The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-10-30
How an Estate DWindled From
Big Proportions to Moth.
ing.
THE HEIRS DIE ONE BY ONE.
Tn Jars Employ. ID in Doing Two
Hours Work.


lation of attorneys on both sides in the
settlement of the estates of Edward T.
Kennedy and Amelia Marie Kennedy,
made an order some months ago making
an allowance for expenses and attorneys
fees amounting to several thousand dol
lars.
Judge Coffey under similar representa-
| tons m ade an order permitting the sale of
| certain real estate, out of the proceeds of
| which this amount was to be paid.
Walter IL. Linforth appeared before both
these courts yesterday morning and Sc
cured orders which require all parties to
appear next Friday morning to show
why the order in the one case should not
be modified and in the other set aside.
William T. Baggett and Charles H. Lin
forth represent a creditor of the estate, who
has secured judgment and holds Sheriff's
deco for the property to be sold. The
facts which they set forth afford remark
able illustration of how estates may be and
are literally appropriated by the lawyers
engaged in their settlement"
In the hearing before Judge Coffey yes
terday upon the petition of Attorneys
Baggett and Linforth for a distribution of
this estate 1t was developed that the
monthly rentals, which in 1875 amounted
diminished while the heirs have received
nothing. The estate, which in 1878 was
valued at $3.50, 000 now is practically nil
The story briefly is this Edward Ken
nedy died in 1878, bequeathing his widow
hall and to trustees for his three children
the other half of his estate, which, as
stated, was valued at about $1500OO.
Within a year after the death of the
father the mother also died. The fathers
estate was promptly closed up by Hall
McAllister, the children's half going to
trustees and the mothers half TO Alfred
Chalgneau as executor of the mothers
estate. That wound up the fathers estate.
Now enters small army of the lawyers.
John j. Roche became the attorney of the
executor Alfred Chaigneau, also of Mrs.
Chalgneau, administrative Of the estate of
Amelia Victoria Kennedy, one of the
daughters, who has since died.
na Henry id Hight9 to represented Mrs; Ken
Henry Eichoff was appointed by the court
to look out for the interests of Edna v.
Kennedy, an infant, and Andrew Thorne
represented Frederick Kennedy as the ad-
ministrator of the estate of his brother Ed
ward, for the heirs kept dying during the
twenty years of legal waiting.
Following the mother death the daugh-
ter died, leaving two brothers. Edward t.
Kennedy, one OF the brothers, married in
1889. He died leaving a widow and a
child. The widow is now heir to quarter
of what is left of the mothers, sisters and
her husbands interest. Her child is heir
| to another quarter of this same, and Fred
erick K, the surviving son and brother, is
! heir to the half
| From 1875 the heirs waited and begged
| for distribution of the estate, but could
| not secure it. In 1892 the widow of Ed
| ward I. Kennedy, left entirely without
| means, borrowed money from Edith A
| han mol To hap fnr
and that has run along before referee,
Nathan Frank, with postponement after
postponement, eliminating in this order
for sale of real estate, to which all the at
torneys in the case by stipulation agreed
| Henry Eichoff, the attorney appointed
| by the court, said yesterday that this ac-
counting matter, which has run through
| two years, could have and should have
| been settled in two hours.
In despair of ever having the money re-
| turned to her that she loaned the widow
| for the bringing of this suit, Edith A
| Chapel brought suit on her own account
| to recover the sum, and engaged Baggett
and Linforth. They got judgment and as
stated, had Sheriff's deed to the property
ordered sold. They oppose the sale on the
ground that the attorneys simply want to
| get hold of the cash to appropriate another
large slice of the small fragment of the
| estate that is left.
order referred to they make the statement
that J. J. Roche has already received fees
in excess of the $500 for which he agreed
to settle up the estate, and that he is,
under the stipulated agreement presented
to the court, claiming $500 still more.
The court is asked to cut this sum, to-
gether with others cited out of the order
which has been allowed.
! 1t is asserted that Frederick Kennedy,
| the surviving son of Edward Kennedy,
who is administrator of the estate of his
| brother, is sickly and of weak mind, and
| that this fact has been taken advantage of
to delay settlement.
Under examination by Mr.. Linforth be-
fore Judge Coffey Kennedy admitted to
signing deeds for the sale of valuable prop
erty, and confessed that he never saw the
money resulting from such sales, and did
not know what had become of it. AT the
close of the examination he fell from the
wltness-stand in a fit.