The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-28
BIG CONTINGENT FEE.
Rochester's Offer i'm Regard to
the Yesier Estate.
LowMAn TRumPED HIS TRICK.
The Proposal to tho City Puts Jordan
In . Dfiemma-Some Missing Deeds
The Hearing Continued.

.iica;sd pots known There Ia hardly a party
10 Ii who has not conflicting interests az stake
aud who has not to choose between two evils.
RI the Information obtained by PosT-IsTEL-
LiSEsCER reporter yesterday 10 correci-sud il
comes from reliable source-ths IN the
most embarrassing position O. ali is Dr.. J. Eu-
gene Jorian. Il was from him tina. the first
information came that set the city moving in
the matter. II was impaired 10 Mayor Ronald
By JEuias Rochester st that memorable visit 10
the theater, which YVES described IN the Posi-
ISTELLIGgscEg last saturday. MrRoehcster then
told the mayor that he aud Dr. Jordan would
prove the existence OF will beqEeataing the
bulk Of the estate to the city, II the city would
give thea contingent fee OF one-fourth OF the
amount secured This il ~as which so deeply
moved the mayor aud caused him 10 summon
the city c3uucii in secret session Al that meet
ing no contract was made. but the matter was
left in the hands of George Donwor;h. tie cor
poration counsel, with Instructors TO begin
proceedings In alliance with Preston, Carr &
Preston, the attorneys for j. d. LosEaa, VINO
was the sole executor under the VIII.
Then came the first hitch When the time
came 10 take the first decided step and Mr..
Donworth called UPON the mayor 10 formally
approve wha; had been already agreed upon.
that gentleman. ehaugesble as the p-overbial
6irt, refused to 20 any farther and the city
proceedings 20 standstill. But Mr.. Low
mans attorneys, Preston. Carr & Preston. went
ahead. Having been no party TO the negotIa-
tions with Rochester and Jordan they went on
without taking those gentlemen into ccnsidera-
tioa Firmly convinced, from the admissions
Of the doctor. that he, DIR. Van Buren, and Mrs.
Yesler knew the whereabouts OF the will and,
with some evidence ia their possession 10 satisfy
n jury on shat point they proceeded alone with
the arrangements to prosecute al OF the sus
pected parties on the charge OF making away
with the asi-important document The city at
present maintains the attitude Of interested
trseetstor n the working oIIt of the NOT
The doctor is now in predieameDt. His ar
rest forces him to eaGcayor to prove that there
Is no viii. though by doing he closes his
month - to the evidence offered the city for
valuable consideration, and depriyes himself OF
the opportunity OF earning that fee. IL he
Chooses the other horn OF the dilemma and con-
tIuues to aid the city ii proving the existence
of the will at the time OF Mr.. Yesier's death, he
thereby canvicts himself OF the charge
which he arrested. He is BY all odds in
pos.tson 10 lie the woEat worried man concerned
In the case
Not only Is the win missing, but four deeds to
pa:i Of the property which il still in litigation
between the estate and III. Jordan cannot be
foGad. This property was the cause OF the es-
arrangement between himself and Mr. iesler 10
which the doctor referred in the interview pub
lshed yesterday. Nj iesler's friends give a
very different account of the deal by which this
property was acquired from that of DR.. Jordan.
The Sarah r. fesler estate was divided into
eighteen parts OF which nine went 10 Mr..
Yesler and the others went TO Mrs. Yes
lers nine brothers auG sisters, one 20
each. In October, 1859, Mr.. Yesier ana DR..
Jordan went into partnership to buy out five o
these other heirs, each TO put up baif the money.
Mr. 1esIer went East TO make the purchases.
and got deeds made To himself. On his return
soFne discussion occurred between him aud the
doctor about the division, the former claiming
that. be had borne the ex peuses OF the trip
md obtaining The ha sbauid hav
as large II share sSshe latter. who claimed to
have put up more than his share OF the money.
