The herald., 1893-09-23
GENERAL MANSFIELD INDIGNANT.
The Matter Of the Pratt Estate
in Court.
The Venerable Hero Placed on the
Witness Stand.
Mrs. Pratt Is the Generals Sister-in-
Law and Is In Feeble Health.
acr Estate said to be
Very Large


cisco, daughter of Mrs. Anna e. Pratt,
who is the widow OF Orvills Pratt, de-
ceased, short time ago petitioned
Judge Clark for appointment as guard
ian of her mother, and yesterday the
hearing took place.
Mrs. Pratt has been living with Gen.
John Mansfield and wife, Mrs. Anna
Mansfield, who is her sister. She is
in feeble health and has been for some
time.
Mrs. Goodspeed set forth in her petit
tion that such 10 the CAGE and that che
is mentally incompetent to care for her
self or her property; also thet there is
valuable land and personal property,
consisting Of large sums of money re-
ceived as income. She therefore asked
to be appointed guardian.
A protest was filed on the part of Mrs.
Mansfield, in which some serious
charges were made against the appoint.
ment. She alleges that Mrs. Goodspeed
is physically incapable of taking proper
caro- OF Mrs. Pratt because she is par
alyzed to such an extent as to be inca
pable OF moving about without Assist
attacks.
1t is further alleged that she is NOR
ally unfit to be entrusted with the
guardianship, and has been for mauy
years person of bad moral character,
unworthy OF trust and entirely devoid of
affection for her mother.
Mrs. Mansfield sets forth that she and
her sister have been always on terms OF
siaterly affection; that eheshas lost her
mind completely, and it is necessary to
have nurse in constant attendance
upon her.
The hearing was accompanied with
developments in the highest degree
sensational, and the charges and counter
charges made in court terminated in an
exceedingly dramatic scene.
The petitioner was represented by
Charles f. Hanlon OF San Francisco,
while Gen. Mansfed had Judge Alex.
Campbell for counsel in the proceedings.
General and Mrs. Mansfield were sub
p9ned to produce the accounts showing
what had been done with Mre. Pratt'e
income, and when court convened Mr..
Hanlon called General Mansfield to take
the witness stand The venerable old
man showed from the first that he was
greatly wroughtup over the proceedings,
and declined to take tha stand unless
directed to do so by the court, intimat-
ing that he did not consider it necessary
to make any account of his actions to the
San Francisco attorney. He also desired
a continuance to procure some witnesses
to give evidence as to Mrs. Goodspeed's
fitness to be appointed guardian of her
mother.
The magnitude of the issueH involved
became apparent when Mr.. Hanlon, in
urging that General Mansfield should
be sworn, alluded to what had taken
place. He said that Mrs. Pratt's estate
should be worth more than $500 600; |;
that she had been mentally incompe-
tent for more than two years, and that
General Mansfield held power OF attor-
ney from her to transact her business,
given while sehe was incompetent.
He alleged that check for $12, 900
had been paid to her, while at General
Mansfeld'as house, and that he had re.
Gently informed Mrs. Goodspeed that he
did not know what had become of it. He
thought it proper to interrogate him
about it.
Judge Campbell thought that this
was not the proper time to question
General Mansfield. but Judge Clark
disagreed with him. He said it was
his duty to protect the assets of an in
competent person. He would of course
give General Mansfield every oppor-
tunity to oppose the petition, yet if he
found it necessary, he would take the
estate from his hands and place it with
the public administrators or eome dis
interested person.
General Mansfield betrayed the great
est indignation during the remarks of
counsel and seemed to have difficulty
in controlling himself sufficiently to
answer the questions put TO him.
He said, in response to question by
Mr.. Hanlon, that he received the $4,000
check referred to and gave it to Mrs.
Pratt, who endorsed it. He stated that
he did not know what became of it.
The general also stated that some
months ago he received $500 of Mrs.
Pratt's money and gave her credit for it
for services and expenses performed by.
him.
The inquiry was then directed to
whether or not the witness had kept
books or accounts of the Piatt estate.
He seemed to be 40 indignant over the
insinuations indirectly made that he
was not very coherent in his replies and
outo thct iO hu h0fO oiluGI UUUk5 OF
have accounts on loose sheets of paper.
There werc some questions asked
about witnesses who would establish the
charges made in the protest that Mrs.
Goodspeed's character was not fit for
her to act as her mothers guardian.
Upon this point the protestants were
not ready to proceed. no
Mr.. Hanlon very emphatically as
serted that her reputation had never
been assailed, and he defed the gentle-
men TO produce any testimony that
would sustain any such imputations.
The lady, he eaid, Is at present in the
city with her children, and there had
never been question as to her charac-
ter being of the best.
General Mansfeld's friends say that
when the proper time arrives he will ac-
count in perfectly satisfactory manner
for all his dealings in the matter OF the
estate. Judge Clark continued the hear
ing OF the petition to October 25th.
Charles Cook was sentenced to 60 days