The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-01-03
THE COLUMBIAN.
BLOOMSBURG, PA.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1907.
NEGRESS VS.. ADMIRAL.
Says She Was Ranchman Beresford's
Wife and Claims Estate.

An American negress of low
birth will contest with the Lord
Admiral of the British Navy for
the vast estate left by Ranchman S.
Deleval Beresford, who was killed
in the 500 Railroad wreck last
week. Flora Wolff, the negress to
whom the dead man left $40, 900,
declares she was his wife. and will
fight for a widows rights to the
property. By the will all the prop
erty except the $40, 900 to the ne
gress goes to two brothers in Eng
land, Lord Admiral Charles Beres.
ford and the Marquis Beresford but
the negress says she intends to
make fight for it all.
"By the laws of Mexico | am
recognized as Beresford's wife, and
I mean to have his estate. | have
lived with him for IS years and
was always recognized as his wife, "
said she. 81 often came to FL Paso
or went to Chihuahua and bought
goods and had them charged to
Beresford, and he always paid the
bills. He told the merchants in
FL Paso that / was his wife, and he
told other people, too. We were
never married, but everybody in
Mexico and FL Paso recognized me
as Mrs. Beresford, or Lady Beres-
ford, and can bring hundreds of
witnesses to prove it. In Mexico
as we'll as Texas it is only necessa-
ry for a man to live with woman
and introduce her as his wife for
the law to consider her as such
"The story about nursing Beres-
ford through an attack Of yellow
fever and his declaration that l
should never want for anything is
made OF whole cloth, and was told
by his friends as an excuse for him
living with me. Beresford met me
in Chihuahua, Mexico, 25 years
ago, when l was working in the
family of the United States Consul,
and he took a liking to me and fell
in love with me. He was then
young, only % years of age, and
had little money. We lived togeth-
er ever since, and / went with h i'm
TO his first ranch, and have seen
hin accumulate all he had when he
died.
"Beresford had often promised
that he would marry me, but he
often said there was no use having
A wedding, as the world recognized
us as married. He told me he had
eft will OF that he would make
will, leaving all his estate to me.
He told me this not long ago, and
believe there is later one than the
one found in the bank appointing
nis brother executor and only leav-
ing 1000 pounds to me-"
The woman says she was never
in New Orleans where Beresford' S
riends said she met him, while he
nad fever, but that she came here
rom Chicago, stopping over in
Kansas. She is now 40 years old,
ont is still fairly good looking
elbow woman. The woman says
er husband" was worth 81 ,ooo,-
100 if he was worth a cent, and
hat he held some valuable British
took in addition to his Canadian,
Mexican and Texas ranches. She
'ays there were FIVE of the Beresford
Dys at one time. but three of them
including Delavel, are now dead,
he Lord Admiral and the Marquis
'eresford being the sole survivors
Oelavel was younger than either of
:he surviving brothers and would
lot have come under the title of
ord unless both had remained
:hildless, although his associates
n Ell Paso referred to him as
Lord" Beresford, and to the ne
sress as "Lady" Flo.