Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-07-10
JACK LONDONS
HEIRS READJUSI
Terms OF WILL
Widow willingly Makes Liberal
Concessions to Former
Wife and Children

SAN FRANCISCO, June 29.-Ths
heirs OF the late Jack London viii
not abide by the terms Of the author
| will Following many conferences be
tween lawyers representing the wild
ow, Mrs. Charmion London. on one
side, and Mrs Bessie NJ. London. the
| authors first wife on the other, an
agreement has been reached by which
the Misses Joan and Bess London
daughters Of the author and Mrs. Bes
sic London, will receive a much lars
er sum than the SIS month allowed
each by their father. The widow
| has also made concessions to Mrs
Bessie London, which in effect, al
null an agreement made between Mrs
bessie London and the author rela
tive to the first wife's property rights
While Mrs. Bessie London an
Hounced at the time Of Jack London I
death in November of last year thai
| she would not insist on greater rec
| ognition than was accorded her in his
will, consideration for the future wei
| fare and education of the two girls
according to her statement, impellec
l IlSI " occh ACdOJNoGAAOhS VI IA
terms of the will.
The daughters will receive a faI
more generous share of the estate
and, together with their mother, will
participate in revenues to be derived
from authors rights, moving picture
productions and royalties from fifty
two books, while the widow, Mrs
Charmion London, will retain intact
the London ranch in the Valley oil
the Moon" near Glen Ellen.
While London made these provi
sions, he indicated that further as
sistance from his estate could be had
by the former Mrs. London and their
daughters, in the following agree
ment:
That any additional help they may
obtain shall not be from my estate
but from my present wife, Charmton
K. London. To her they must be be
holden for anything additional.
This document, which has now been
supplemented by q new agreement,
provided that If the widow married
the entire estate remained hers, with
the exception of $4,000, which she
would be obliged to pay into the in
surance fund for their daughters.
London's will, disposing OF his en-
tire estate, was dated May "a, 1911,
and was filed for probate December
LIST of last year by his sister, Mrs.
Eliza Shepard, and William L. Grow
ell, who were named executors. Un-
der its terms the two daughters by
his first marriage were left insurance
and $25 a month as long as they re-
NAMED single. Mrs. Bessie London,
the divorced wife, was left but S. and
the use Of q house ct $40 ThirtY-first
street, Oakland. TT. y. ~
London Gave Former Wife
Little In VIII T.. --.-5-..
1.-THE will" said Mrs. London, was
made, l believe, while JAG. was in 4
passion of anger that soon passed off
He was very quick tempered and just
as quick to forgive. The will was
drawn five years before his death and
at a time he learned that he could
not have the custody Of the children.
However, that does not mean that he
did not visit them often. l. feel Ger
tain that If he knew the old will ex
listed and felt his, end was so near, he
would have provided more generously
for his children In new viii" r
Three months before Jack London
died he made new contract with his
former wife In regard to money pay
ments for the support Of herself and
children. Until that time he had been
providing for them under the terms Of
- 49, 81 rao aid
According to the attorneys for Mrs
Bessie London, the one thing that hak
delayed the final settlement Of the dit
ferences between Mrs. Bessie London.
her children, and Mrs. Charmion Lon.
don, was these two contracts. The
last contract provided for q more
generous allowance for the family
than the first, which was entered In
at a time when his income was not
so large. Although Mrs. Bessie Lon.
don had been paid under the new
contract for a period of two months
before Jack London's death, the con-
tract was in his possession, not hav-
ing been delivered to her, But the
slight kink has been Strengthened and
the former wife is to be paid under
the terms of the last agreement. The
complete settlement will be made as
soon as Executor Growell returns
from a trip to the Yosemite valley.
In discussing the settlement, Mrs.
Bessie London said that the widow
had been very considerable, offering
to make other provisions than those
the will called for shortly after her
husbands death. Mrs. London said