The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-03-18

| vt|S@1x-
,EtEfHs% McC-and adds: 'He
is gentleman well
David C. Frederick. known in the State OF
New York, a resident there and reia-
tive aud namesake of former CathoIic
Archbishop, and what lie says IS llReiy 10
| be true and authentic narrative OF a
strange occurrence. He formerly resided 10
California and is now an officer OF the
| House of Representatives. he took charge
of Senator Broderick's effects In Washing
! ton when tie latter made the iast trip from
| the Federal Capital to California
THE GUILTY PARTIES.
This is the story as related TO Mac" by
| his Washington friend: The true story Oh
! the forged will of Senator David Z. Broa-
| erick Of California has never been maze
/ public, and in justice to myself and TO those
/ dear friends, II there be any sucn lett IN
! San Francisco, during our early days ia
that city. / wish mere particularly 10 all
dress myself to them than the rising genera
IiOn WHO have never seen Mr.. BrOdtrlck or
| knew tla true character OF the man. III mas
| been my lot to meet many public men in
! life, but | can say tTuthfully that / nave
/ never met man IN public or private NE OF
/ a purer soul than David Cuthbert Bt0d-
erick. Believing him to be such how could
! / permit an outrage OF such character,
| namely; tie forging OF his last VIII ahd
! testament, without raising my voice TO Tue
best OF my ability aud crying aloud, ana
| thus expose the great outrage committed on
/ will inquire why was not this exposure
| made at the time. In reply will say that
/ did make the exposure and did my best 10
| bring those guilty scCundrels 10 justice.
| About one month after Senator BrOdeTick
was killed, Moses Z. Flanagan. citizen Of
| California, arrived in New York. Soon
! after his arrival in the city | received let
| ter inviting me TO dine with him aud some
gent emen at the Jones House, then STU
/ ated on broadway, near AStOr place, we'll
| known hosiery at that time. l gladly ac-
! cepted the invitation, knowing lie had just
! arrived from the scene Of my ne.Uved
| friends death. | went TO the Jones House,
! When | arrived there found George Wilkes,
! Andrew j. Bntler, Alfred Phillips. John
Hon and Rube Maloney. As they we're all
| men whom | had known in California l
| was very much pleased to meet them. Cum
| EXAMINATIONS were extended, of course. all
around.
Amoment before we went upstairs TO dine
! Flanagan remarked to ne that the object u
our meeting was TO consult together what
was best TO do about Broderick's private af-
| fairs. as lie had no living relative. l became
| suspicious at once, and asked Flanagan what
they intended TO do at the meeting. lie re-
| Piled by saving, as | was particular friend
| Of Mr.. Brodcrick, l was invited to confer
ence regarding and concerning his large es-
| tate in California. saying that he had left no
Will that he could find III California. and
that the chances were If any will was made
| that IL was among his effects in Washing
| ~. i / 81
| whether Senator Br0derick had made Will
| or not and that SO far a. | was concerned
| would not participate in their meeting and
| 50 left the hotel Ia few davs after the
| meeting at the Jones House received a let
| ter from George Wilkes, who was one Of
| the party, asking me il / would meet him
| the next day AZ the Jones House, did 81
| meet MIN. At that meeting Wilkes told me
| that Mr.. BrOder elk had made will and
| that lie (BrOderick) haa told man named
! Haskell on his deathbed that he had made
Wilkes his heir, and that the will was with
his effects AT Washington, ID. c., ana the Ell
fectS were in my charge.
GEORGE WILKES DENIAL.
/ replied back by saying that If Haskell
| had said that Mr.. Broderlck's will was in
my charge, he, Haskell, had uttered an I'M
| truth; that that was the first time | ever
heard the subject matter mentioned
| Wilkes Insisted That had the will in charge
aud that if | did not know il. he, Wilkes
| knew 1t to be true. l repeated that did
| not have the Will, nor did / believe he made
one. Wilkes replied, Give Flanagan or
Butler the key OF the room in Washington.
where you have Mr.. Broderck's papers
and effects, and work with us and | will see
that you share in all the honOrs equally
with the rest" asked him what he meant;
if il was true he Intended 10 manufacture
will 10 let me know in plain words il that
was his intention. Wilkes seemed rather
dspleased at my remarks and left me. A
few days after this conversation i went to
| Washington. Flanagan and Butler came on
n few days later. They called on me at the
kirkw0od House and asked me for the keys
OF Mr.. BrOder!ckS room. / told them L
would not give up the KEYS of the room,
that Mr. Broderck left them in my charge,
telling me that all his effects and private
papers were IN the Senate boxes, TO the
number of six, aud 20 guard them SacTedly
until his return, and it was my duty to keep
them until / was compelled by law TO deliver
them 10 the parties who were legally ell
titled to them. There my duty ended.
| A day or so after this talk with Flanagan
and Butler ut the kifkwOod House | went
TO Mr.. BrOdereks room. which was over
the ola Bank Of Washington, TO see il every
thing was all right. The moment / entered
the room / saw that something was wrong.
When ] looked at Senate box 6 L saw that it
had been opened that the screws had been
withdrawn, that ii had been otherwise tam
pered with. While | was intently examin-
ing the box and observing the depredatons
| which had been made upon il, and obtain
Ing evidence that it had been opened, much
to my surprise in walked Flanagan and But
| ler / remarked TO both of them that the
room had been entered, and that the boxes
had been tempered with. Butler said that
they were IN there now, and that they had
as good right there as l had; that they
were closer friends TO Mr.. Broderck than
was, and that my buldoZing should cease.
Butler without any further ceremony took
from his pocket screwdTiver, and said he
was going to open the boxes and look tor
the will. and that had no legal authority
to stop him. / demonstrated with them, but
to no purpose. Butler went to box 6, and
without the slightest difficulty opened
It aud took therefrom money
belt. and said, 81 have found what
| wanted" He then took from the belt
the forged VIII. held it up before me. re-
marking: You have seen me find IL in
this belt" l said: "Oh, yes, OF course you
have found it for the reason that you put it
| In there yesterday. They both then left
the room, taking the belt and forged will
with them.
THE FORGED WILL DIsAPPEA
After they left | called on the janitor and
asked him IL he knew whether anybody had
been In that room, and he told me that two
gentlemen were In the room the day before,
add by his description L was perfectly salts
fed they were Butler and Flanagan. They
both tod the train for New York the next
day, taking the forged will with them, aud
from there suppose the will was sent to
San Francisco to be probaed John
X. Hackett, who resided in San Fran
cisco in early days, and / have no doubt
there are many now resident of that city
who remember him, was appointed a COM
missioner TO take testimony on The will L
called or Hackett and had n conversation
with him IN regard 10 the conduct OF those
men while in Washington, and all that hap
, pened there. i noticed very particularly at
the time and FULLY remember now his COLI
duct toward me while i was rehearsing the
story of Butler and Flanlgan's visit 10
Washington. 1t was very evident TO me
that he was decidedly in favor OF Wilkes.
He promised to let me know when tile mat
ter would come up so that could give my
testimony. l made several visits TO New
York relative to the matter and never could
obtain permission to give my testimony.
BE deceived me. he lied to me. and when /
called on him the last time ne told me the
/ case was closed and that the testimony was