The Widow, the Missing Will, and the Yesler Homestead

Mrs. Mary Booth, the widow, who has lived at Sixth and Jefferson streets for nineteen years, moved away quietly last week to 1112 Seventh street, mourned and loved by all her neighbors for the many noble qualities that have endeared her to them and her host of friends in every part of the city. Her moving away was done quietly, so that but few knew it until they saw the old homestead vacant. Her friends had evidently been prevented from making known her situation, for they [---]. Her husband died four or five years ago. He left her in possession of the homestead, but heavily mortgaged. Booth was at one time county auditor and a prominent man in his time, among his many warm friends being Henry L. Yesler. After his term of office as auditor he went into the real estate business and was given the management of some of Mrs. Sarah H. Yesler's property, along with other property which he handled. Heavy speculations and unsatisfactory returns caused Booth to become involved, and in seeking to extricate himself he mortgaged his property to Mr. Yesler, among it being the old homestead. Notwithstanding this, the Booths continued to live there, and there Booth died.

Yesler not only allowed Mrs. Booth to continue in possession of the home, but shortly after her husband's death announced to her friends that he had remembered her in his will by leaving her the homestead clear. In that belief the old lady lived there until the death of Mr. Yesler and the subsequent discovery that no will could be found. The estate went into the hands of administrators, and among the property scheduled as belonging to Yesler was this old homestead of the Booths, for which the old lady had nothing to show as rightful owner. Feeling she had no longer a claim on the old home around which clung the associations of nineteen years of her life, she quietly moved away, said to yield every man what was legally his own, but regretted by many who always found in her a friend in need.