Los Angeles herald., 1892-12-05
THE JOHN D. WALKER ESTATE,
Some of the Romantic Features
of the Case.
An ArizOnian Well Known Here and
His Peculiar Career.
His Incarceration at Napa as Lunatic.
The Alleged Widows Story-The
Supposed Daughter an Indian
Girl Found at Mesa City.


Angeles. is now before the supreme
court Of Arizona, the case having been
transferred from this city to Pinal
county. This case has developed facts
in remarkably romantic life stranger
than the Widest imagination could
fancy.
About one year ago, says the New
York Recorder, John D. Walker died in
the asylum for the insane at Napa, leav-
ing $50, 900 cash in a Los Angeles bank,
besides considerable other property in
this city. and large mining interests in
Pinal county, Ariz., including the Vekal,
a famous silver producer. At the time
of his death Walker was supposed to be
without direct issue, but there were
four heirs, or claimants-two brothers,
William Walker of Los Angeles and
Lucien Walker of Tucson, sister and
Eleanor d. Walker, wife whom he is
supposed to have married under pecu-
liar circumstances, at Tucson just before
his death.
Application was made by one A. j.
Doran to the probate court of Pinal
county upon the part of the sister and
Lucien Walker, and simultaneously an
other application was made by William
Walker of Los Angeles. Both applica-
tions were vigorously protested by
Eleanor Walker, the alleged widow.
The probate court passed an order re-
fusing to recognize her as the widow,
and an appeal was taken to the district
court.
The testimony of the plaintiff was to
the effect that she had all her life lived
in Adams county, ILL.,, and had known
Walker since she could remember. She
and the deceased had been in love since
she was or years old, and when she
was IA Walker made a formal declara-
tion of his love and gave her a ring
which he said had formerly belonged to
dead brother. This ring she still
wore. In turn, she gave him a ring,
and the betrothal, which destiny de-
creed should exist for generation be-
fore fulfillment, was made. She now
thought she loved him, though she had
not seen him for 80 years..
A few months after these lovers vows
were made. Walker went away across
the plains to California. The girl in Illi-
nois received letters from her lover for
period OF 80 years, though at timee IL
months elapsed between epistles. The
last letter was written October Is, 1890,
and in it Walker recalled their early
love. He made mention of the action OF
his brothers, who had secured guar
dian for him on the grounds that he was
insane, but hoped soon to again control
his property. He urged her to come to
him at once-he had plenty left to make
them both happy. There was no one
-. ko 10 ha
action of his brothers had precluded the
possibility OF his making q will in their
favor.
The betrothed OF 3Oodd years came
on and met her afiianced at Tucson. I'm
mediately contest began for Walkers
person, and the race extended from Los
Angeles, Cal, to Las Vegas, N. M. Sew
eral times he was taken by officers, but
he always managed to escape, and joined
his sweetheart. At length, at midnight,
April 19, 1891, while his brothers and
guardians were chasing through the
streets of Tucson in a cab In search of
the pair, quiet wedding ceremony was
performed IN q rear room of the Star
office, and the pledges OF a quarter of
century were fulfilled.
Within few hours of the marriage
Walker was torn from his wife, and
under the adjudication OF the California
courts declared insane, placed in the
Napa asylum, where he died three
months later in the arms of his wife.
The other claimants to the estate un-
dertook to invalidate the marriage by
showing that Walker was insane at the
time he contracted it. A number of
witnesses were introduced. These pur-
ported to cover the time since Walker
left his eastern home, in 1861, till the
day OF his death. Upon his arrival in
Arizona, early in the 60s, he abandoned
civilized life and took up his residence
with the Pima Indians. He was the
first white man to settle among them,
and being person of education and
above the ordinary ability, exerted a
marked influence upon the tribe,o They,
regarded him as one possessed of>almost
supernatural powers.
Walker had lived among the Pimas
but short time when he was elected
chief with all the pomp and ceremony
that attend such ceremony among a
barbarous people. In that capacity he
led them in several bloody and success
full forays against the Yumas, Marico-
pas and the bloodthirsty Apaches. He
also formulated their language into an
alphabet. He reopened their canals
and sought to arouse them to industry.
In return for his services Walker was
given the Vekal (grandmother) mine by
the Indians. This is rich silver prop
erty and now forms considerable factor
in the dispute at law. During Walkers
life the Vekal was worked only after the
primitive Indian methods.
One of the points brought out in the
court was that, long before and after
Walker had been adjudged insane, he
frequently talked to his friends of "his
Indian maidep," who. he said, was in
the possession of the Mormons. He de-
clared that he intended to educate and
make lady of Jusna. When in the
custody OF his guardians in Los Angeles
he boasted that, notwithstanding his
exile from Arizona, he was constantly in
communication with the territories
through his Indian maiden, who kept
him posted as to what Lis brothers W ere
doing with his mining property.
This evidence was offered for the pur
pose of proving hallucination, and thai
the deceased had been affected with
paresis, and for the purpose OF overcom
ing the presumption from the testimony
of the plaintiff that she and Walker hac
Waste and Want.
A waste of flesh and want of digestion