El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-05-20

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woman who brought admiral
lord Charles Beresford across
the sea to compromise with her after
the death of his brother, died at the
home which she had bought with the
money paid to her in compromise by
the British lord admiral.
The death of the famous negro wom-
an, who claimed &c 5e the common
law wife of lord De Laval BeresfOrd,
occurred at Az South Ochoa street,
late.
Lady Flo" was originally from New
Orleans and her real name was Flora
Wolfe. She is said to have nursed lOrl
BereSfOrd through a serious attack OF
fever on his ranch in Mexico ana
afterwards claimed that he was mar
ried to her, although she was never
able to prove that the marriage had
English nObleman, Lady Flo is said
to nave accepted a compromise OF $lU.-
600 from lord Charles BereSfOrd. the
little lord admiral of the British navy
who came to the southwest to settle
with her. She also owned a large
herd of cattle on the Ojitos or BereS-
ford ranch in northwestern Mexico,
which carried her personal brand
Little is known of her history She
had no relatives living here.
Owned -Four Lots.
Under date of May 10, 1913, deceased
left a will which is signed by herself.
with f. 3. Elfers and Katherine Harper
as witnesses, and which IS in the pos
session of George Estes She declares
that she is the owner Of lots and :,
in block 40. Campbell addition, FL
PasO, and lots 9 and 10 in block 20
NUeva Casas Grandes. Mexico
Leaves Clothes to Charity.
She requests that she be buried in
{ nd
Panchita ATmendariZ. and s. to Mrs.
Emma Hutchinson, of FL PasO, because
they were good to her To her god
child, Flora CaJarlna Davis, resident
of San Diego, Calf, she leaves her
crazy quilt and her other clothes she
leaves to Mrs. sam, wife of a Chinese
poor MeXicans of FL PasO. The rest and
residue of her estate she leaves to Joe
Wolfe, Clark Wolfe and Flora Catarina
Davis, the two former her second cOuS-
ms who, she says, reside IN Indiana
Left Hereford Cattle.
She is known TO have left several
hundred head of Hereford cattle NJ
Casas Grandes, where for years she
had made her home and is also SAID
TO have died possessed of some money,
OF which no mention is made in the
viii. BY the terms Of the viii, Manuel
+. Flores, of FL Paso, is named as
executor of the estate.
The viii is signed Flora J. Wolfe.
in the death certificate. She will be
buried Wednesday.
Lady Flo" was one of the well
known characters Of FL PasO and the
southwest prior to the death of lord De
Laval BeresfOrd six years ago. She
lived With'Uhe English nObleman at his I
OjitOs ranch in the Sierra Madre cOun- J
try and their visits to FL PaSO were 4
always marked by scenes of riOtOus /
festivities among her friends in the I
negro colony Of FL Paso- She called /
herself the wife OF the Enslishman and 4
claimed the title Of Lady Flo" She /
was spoken of as Lady Flo by her /
associates and she spent money freely. /
Charge it to de laWd" she would say
and lord Beresford always paid all her
Claims Common Law Wifeship.
Upon the death Of the lord. however, /
in the wreck of a train near Medicine /,
Hat. Canada, on which he was taking |
cattle TO market, Lady Flo" set up 4
claim to his estate on the ground that 4
she was his common law Vile Until
that time she had declared that they 4
were married. The Mexican law does |
not recognize common law marriages I
and the Texas laws do not permit the \
of a white man TO a negro I
woman. hence she had no legal grounds .
for protesting the viii, either in Texas
or Mexico. The Will was filed in FL
Paso and the negress filed notice Of
contest, however.
Settlement Is Made.
Meantime admiral lord Charles Beres-
ford of Great Britain. brother Of the
erratic deceased ranchman, came to FL
PasO with a retinUe Of servants and
attorneys and made a settlement Of
some sort. out of court. with the ne
gress by which she w thdreW her pro-
test at the probating Of the will and
permitted the estate to go to the family
Of the deceased. Since then she had
lived quietly in FL PasO and little had !
been hear dOf her
The viii had only allowed her $500
"as my faithful hOusekeeper" When
she set up the claim that she was his
common law wife. she attempted to I
claim half the estate.
The ranches and cattle OF the de-
ceased British lord were worth upwards
Of hundred thousand dollars.