Alexander Burrows made his will out in San Francisco on April 1, 1903. It read....."I devise all my property to Vere Burrows my daughter at Grass Valley, Calif. and her two minor sisters, to the exclusion of her sister Maud and her three brothers. I appoint J. F. Riley of S.F. executor to serve without bonds." At the time he made his will out Vere was 20 years old and not yet married, Gwendolyn was 13 years old and Gladys was 10 years old. I find it interesting that he did not mention Wanda, who was 17 years old. She would not marry until 1905. All the girls lived at home on Townsend street with Elizabeth Jane Burrows. Maud was married and living in Los Angeles. He excluded his three sons, who would have been Don, Roy and his son Herbert living at the Napa State Hospital.
From the Daily Morning Union, August 5th, 1904...The late A. Burrows left a will which disinherited part of his family. The will dated April 1, 1903, was filed for probate Aug. 4, 1904, leaves his entire estate to three of his daughters; cutting off two other daughters and three sons. Burrows committed suicide a week ago leaving much property to be divided among his children. In the instrument which is in the handwriting of the testator, all the real and personal property to be given to daughter Vere, who is now Mrs. Hansen and her two infant sisters, Gwendolyn and Gladys. It specifically provided that his other daughters, Mrs. Maude Morrill of Los Angeles , Miss Wanda Burrows of Grass Valley, and his sons Don F. Burrows of 1111 H St. Sacramento, Herbert S. Burrows of Napa, and Roy A. Burrows of GV shall have no part of this property. It is expected that the exclusion of his other children will lead to a contest.
The newspaper article mentioned Wanda, so there may have been a transcription error on the part of the Clerk of J.F. Riley. It also mentions Herbert by name. By 1917 Herbert would not know where his nearest relative was located, as noted on his WWI Draft Registration Card.
I do not have any evidence that anyone contested the will. I wonder what his thought processes were in making the decisions he did. He had already given his property to Elizabeth Jane after the divorce, but to exclude one daughter who was still a minor and an institutionalized son from sharing in his estate is not quite rational. His other two sons were well on their way to starting their careers and families, and may have not needed the benefit from his estate. Maybe Vere, Gwendolyn and Gladys were his favorites. We will never know.
Excerpts from The Daily Morning Union, Grass Valley, July 27, 1904 give more details on the last days of Alexander Burrows. It says that ...."about a year ago (1903) he left this city to accept the editorship of The Pacific Coast Miner. When that journal gave up its San Francisco office, he lost his position. Then he took up the practice of law at Etna Mills (in Siskiyou County, Ca.) but left there on July 1st weary of life, unsuccessful and broken down, no light gleaming ahead in the darkness. Worst of all, he was without friends."
Excerpts from The Daily Morning Union, Grass Valley and Nevada City, Cal. July 28, 1904
BURROWS' WISH FOR CREMATION.....While not known for a certainty, Burrows, whose suicide in San Francisco Monday night startled a host of old acquaintances in this city, were cremated yesterday afternoon in the Odd Fellow's Cemetery. Some time ago he wrote to John Mulroy of this city, expressing the wish that in case of death his body was to be cremated......In a recent letter to Mulroy Burrows stated that he had a flattering offer to go to Tonopah and form a new partnership with an Eastern man. He had been assured of over $2,500 a year, he wrote, and seemed highly pleased with the turn affairs had taken...... That the thought of suicide had haunted him for a long time was apparent from his conversation and letters. He was accompanied to his room on Turk street some month ago by a well known local man, who noticed a piece of rubber tubing on the table. Burrows, catching his eye, remarked with a remarkable degree of coolness that the tubing reached nicely from the gas jet to his bed, and that he had often thought how easy it would be to simply turn on the gas to pass peacefully away.
(This is from the newspaper that was saved by Vere Burrows Hansen)
So, the last few months of his life were marked by disappointment, a lack of any success, no hope and no friends. He was in debt. He was left in a despondent state that resulted in the taking of his own life. He left unpaid bills and room rent at the Regina Hotel in Etna Mills that Vere Burrows Hansen had to take care of in August of 1904.
In my previous posts on Vere Burrows Hansen's life, you will remember that she and John Hartwig Hansen married on July 3, 1904. Alexander Burrows took his own life July 26, 1904, just days after their happy event. His death was always spoken of as a scandal in the family, as he chose to take his life so soon after the marriage.
I can also imagine this was a scandal in the community of Grass Valley at the time. There was so much (very private) information printed in the newspapers then, and a great deal of it was based on speculation and sensationalized. The whole community knew about Alexander Burrows and Elizabeth Jane from the time they came to live in Grass Valley; they followed Alexander's practice, they were aware of the divorce and Alexanders' remarriage, and finally they knew of his decline and death, and the effects on his family through many published details that were private and personal. It must have kept the community's interest for weeks.
There is so much more I would like to know, too, but I think this is a good point to put Alexander Burrows and his life to rest. He lived a colorful life and he put his unique stamp on the town of Grass Valley. But, it ended on a very sad note.
Just a quick and interesting side note: Vere Burrows Hansen's husband, John Hartwig Hansen, had a letter of recommendation from a P.T. Riley, who was a neighbor, and who vouched for his
character, work ethic and patriotic citizenship in recommending him for duty during the Spanish American War in 1898. P.T. Riley served as District Attorney for Nevada County during this time and was captain of the state military company of Grass Valley. He was also the Principal of the Grass Valley High School. He moved to San Francisco after the war, became a prominent attorney there, and died at the age of 56 in 1912. He was buried at the Presidio. He had two brothers: John F. Riley and George E. Riley. Both were attorneys in San Francisco. From: San Francisco Call, Volume 112, Number 116, 24 September 1912---Capt. P.T. Riley Called by Death
J.F. Riley was the attorney acting as executor of Alexander Burrows' will.
No comments:
Post a Comment