BYRNE'S LEGACY

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 38, 13 August 1921, Page 16

BYRNE'S LEGACY

ELUSIVE 20,000,000 DOLLARS

INVESTIGATIONS IN' AMERICA.

The romantic story of how David Kidd, who hawked tea and coffee around the suburbs of Sydney, came'into millions through his kindly interest in a wayward girl, the only daughter of a mining magnate, is revived by news of inquiries.now being conducted by New York • banking interests into the estate.

Kidd, who,> under the terms of the will, changed Iris name to David S. K. Byrne, is now a miaaion!lworker in Montreal, and he recently approached New York banking interests tor assistance in order to establish his claims. The New . York Herald explains that Byrne assesses the value of the estate at 20,000,000 dollars, which ha says ha intends to use to build rescue homes for girls. ■, Banking clients in Now York asked the law firm of Olcott, Bbnynge, M'Manus, and Ernst, of 170, Broadway, to-check up' the clergyman's expectations so that they might know whether to undertake to help him in collecting the assets of the estate, supposed to lie in many countries. Thtf result was a recommendation that the "matter ■is too uncertain to warrant any action on their part." . The investigators, as far as they have gone, have not located,the rich oil and timber lands, stocks, and other properties which-are the bulk of Mr. Byrne's reputed inheritance. They have seen a paper indicating the existence of a small property in or near Pittsburgh. They have been unable td obtain a clear mental .picture of Wellington G. Byrne, the minister's benefactor, or to ascertain the sources of this obscure millionaire's large estate.

Mr. Byrne's story, in brief, is that he retrieved Lucy Lillian Byrne from a sorry" life in' Chicago in 1907; -that her father, Wellington G. Byrne, some time of Pittsburgh, inndol him an heir and executor on condition that he changed his name from David S. Kicld to David S. K. Byrne, which was done; that Lucy Byrne ■died in 1903; that her father died later in the same year while going to or from Australia, where he had once lived; that the two other, surviving heirs and executors, Wellington Byrne's widow and son, vanished in 1914, pfter leaving Australia bound for Europe by way:of the United States, and are believed to have been lost ; in the sinking of the steamship Empress oi Ireland on 29th May of that year.

MISSIONS'-IN MONTREAL.^ Inquiry in Montreal brings "this infor•mation: David &. K. Byrne, known to his friends as Davey Byrne, first visited Montreal newspaper offices ten or a dozen years ago with documents which, he said, proved his right to a large fortune left by a millionaire of the name of Byrne, whose name he had taken. The newspapers printed his dramatic, heart interest narrative of the redemption of the girl in Chicago and the unexpected reward. At the time, Mi-. Byrne intimated the ■value of the estate at 12,000,000 dollars. Legal impediments, ha said, had been placed in his way by interested persons, and certain essential papers were missing. Saying that he must make a .trip to Australia in connection with the legacy, he disappeared from Montreal for a few years. When lie returned, he opened a mission in the north encTof the oity. One day Mr. Byrne was dragged from his pulpit by detectives, who charged him. with having given a cheque for which there was no money. This proved to bo" an error on the part of; the bank, and ho was honourably discharged. Although ho is slight of body and lame, he fought tha detectives and bit one'of them severely. His supporters were in'.iernant. He resumed his mission work with larger audiences than ever,, continuing it until hi» departure for New York, where he and Mrs. Byrne took rooms at the Claridge. ; COPY OF WILL, i Terence J. M'Manus, tha New York lawyer, says: •■: ; "The Rev. D. S. X, Byrne wished to have our clients' banking interests help him in collecting assets represented as being distributed all over the world. He said that Wellington G. Byrne, whose last' residence was in Florida, left him substantial property. Our clients and myself met him. Ho showed us a number of documents, many of which related to his change of name from David S. Kidd to David S. K. Byrne. • "He showed us also what purported to be a certified copy of a will and codicils. The will, according to the certified copy is dated 26th June, 1908; the first codicil 28th June. 1908, and the second codicil, Icaying the daughter's share to D. S. K. Byrne; 15th August, 1908. There is also' a certificate signed F. P.' Ross and dated 10th March, 1913; giving a statement" of the value of assets as 9,100,000 dollars. \Of, .these 4)500,000 dollars were in Argentina, and Southern States of America, 2.500,000 . dollars in Brazil and Mexico, 1,500,000 collars in. Australia, and 6,000,000 dollars in Spain. ./.■ \ "PAPERS ALL ON FILE." Mr. Byrne, when a reporter telephoned to him at the Claridge, said: — "Everything I have said is true. I know what. I am about." The papers are all.on file and the matter has gone clear up to the Supreme Court, and I had a long talk with the late Chief Justice White about it. The trouble with\ the banks is they want to fix things so they'll get the property, and I won't let them." "Where is the'original will? ' he was asked, •.'.'.■ "It's filed in Florida." "But it >s reported that the document filed is a certified copy." Mr. Byrne • repeated that everything was filed. Then speaking of; the original will and the curiosity displayed as to its 'whereabouts, ho added, "There are some things I wouldn't let anybody Bee." It was not-at all strange, he said, "that the investigator had found no W G. Byrne property in Hamilton County, Fla., for there was none there, and he had never said there was. He explained that although W G. Byrne had some property in Florida in other, counties than Hamilton, he was not 'really a resident of that State,'but was bo rated for testamentary purposes because White Springs was the place of his last domicile. The Rev Mr. Byrne knew that both the man and the . estate did exist. Otherwise he did not care to discuss the matter, he said.