Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-03-30
BOWS AT LAST
TO LAWS WILL
.LADY" BR00ME is FORCED TO
GIVE ACCOUNTING
ECCENTRIC SANTA BARBARIAN
REMOVED AS ExEcUTRlx.
Has Strange History-Served Hour
in Jail for contempt-Lost
$17,5oo Home Rather
Than Pay Tax
Especial to The Herald.l


SANTA BARBARA, March 20
Lady Frances Broome, who has been
called "the most eccentric woman In
the United States" was forced to bow
today to the laws she is said to have
bitterly fought for eighteen years. To-
day she was removed as executrix OF
an estate valued at $27O,OOO left by her
husband, who died in 1891.
For eighteen years Lady Broome
has fought against American law pro-
cedure and has constantly been IN
volved in litigation. Although defeated
in nearly all OF her suits, rather than
submit 10 the law, which she claimed
she. does not believe in, she has suffered
great financial sacrifices. she mas
shown bitter animosity to the Ameri-
can courts, it is said, and her freak
lawsuits have attracted attention all
over the United States, but in each
legal procedure she has figured as the
defendant.
An idea of her queer IDEAS and eccen-
tricities are shown by the fact that a
few years ago she refused to pay Dill
of $3.50, assessed on her property Tor
street improvements; and rather tnan
yield her point she allowed the house,
for which $17,500 has since been re-
fused, to be sold by the city to meet
the assessment.
During the litigation over this act
she became involved in dispute With
the contractor in charge of the work.
and was fined III court. She was sem
fenced to serve one hour in jail, which
she willingly did, rather than pay the
fine.
a few years later, to avoid paying
taxes levied on a house belonging to
her and valued at $4,000, she allowed
the place to be sold at sheriff's sale in
default of taxes, stating bravely she
did not believe in taxation.
During one of her legal battles she
stubbornly refused to pay. a nominal
sum for court reporters bill, and al
lowed a valuable carriage to be con-
fiscated and Sold
Such actions soon made her figure
of national note, and her sons and rel
atives vainly tried to convince her of
the. folly of her ways.
Hailed Into Court
AS a result she was hailed into court
today and removed as .executrix of her
husbands estate. Her oldest son,
Thornhill Broome, who petitioned the
court that she be compelled to give an
accounting of the estate, was made
special administrator in her stead.
For eighteen years she had succeeded
and the reason she gave for this action
was that she could find no one she
could trust, and refused to obey the
courts mandate to have an attorney
appointed who would give the required
accounting.
When the decision was announced to-
day that she had been removed as eX-
ecutrix, the proud spirit which has
kept her up so long gave way and she
collapsed in the court room and Wept
bitterly for several hours.
She diSliked to yield. 1t was the
blow to her spirit rather than IN the
fact that she was relinquishing her
hold on the valuable estate which made
her give way to tears.
The other heirs of the estate are Amy
and Montague Broome, who Joined in
the petition for her removal. The
Broome family is prominent IN the So
ciety circles of San Francisco and are
widely known in New York and Lon
don. Mrs. Broome is an English wo-
man and, it is said, a descendant of
a royal family.
The estate embraces $4,000 acres of
valuable property near Ventura and
estates in Buxton, England.
The son, Thornhill, who was APP
pointed special administrator, today
stated that his mother in one of her
vagaries had disinherited him and re-
fused to speak or communicate with
him.
Lady" Broome for many years has
made her home in Santa Barbara.