The herald., 1895-02-21
THE DONNEY INHERITANCE
A. G. GuiradO Demands an
Eighth of 1t
MORE SUITS MAY FOLLOW
They Would Involve Nearly Seven
Hundred Thousand Dollars
But Very Valuable Document Establishing
the Rights of Claimants Is
IrretrievabIy Lost

There was filed Yesterday in the office
of the County Clerk the complaint in an
action involving nearly $3.50, 900. r. c.
Guirado, formerly a druggist in this city,
is the plaintiff, and his suit is only the
forerunner, in the event of success, to
three Others by which one-half of the
late Governor John G. Downey's estate
would be diverted from his present heirs
to go to those of his first wife, Mrs. Maria
J. Guirado, who was burned to death
in the Tehachepi railroad disaster of
January Goth, 1883
The action is brought against j. Downey
Harvey, administrator of the estate and
Eleanor Martin, Annie Donahue and
Winefride Martin, the heirs at law OF the
late Downey. The allegations are that
Governor Downey died intestate in March,
1894, leaving an estate of 81, 40l, 1861,
as appears by the inventory which was
filed in June, 1884. In 1852 Downey mar
ried Maria J. Guirado, who died on Janu-
airy goth, 1888, leaving, beside her hus-
band, four brothers named r. G. Guirado,
81 years old. Leandro, 50; Bernardino
40, and Frank, now deceased. The latter
left three children whose names are
Vicente. of the age of Il; J. F., 10 years
old, and Alonzo, who is now s years OF
age.
Plaintiff Guirado says that after the
death of his wife, Governor Downey asked
him and his brothers to give him quit
claim deed to their interest in her prop
erty so that he might handle the totality
of the Downey estate without hindrance,
and dispose OF it to advantage.
In order to secure the consent OF his
wfe's heirs, Guirado AYERS that Governor
Downey promised that if they did his
bidding they would lose nothing by it,
because he would remember in his will
Il hiG hr,,t tn.,rS -1.at
Relying upon this pledge, the four men
executed to Mr. Downey a quit-claim
deed for all their interest in Mrs. Dow
ney's property. On September H. 1888,
the deceased, in his turn, fulfilled his
promise by handing to r. G. Guirado the
following document:
Los Angeles Cal, Sept. II, 1888.
| agree to leave in my will one-half of
my estate to the heirs of my wife, Maria
j. Downey, now deceased, which | admit
and acknowledge to be one-half OF my
estate, and upon my death, when this
paper is shown to my executor, he is au-
thorized and directed to make a deed to
one-half of my estate to my wfe's said
heirs The deeds heretofore made by
said heirs, or any of them, are to be of
no validity against them after my death.
John G. Downey.
Witness to this copy of the original r.
G. Guirado.
Ibis document remained Ill UDe Gus
tody OF Mr.. Guirado until the lst of Jan
uay, 1893, when by some unexplained
means it WAS lost or destroyed.
Guirado now claims that his right to a
/, part of the Downey estate remains un-
affected by the loss of this paper and
I. that its conditions are still in full force,
! because the deceased made no will in his
lifetime, died intestate and left his
pledges unfulfiled. He states that he
! and the other heirs of his sister have
/ made demand of the administrator and
the heirs of the Downey estate, for one
half OF it's amount and that it was refused
them
Personally, he alleges he is entitled to
/ one-iourth of the property left by Gov
ernor Downey, and he prays. the superior
Court of this county that the due execu-
ton of the contract be established by
! Judgment, and that j. Downey Harvey
! and thelother heirs be directed to deliver
to him deed for his share, or failing
this, the sum of $175, 17S. % R. A. Ling,
| is the attorney of r. G. Guirado.