The Washington times., 1921-05-22
WIFE SLAYER
HEIR TO. TITLE
Prison Walls Keep Doctor Who
Killed DanvilIe, Va. Woman
From Great Wealth.
DESCENDANT OF RALEIGH
Castle in England, Large Estate
and $5, 1000 Await His
Possible Pardon.

TU0OtUtC al uUtts
CHARLESTOwN. Mass. May 21
Grim steel bars and chill, clammy
walls prevent q once-respectsd Bos-
ton physician from inheriting .
lordly English title, 4 castle and
$4,000 acres and one-fourth Of $20.-
100000.
Dr.. Walter Raleigh Amesbury. IN
earcerated for life at Charlestown on
January IL. 1909. for shooting to
death his wife in Hyde Park on
Christmas Day. 1907. is heir to the
vast Devonshire estate left in chan
cery by the death Of Edward Raleigh.
who had no children.
VICTIM COLLEGE TEACHER
Mrs. Anna Waiter Amesbury. the
victim OF the yuletide tragedy.
formerly was an Instructor in sing
inR At Roanoke College. Danviile, Va.
i, she had been separated from her hus-
hand for several months and had come
to the home of her mother, mrs.
Jennie Rees, to spend the holiday. Dr.
Amesbury pleaded with her to return
20 him, but she said 1t would be In
possible until the end Of the college
year At least. Then followed the
fatal shot, witnessed by the two sons
Walter Raleigh, jr., and Ira Raleigh
then twenty and seventeen years oic-
and by Mrs Rees. DR.. Amespury
claimed the shooting was an accident
though he pleaded guilty to second
degree murder.
DR.. Amesbury claims direct descent
from Sir Walter Raleigh, the petted
fAvorite Of the -virgin Queen" Eliza
beth. who conferred on him MS
kniehthood and this estate
HOPES OF PARDON.
He IL the oldest of three surviving
brothers in q family Of seven. Under
the English law of entailed property
the frst-born would como into the
title and his share Of the fortune.
But under that same rigid law he Is
dead to the world as \ convicted
felon.
That his life sentence would some
day be comnuted because OF certain
extenuating circumstances has been
predicted freely since the doctor went
who witnessed their mothers tragic
fate has been An insurmountable OBJ
stacle. More than q decade of years
il said to have softened the feelings
OF tho boys, now men. and 1t is highly
probable that . movement may be
made in the near future for Dr.. Ames-
turys release. He Is now about six
ty-two years old
HIS BROTHER TALKS
Or. Ivon c. Raleigh Amesbury, his
brother, is now awaiting official re-
rcrt from solicitors in England re-
ssrding the settlement of the estate.
Even were the life prisoner to con-
tinue legally deceased. the Dorchester
physician would not inherit the title
in an entailed estate, for second
oldest brother lives In India.
II have not yet heard officially
from England" said DR.. I. C. r. Ames-
bury, but from a patient of mine l
learned that the newspapers carried
accounts of the death in a hospital OF
Edward Raleigh, our relative who
had charge of the estate In Devon
shire, and who received an annuity
until such time as the rightful divi-
sion was decided on.
ssrhese reports said the estate
would fall among four heirs. AS
there are four of us Amesbury chill
dren next in line, the evidence would
point to a settlement soon. Legal
proceedings are slow, but / may re-
ceiye a communication any day.
saThe property has been held In
chancery, and therefore would revert
to the crown unless something is done
within a specified time. so the solicit
tors must move for a settlement of
the accounts.
81 am naturally curious. and have
written to my uncle, our mothers
brother, who Is a noted attorney and
swho has acted for the family. His
answer should be here soon.
"We have given ourselves little
concern about affairs in the old coun-
try for years, and i cannot say posi-
lively that the estate is entailed. but
my impression is that the Devonshire
estate, including Boom Hill castle and
its 167, 900 acres, will go to the oldest
male heir. My brother, Wheaton Ly-
peatt Raleigh Amesbury, retired
army colonel in India, is sixteen
months my senior, and would under
present circumstances take the title.
which, by the way. is not lord but sir
simple knighthood, exactly as was
given to Sir Walter Raleigh"
DR.. Amesbury naturally is reticent
about discussing the case Of Ills
brother Walter. He admitted, how
ever. that there is some hop. of
rardon, and that in such an event the
estate would be Walters, regardless
of tho accrued money. The Raleigh
acres can, therefore, be inherited by
colonel Amesbury only with a pro-
visional clause in favor of the old
est son II freed.
My life Is a closed book" was DIR.
w. r. Amesbury's last word to a re-
porter in January, 1909, as he jour
mayed from Dedham. where he had
that day pleaded guilty Of second de-
gree murder. to Charlestown.