The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-01
MILLIONS AT STAKE.
Prospective Contest Over Mrs.
Searles' Estate.
SpecuIations as to the Course That Timothy
Hopkins, the Adopted Son, Will Pursue
to Break the Will.

| i ne ueaIn OF MIS-. HOPKINS may nave u
very appreciate effect upon the workings
of the Southern Pacific Company. Now
that the conditions of the lady's will are
known, the prospects of contest over the
] estate, which will be felt in the Southern
| Pacific directory, are Increased rather than
diminished.
Timothy Hopkins left Japan for San
| Francisco yesterday evening, and beforel long
will be made acquainted with the stern
fact-that if he ever gets dollar of the
many millions left by his foster parents it
must be obtained by hard fighting in the
| courts of law. No one doubts that this con-
| test will be made, for it is said that under
| the laws of the State he is entitled to one
| half of the property.
If the estate goes into litigation and stock
| representing quarter interest in the rail-
| road property becomes tied up for number
| of years. the question naturally arises who
| will vote the Hopkins stock at the annual
meetings of the company
Messrs. Stillman ana Hubbard, the execu-
| tors, certainly cannot exercise any right In
| such an event. Secretary Lansing of the
| Southern Pacific Company says that In his
opinion the court may appoint person to
represent the estate while in court in all
| conferences of the corporation. Others say
no, and add that the directory cannot be
changed during litigation and until the law
| decides who the stock belongs to.
TIMOTHY HOPKINS.
| All sorts of speculation is being INDUCED
| in asto the real standing of young Timothy
Hopkins in the eyes of the law. 1t was
| first said he had been legally adopted be-
| fore Mark Hopkins death; that he was
| therefore entitled to one-half of the original
cfota I,,t hot ha h,1 IA is
rights cut of respect for his foster mother.
Such, however, seems not to have been
the case. He was legally adopted by Mrs.
Hopkins in this city in June. 1879, before
Judge Selden s. Wright. He is tie son OF
Patrick and Catherine Hogan, and was born
in Hallowell. Me-. March 2. 1859 In his
infancy his parents emigrated to California
and settled in Yolo County, where. in 1861,
| his father died. His mother some time after
| ward married Henry f. Marston, who was
Mark Hopkins gardener in the latter part
| of Ills lifetime, and who now resides on
| farm near Woodland.
| RAILROAD MAN.
Mr. Hopkins earlier education was ac-
| Quired in the Sacramento Grammar School,
| from which he graduated. He undertook
to extend his study in the schools oil this
| city but his health failed him and he turned
| his attention tn other pursuits. He applied
|
| flee of the Western Division of the Central
| Pacific at Oakland. Afterward he went
into the main Office at Fourth and Towns
| end streets, and in time became valuable
man to the company. Heis now Treasurer.
At the time OF the appraisement Of Mark
| Hopkins estate Its value was liked at S2l,-
100000, of which Mrs. Hopkins got three
| quarters and the other quarter went in equal
| parts to the decedent's brothers, Moses and
| Samuel. 1t has naturally increased in value
very much since then.
| Shortly before Mrs Hopkins marriage to
| Searles she gave her adopted son Timothy
| the large estate in San Mateo that she pur-
| chased of Milton s. Latham. 1t is now
valued at near half million.
| Those who appear to be fairly we'll in
| formed of the case do not figure largely ON
the possibilities of contest, though not
doubling that there will be one.
GROUNDS OF CONTEST.
There are but three grounds on which
| such proceeding can DO, based-fraud, In
| competency and undue influence. The
| first two are not TO be considered at all, but
the friends of the family seem to think that
the young claimant will have less trouble in
establishing himself upon the last named.
| An old woman who could be persuaded
| into marriage by young man many years
! her junior, he having little or nothing to
recommend him, could be influenced, it is
| believed, to do almost anything.
| In connection with this branch of the
| subject it is an open secret among the ac-
| Quaintances of tbs family that the relations
| between young Hopkins and his foster
| mothers new husband we're strained to the
last degree. Timothy said that it didn't re-
| Quire much penetration to fathom Searles'
| motive, and he earned the latters sincere
| hatred for interfering with and opposing the
| marriage. 1t is said that the correspond
ence between all parties concerned in the
event is well preserved. and will form an
interesting as well as important part Of the
| case il it ever gets into court.
MRS. sEARLEs' PROPERTY.
A list of the property left by Mrs. Searles
| includes railroad securities valued some
where from S2000000O to $50, 000.O0 four
palatial residences In different parts of the
country; nearly million dollars worth of
| property in this city besides the magnifi-
| cent Mob Hill residence, worth fully half
million; 10000 acres of timber land in the
| Santa Cruz Mountains, and block of city
| property, besides several cottages IN Sacrs-
| mentO.
The house where she died is the ind-
| vidual property of her husband. The Mob
Hill property comprises lot 275x206 feet
in dimensions, on which stands one of the
| Stateliest mansions in the West.
| The house at Great Darlington, Mass, is
| more modern and even more palatial than
the Mob Hill house. 1t is located on the
| old homestead OF the Sherwood family.
| Mrs. Searles bought out all the interest Of
| the various relatives in the place.
| 1t is said there are few if any prettier
houses on the Atlantic Coast than the Hop
kins- Searles resort on Block Island, in Mar
ragansett Bay, near Providence. 1t was
built only two years ago, of wood to imi-
tate marble, and of Ionic architecture
| On Fifth avenue, New York, near Wash
| ingtOn square, down in an old section of
| the city, where few exclusive Kuicker-
booker families still lnger, is the Hopkins
| Searles city house. 1t is Of brownstone, of
| the typical Fifth avenue style Of archi-
| lecture and is built on corner.
| IN THIS CITY.
| Among the San Francisco property are
many warehouses on Townsend street. near
Fifth, Townsend near Fourth, and on Blux-
| ONE near Fourth. The panorama and arm
| DRY building on Market and Tenth streets is
another valuable piece of the San Francisco
estate; also piece on Harrison street, be-
| tween Sixth and Seventh; a 50-yara lot on
the corner of Turk and Leavenworth, and
business property on Broadway, near Stock
| ton street.
! The block in Sacramento is near the race
| course and unimproved; the cottages are
near.
|