The San Francisco call., 1908-09-21
MYSTERY CLOTHES
woMAN's IDENTITY

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woMAN'S IDENTITY
When, after Governor Budd's death.
the story was published that she was
an illegitimate child. one Of her near
friends rushed quickly 10 the rescue.
declaring that great injustice had
been done and explaining that she was
the daughter of a sister of Judge Jo-
seph Budd. the governors father That
such relationship did. as a matter OF
fact, exist. is not borne out by the
facts of Mrs. DumourieZ's history, as
they have become known in the last
few weeks, nor does the explanation
throw light upon the reasons for all the
conflicting stories that have been told
and the mystery with which her iden-
tity has ever been cloaked by the only
persons in a position to know exactly
who she was.
This is not the only controversy that
has arisen in the explanations given in
consequence of the property contro-
versy. Mrs. Dumouriez is undoubtedly
a woman OF considerable wealth. Not
only has she a beautiful villa facing
the Mediterranean on the Riviera, near
Nice but she has large interests in
Nevada mines; she is an extensive own
er Of San Francisco property; she has
d handsome home at Belmont; she
dresses magniflcently, and her trips be-
tween san FRANCISCO ana lCA
home are not made by train, but in
her own motor car. Does this wealth
consist OF a bequest from her parents,
or from either of her former husbands,
or does it consist principally of prop
erty given to her and purchased for her
by Governor Budd? That is a question
over which the attorneys representing
Mrs James H Budd and herself are
even now disputing. Mrs. i. NJ. Budd,
,< nd INSISTS tina
the bulk of Mrs. Dumouriezs property
was inherited from the latter's mother;
Mrs. James H Budd is as positive that
her husband presented Mrs. Dumouriez
with much OF the property; there is
positive proof that Mrs. Dumouriez re-
ceived some large sums Of money from
Clifton E. Mayne.
4 few months before Governor Budd's
death a property settlement between
himself ard Mrs. Dumouriez was ar
ranged, evidently with the idea of pre-
venting complications or exposures OF
any kind concerning their relations in
the event of the death of Governor
Budd on April is of this year two
deeds were drawn in favor OF Governor
Budd Both were grants One of the
deeds was made by Mrs. Dumouriez,
and conveyed a piece of property. in
Filbert street. west of Hyde. The other
Dumouriez, and conveyed to the gov
ernor lot in Oak street, east of Fill
more. The daughter witnessed the
mothers deed and the mother witnessed
that signed by her daughter. These
deeds were delivered TO Governor Budd,
but were not recorded prior to his
death. In the meantime Governor Budd
gave them to his wife.
SIGNS NEW DEED FOR SAME LAND
On July 80, the day of Governor
Budd's death. Mrs DumourieZ hurried
from Stockton to San Francisco and
signed a new deed. describing the piece
Of property in Filbert street which she
had already conveyed to Governor
Budd. bat transferring ii this time to
her daughter. Lena, for a stated con-
sideration of $40. and on the following
day. July 81, this deed was recorded.
On August Frank c. Drew, attorney
for Mrs. James H. Budd. discovered
the original deeds to Governor Budd
among the papers of the deceased and
recorded them on the same day Thus
the deed to the Filbert street property
which was drawn on April-1s did not
become OF record until after another
deed TO the same property, which was
drawn on July 80.
From this has arisen the conflict be-
tween Mrs. Dumouriez and Mrs. James
H. Budd, which threatens TO precipitate
a civil suit in the immediate future.
Each contestant claims a perfect title
10 the property in question. and each
has declared that she will defend her
right to the bitter end Mrs. l. VI. Budd.
brother OF the deceased and friend of
Mrs. Dumouriez. asserts that. despite the
existence of a'former deed. Mrs. Dumou-
riez is rightly entitled to the property
Her explanation is that the deeds Of
grant originally made by Mrs. Du-
mouriez and her daughter to Gov
ernor Budd constituted an outright
gift. but that after receiving them
Governor Budd decided he would
rather have cash than real estate.
and received $4,000 from Mrs Du-
mouriez upon q promise to destroy
the deed TO the Filbert street property
or else return IT. The deed was not
returned. she assumes. because of for
getfulness.
On the other hand. Mrs James H
Budd declares that her husband himself
placed the deeds in her possession a
short time prior TO his death, giving her
to understand that they We're entirely
valid. and she asks why, If Mrs. Du-
mouriez believed them to be destroyed
she waited until Governor Budd's death
and then within few hours drew and
filed a deed which on its face sets up
an adverse claim
Should the controversy over this
property be taken into the courts. as
seems inevitable from the stand taken
by the two women, each of whom as
seFts that she will not drop her claim.
the mystery that shrouds the history of
Mrs. Dumouriez must be cleared be-
fore the legal tangle can be straight
ened out Then, and only then, per-
haps, viii all the details of the
woman's romantic life and connections
be brought out in such a way as to
stand undisputed. For. even in the
face of the often reiterated assertions
of kinship existing between Governor
Budd and Mrs. Dumouriez, there has
never been given a single proof that
such kinship actually existed. The re-
lations between the two began, so far as
the history is known. on the day when
Mrs. Dumouriez went to Budd. then
! governor of California to plead with
him to-extend official leniency TO her
divorced husband. Clifton E Mayne.
who had shortly before been sentenced
TO 25 years in the penitentiary on a
criminal charge
MRS. DUM0URIEZ
BORN IN BOSTON
Mrs Dumouriez' maiden name was
Kate Zilla Shaw. though later in life
the first given name was dropped and
Daisy substituted for It. She was the
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. William
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