The San Francisco call., 1910-05-25
Will OF BENSON
FAVORS Wife NO. 2
Estate of Dead Land Grabber
Said to Consist Mostly OF
Unpaid Debts
Mrs. Grace V. Benson Preparing
to Fight to Prove Validity
OF Her Marriage

! The will of John A. Benson. the de
| ceased land grabber, was filed for pro
bate in the superior court yesterday. b.
Attorney Alexander Heynemann, repre-
sentlng Mrs. Grace v. Benson, know
as Benson's wife No. 2. Heynemanl
said that Mrs. Benson No. is pre-
| pared TO tight to prove the validity o
her marriage
There is nothing to fight for bu
the NAME" said Heynemann. for ther
! are no assets in the estate. and ther
are debts enough to sink g. ship. w
can prove that Benson was divorce,
by his first wife, and I have the certi
ned copy of the decree, but I can no
| say when and where the decree wa
| granted. That will all come out"
The will was a typewriter document
signed by Benson and witnessed by A
Heynemann, Benson's attorney. and M
1. Symington, Heynemann's secretary
IL was dated September IA, 1908.
MADE WILL IN 1908
| In full it is as follows:
l. John A. Benson, being at pres
ent about sixty-two years of age
and of sound and disposing mind
and memory and not acting under
any undue influence or duress, do
make, publish and declare this to
| be my last will and testament.
hereby revoking all other wills by
me made.
First: 1 was married to Mary E.
| Benson in the year 1868 and ten
| years later she obtained a divorce
from me. At that time and since
| | have made ample provision for
her and have settled in full with
her reiatlve to all properties which
were owned jointly by us in Contra
costa county, state of California,
but, nevertheless, as q token of re-
/ spect, / direct that my executrix
hereinafter named pay to the said
| the sum of five hundred dollars.
Second: I give and bequeath to
my son. Ernest A. Benson, as he is
! already amply provided for, the
| sum of two hundred and fifty dol
| lars.
Third: All the rest and residue
OF my estate of whatsoever kind,
name and nature, and wheresoever
situate, lying and being, I give and
bequeath to Grace V. Benson.
Fourth: 1 appoint Grace v. Ben
son the executrix of this my last
will and testament, without bonds.
In witness whereof, I have here
unto set my hand and seal this
| fourteenth day of September. 1908.
rhs aseap forsso;ns John l. A l.n5 BENSON MS N
sisting of one. page besides this,
was at the date thereof signed,
sealed and acknowledged by the
said John A. Benson to be his last
will and testament in our presence
and we at his request and in his
presence and in the presence of
each other subscribed our names
as witnesses thereto.
A. HEYNEMANN, residing at 250S
Fillmore ST., San Francisco, Cal
NJ. T. SYMINGTON, residing at SEA
Tiffany Ave-, San Francisco, Cal.
AN, ESTATE OF DEBTS
The heirs at law are stated to be TIL
following: Grace V. Benson of Sa,
Francisco, widow; Ernest A. Benson o
San Francisco. son; W. F. Benson O
Alamo, Contra Costa county, brother
Rosalie NJ. Hardy of Ontario, San Ber
nardino county, sister.
up to date said Heynemann, moth
ing has been found of the estate bu
debts. We have already counted u
$4,000
John A. Benson died on May s las
after a career of evading Justice. Fo
% years the federal government wa
on his trail on charges of land fraud
and at the end he served a sentenc
in Jail for conspiracy committed wit
DR.. Edward Perrin. Shortly after Ben
sons death his son, DIR. Ernest A. Ben
son, caused a sensation by saying tha
his father had never been divorced fror
Mary E. Benson, Doctor Benson
mother. 1t was known, however, tina
in 1903 Benson had married the di
vorced wife of Swiftwater Bill, TIL
Alaska miner, in Markleeville, Alpin
county.