PARTRIDGE.

HartridEe VIII Now GO to Ger
many, to Close Up Estate-POsses-
sions in Caroline Islands Valued
mt More Than 100000 - King
O'Keefe's Savannah Daughter Heir
Under Hong Kong VIII.
The German courts have sustained
the contention of O'Connor, O'Byrne
& Hartridge regarding the will of
King O'Keefe and as a result one
half of the zap estate comes to the
widow and daughter of O'Keefe in
Savannah.
This announcement was made yes
terday morning in a cablegram from
Mr.. Walter c. Hartridge to Mr.. NJ. A.
O'Byrne. The caIblegram was sent
from Hong Kong From Hong Kong
Mr.. Hartridge will sail for Hamburg,
Germany. where the estate will be
wound up as far as the Savannah
heirs are concerned.
In Hamburg Mr.. Hartridge will con-
fer with the German Trading Com
pany, a concern operating trading
vessels to zap and interested in the
cocoanut trade, with a view of MAX
ing a disposition of the interest of
King OKeefe's Savannah wife and
daughter.
Difficulties Were Surmounted.
The success of the Savannah firm of
attorneys finally winds up a case that
has attracted the attention of the en-
tire country. In the course of the le-
gal fight the government itself took
a hand and arrangements were made
whereby Mr. Hartridge was taken to
the Island of zap on a warship.
The difficult circumstances against
which the Savannah attorneys had to
compete, involving the courts and
laws of England and Germany, the
romance which surrounded the history
of King O'Keefe of zap, and the long
fight which has at last ended in VIC
tory make the case one which will
go down as one Of the big cases in
its line.
English and German Law.
King O'Keefe of the Island OF zap,
shortly before his death. drew up
will in Hong Kong. BY the terms of
this will the American wife of the
rover was disinherited, and the entire
property of the zap monarch was to
have been divided between his Ameri-
can daughter, and the children of his
savage wife. Under the English law,
a testator has the right to disinherit
his legal heirs, and it appeared as
though Mrs. O'Keefe was to loose her
share in the estate.
Fortunately, however. the greater
part of King O'Keefe's possession were
in Yap and other islands of the Caro-
line group. These islands are under
German control, and under the Ger
man laws a testator cannot disinherit
his legal heirs to more than so per cent
of his estate. On this point the Savan-
nah attorneys began their fight for
portion of the Kingdom" for the Sa-
vannah heirs.
Hong Kong VIII Valid.
AS had been expected, the English
courts declared the Hong Kong will
valid. Mr.. Hartridge, representing
Mrs. O'Keefe and her daughter in Sa-
vannah then, in the German courts,
demanded that one-half of the estate
in zap be given to the Savannah heirs,
they being Mr.. O'Keefe's legal heirs.
The law diSallowing the disinherit-
ance of legal heirs to more than 80
per cent. was sustained by the German
courts, and one-half of the Caroline
Island estate goes to Mrs. O'Keefe and
her daughter.
The final steps toward winding this
up will be taken by Mr.. Hartridge at
Hamburg, after which he will return
to Savannah.
Amassing of the Estate.
The story of King oKeefe, once Da-
vid O'Keefe of Savannah, reads like
a tale from the Arabian Nights. A
poor man, he left Savannah, his wife,
Mrs. Katherine O'Keefe, and a daugh-
ter, now Mrs. Lula Butler, remaining
here until the husband and father had
made his fortune. In his search for
wealth O'Keefe drifted to the Caroline
Islands and here founded his king
dom.
BY careful dealings in cocoanuts,
the staple of the islands, he amassed
great wealth and gradually establish
ed a kingdom. The seat Of the king
dom was in the Island of zap, and
here King O'Keefe ruled with sway
as strong as that of the Gar OF Rus
STA. His wealth, through the gifts of
his half-savage subjects, was always
increasing.
Flrom time to time OKeefe sent
money to his wife in Savannah, but
never did ne evince any desire to re-
turn to his native city. Then the
word came that he had taken a wife
from among the islanders and that
of the illegitimate union six or seven
children had been born.
Disinherited Savannah Wife.
Later the word came that King
O'Keefe, together with two of his il
legitimate sons, had been drowned off
one of the Caroline Islands. Later
came the announcement that he had
made a will in Hong Kong, by the
terms of which his wife was disin-
herited, though the Savannah daughter
was renem bered.
Mrs. O'Keefe then began proceed
ings TO recover the estate. and asked
for letters of administration. Her
cause was placed in the hands OF
O'Connor, O'Byrne & Hartridee, and
the fight which has Just terminated
then began. Thanks to the German
law, Mrs. O'Keefe and her daughter
receive their half OF the zap estate.
and under the terms of the will which
the English courts have sustained. the
daughter will divide the Hong Kong
estate with the illegitimate children of
King O'Keefe.
The entire estate is valued at more
han S5OO,000. OF this, more than $3.50
700 is in zap and other islands of the
Caroline estate, thus insuring Mrs.
O'Keefe about 100000. The remand
sr Of the estate is in Hong Kong and
under British rule.
MIR. w. vi. BOHAN Is BETTER.
The friends of Mr. William NJ Ro