The morning call., 1891-10-07
BADLY MIXED UP.
Conflicting Statements in a Seri-
GUS Local Scandal.
There Are Millions in 1t and the Courts May
Be Invoked to Determine the Truth.
The Latest Developments.

known as the Whittier Fuller Kendall Den
son scandal, except the fact that whereas
but two persons were originally mentioned.
now there are four, with possibly other
counties to hear from. 1t is not a very
savory case as it stands, and the only reason
for its insertion in these columns is the cir
cumstance that recent developments have
raised questions of public interest and prin-
ciple
Expressed in the fewest possible words,
William f. Whittier. the senior partner OF
the firm of Whittier, Fuller & Co., Is said to
be liable to charge of criminal libel for
spreading reports of a defamatory character
concerning his partner. William 2. Fuller
Jr. Judge benson of Sacramento is alleged
to have been entrapped during the conduct
Of Whitter's attack on Fuller into a COM
promising interview with Miss Justina Ken
dali, the alleged victim of young Fuller, and
the latter is now eagerly pushing the case
against both Whittier and benson. with the
joint object OF clearing his character and
quieting his title to a half interest in the
firms business which he purchased for
81, 400.0 00 and which is claimed by Whittier
in a suit now pending in Judge W allaee's
court.
PRELIMINARY HISTORY.
The preliminaries of the affair, Invested
of sensational mystifcation and legal obi
quites, are as follows:
William p Fuller, one of the original
partners of the firm of Whittier, Fuller d
Co., died in May, 1890. His widow sold her
husbands interest in the firm to her son, w.
p. Fuller Jr.. for Sl.4000G0. William p.
Whittier came forward ami claimed the
residual interest under an alleged contract
dated in 1886. He offered Mrs. Fuller
81, 2S4, 600 for the interest, with the aterna-
tive of suit at law. Judge 5, G. benson
of Sacramento, long an attorney for the
firm. conducted the proceedings, it is al
legged, in Writers interest.
The next phase in the case was the lnstl-
tuition of a divorce suit by young Fuller's
wife. cloud of suspicion rested on the
case by reason of the dissemination OF a re-
port that Mr.. and Mrs. Fuller had patched
up compromise and gone to Europe for
sort OF second honeymoon, he having mean
while made over his roperty to her in con-
donation of an alleged unfaithfulness.
This rum0r was accentuated by the pre-
sumably paid publication in certain weekly
news papers published in this city, and in an
Oakland daily, connecting the name of Miss
Justina Kendall, VINO had professionally
nurSed the elder Fuller in his last illness,
with the younger Fuller as the gay Lothario.
LEFT THEIR KNITTING BEHIND.
1t was one of the pecuaritieS of the case
that though all the parties connected with
il, or directly interested in it, had left town
they did not take their knitting with
them" They did not 60 away to ny.
Young Fuller heard of the newspaper
stories while in Europe, and Immediately
resolved to return to San Francisco to re-
flute them and trace their authorship. Miss
Kendall was located in Minneapolis, after
an exceptionally troublesome search, and
also brought to town.
Just as soon as young Fuller returned he
began TO make things exceedingly lively,
though everything was done in way to
leave the alleged cOnspirators at liberty to
suppose that the plan to capture the half
partnership and ruin the junior partner
was progressing admirably to conclusion.
In the Interim young Fullers attorneys
had somehow arrived at the conclusion that
his partner William f. Whittier and Judge
5. c. benson we're ''m cah0ot" on the entire
matter. The attorneys and Fuller seem TO
have decided that Miss Kendall was fit
and proper person TO be taken into con-
fidence and they laid for benson" with
unexpected results
THE WOMAN IN THE CASE.
Word was sent to benson that Miss
Kendall was in town and he sought an in
teTvicw with her at his Office. According to
the story he told her that she had good
case against young Fuller for seduction, and
that he would get her a small fortune if she
would put the case in his hands After a
number Of dilatory aud diplomatic inter
views a meeting was arranged at Miss
kenGalPS rooms, at 10lj Market STREET.
When Judge benson arrived at the hour
specified, o'clock. Miss Kendall was in
bed, having been upset by the worry of the
last few days. 1t was perhaps singular
coincidence that young Fuller, Detective
Curtin and Attorney franklin 2. Bull, a
relative Of Fuller by marriage, occupied the
adjoining room at the time fixed for the in-
terview.
Not many minutes had elapsed when the
wat ehers heard a cry for help. They burst
into the room, and, as the old. old story
goes, made sensational discovery. 1t COM
promised the honor of Judge benson.
1t is stated that the latter succnmbed to
the exigencies of the situation, and readily
admitted that he had acted in the whole
matter at the instance and suggestion of
William f. Whittier. He even furnished
the names OF the parties to whom he had
given money to secure the publication Of the
scandal affecting young Fuller
DIFFERENT STORIES.
1t need hardly be said that all the parties
in the case have different stories to tell.
Miss kendalPs is that during the final
interview with Judge benson in her bed
room his conduct was such as to cause her
to scream for aid. Judge benson says lie is
the victim of a vile conspiracy, Incurred by
reason of his fidelity as Mr. Whittier's at
torney; that lie was entrapped Into the in
terYiews with Miss Fuller solely by reason
of his devotion to Mr.. Winters case.
Young Fuller says he has a clear case
against everybody.
Mr. Whittier is understood to be due in
this city on Friday at the latest. In an ill.,
teryiew at Los Angeles on his way hither,
| he secuted the notion OF confession by
Judge benson, but said emphatically that
young Fuller got into some trouble with his
fathers nurse, and that he fled and re-
turned. He admitted in the same interview
all particulars relating to the partnership
dispute, but declared absolutely that the al
legged conspiracy to injure his partner was
a vie concOction.
In the meanwhile the lawyers are reioic-