Mr. Lowman and Jacob Furth were TO have one
OF the five shares between them in payment for
some services rendered by them. II finally
agreed that the division should be two
shares for Yesler, two for Jordan and
between Lowmau and Furth, the
two former each TO deed one-ftth OF his
shares TO the latter. On this understanding
ME Yesler made deed 10 tire doctor, but made
IL convey fye-eighteeaihs OF the whole Sarak B.
Yesier estate instead OF five-ihrty-sIxths, and
TINS gave away the whole of the purchase TO
the doctor. This ID the version Of the affair
given by several friends OF Mr. fesler TO whom
ke related the circumstances, and suit is now
pending the subject They also claim that
Dr. Jordan acknowledged the error and prom
ised to reooavey half OF the property, but never
did So
/, Is the deeds from four Of the heirs who
were bought oHt IN this deal which missing,
EnG il was suspected at the time of DR.. Van Bu-
Teas arrest that he had them ia his posses
sion. ~ hen takea to the sheriTs office he
pulled ii bundle Of papers out 81 his pocket and
tried - throw them in the fire, but WAS pre-
vented. They examined, and among them
were receipts fer safe deposit boxes ia the King
County bank, bat the deeis were not there.
These boxes we're searched under the warrant
but were found empty The key 81 Dr. jordan :
box IL the Merchants National banks safe de-
Iyoslt ysugts we're taken from that gentleman at
the time oi his arrest. but the bank officials
fearing that Justices warrant did nos give sui
aeient authority, refused 20 eagh!e the law ofti-
GERS IN search the box ~ pros ucing their key 10
81 4 seal accordingly placed on the box ia
order Ia prevent any other person from opening
II, and further action will be postponed until 4
seaFeh warrant can be procured from The su-
pastor e3urt.
II AFr Minnie Yesjer is in anyway connected
wlth the charges that haug over her head she
has ssilicleut sell control not 20 beiray It in
her TasuaeT- Yesterday she appeared IN Jus.
tlce Humphreys court and demanded hear.
ing forcing tho opposition - plead tor = con-
fiuuance on tie ground that the proper officials
Go eonduct tbs case were The prosecuting aitor.
uey aud his ASSISTANTS, aud that they had no,
had tiFne 70 prepare ior the fgnt. The tilt be.
tween tue opposing counsel on the point Of q
continuance sharp and Closely listened to
bY Mrs IeseF, who APPEARED neither nervous
nor unnaturaily calm. Tn fact she was per
teEtty GatGiAi Asld seemed ANXIOUS to 20 on
with the hearing.
X was O'Clock when Mrs. YesieF her father
aud III 3ther. Mr. and Mrs. Joan II. eagle, and
Attorney y. II. white appeared The justice,
court room. Mrs. lesleY dressed ia black
naa wore sea.sAin SAGA. Her costume would
have appeared t. the eye OF a woman as paiu
bus rieA aD1 becoming 4 man wou. have said
sae looked decidedly attractive. Her face wa.
perhaps trl tie pale. but that did not hide tht
fact taAt she was good looking ami had ex
pressivc gray ewes. she took seat inside tn.
srace set aside Tor witnesses and s,torneys suC
next To her vas her mother, vino wore mourn
Ing and sat catInly awaiting developments MIR
tsgie a good MISUNDERSTANDING man witt
ye.low chin whpk9Es, occupied the next seat
Ihe determination on thc part OF MRS. fesle
I'D acr attorney 10 force the ease 10 Al iInfle
diate bearing caused word u be sent TO III,
lawyers represen tlng the parties prosecuting
tie case. Ia short time Eugene NJ Carr
Dazzle! kalieher aad o. NJ Emory, all o. WHOM
represent tie l.owmaB Interest IN the lcsler es
tate and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney 4 I,
Mcbride catered the foom Aua saw the sisga
tien Jaajus Rochester. who Is one o. ths
attorneys Tor Drs. Jordan and Van Buren,, as,
arrived before the battle began.
II did not take ". II. Waite long TO explain
way ne was thers. de demanded bearing. an>
then asked IL see tia return OF the search war
rant sor the Ycsler mansion sud The affidavit ol
whlch IL was made. The atiidayi: sworG % b.
Jaseph r. Brown produced, but the searcf