Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-06-21
THUMBS PROVE
RIGHT TO WEALTH
SMITH TITLE TO PROPERTY
CLEARLY ESTABLISHED
PHYSICAL REGULARITY MARKED
MANY GENERATIONS
Singular, characteristics Have Ex-
hibited Themselves in Both the
Male and Female Branches
Of the Family

James M. Smith, who expects to es-
etablish his, claim to valuable piece
OF real estate in the center of Newark,
N. J.. by means of his jointless thumbs
and jointless great toes--hereditary
birth marks in his particular branch Of
the Smith family for more than ascen-
tury-and Mrs. Anna e. Eldridges his
sister, who also possesses an inherited
mark that she will use, If required 10
do so, in proof of her claim 10 tne
same property, were found last night by
"a Herald reporter at Mrs. Eidridge'
home at S05 West Eleventh street.
Mr.. Smith and his sister have peen
endeavoring to gain possession OF the
property in Newark for some years.
They are quite sure that they are tne
rightful' heirs to 1t, and In order that
they might not be embarrassed in their
efforts to gain control Of 1t by spuri-
GUS claims OF other members OF the
great Smith family the court proceed
ings and other Investigations have been
kept as secret as possible. Tne case
has now reached its climax, and Mr.
Smith and his sister are expecting daily
a telegram from their attorney in New
ark conveying the news that the prop
erty has been made over to them.
The peculiar feature Of the case will
be the identification of the brother and
sister, II such Identification shall be re-
quired, as the lineal descendants Of the
Smith who formerly owned the property
by M the peculiar birth marks that have
passed from father to son and from
mother to daughter for generation af-
| ter generation.
Whsn Mr.. Smith exhibited to the rep
resenfative Of The Herald his jointless
thumbs he. said: My fathers thumbs
were the same. and SO were his fathers.
MY great-grandfather who was col
bone in his thumbs where most people
have two. And his father, who fought
In the Revolution. was marked in the
same. way. es t-s
Neither did any Of them have joints
In, their great toes, any more than 1
have, / believe that the first Smith
who came to this country In the May
| flower was afflicted In the same way.
1t Is the one mark that distinguishes us
from all the other Smiths in the coun-
try
Then Mrs. .EIdridge admitted that she.
| too. possessed mark that Is inherited
| by the female branch OF the fam1ly,
| but whether 1t is a strawberry mark
| or some peculiar physical formation she
| would not state. IF I told what that
mark was she said wisely, there
might be some other Smith who
| might happen to have it and who
! would put in a claim for the property.
/ I do not think we will have to prove
| anything or identity ourselves by these
marks. In fact, the case Is well along
now and we are only waiting Tor WORD
| that the property, Is ours. Then we
! will 20 at once ard take possession. We
have ali the documents dating back for
| wears and our attorneys here and In
| Newark have been working 1t up for a
| Long time. We thought we could keep
| It secret zup. to the last moment. but
somehow 1t got out. But l cannot tell
Won the value of the property. for our
! lawyer has told us to say nothing
Mrs. Eldridge has lived IN Los An
| celes for seventeen years and Is Well
known here. Mr.. Smith came here two
| months ago. after visiting his two sons,
! who live In Latisburg, Wayne county,
! Ohio. He Is native Of Ashland. Ohio