The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-10
FAIRS WILL At AUCTION,
The Stolen Document Has
Been Vainly HaWked Among
the Lawyers.
None Would Buy 1t Because the Ger
titled Copy Has Been Admitted
to Probate.

The will of James G. Fair, which was
stolen from the County Clerks office some
time during January CT this year is oh,
tainable for coin, so it seems, but the law
yers in the case do not care whether it is
forthcoming or not.
Several weeks ago it was rumored that
some one was trying to negotiate the re-
turn of the stolen instrument. Several
persons called on the attorneys in the case
and made mysterious offers to return the
will to the Office of the County Clerk, pro-
viding money, ranging in sums all the
way from $500 to $780, was paid to the
respective negotiators Though some OF
the offers came from men OF known
responsibility, the attorneys were slow to
entertain any proposition.
Attorneys Pierson & Mitchell, repre-
senting the special Observation-Disclosures
Angus and Crothers - finally consulted
Judge Slack. The latter was not inclined
to reward theft, and advised the ATTORNEYS
to have nothing to do with the PROPOSE
ton. Messrs. Pierson & Mitchell were
not approached by anv avowed messengers
or representatives of Detective Curtin, and
they were in the gloom as to who the prin-
cipal might be.
1t was not so with Carrot McEnernev.
however, and he went before Judge Slack
with the information that John Curtin
was the man who claimed to be able to
produce the distracted document, if
enough money was paid by those inter
ested to recompense him for his trouble
Mr.. McEnerney was given the same advice
which was given by the Judge to Messrs.
Pierson & Mitchell.
O1lJS RraScp nf tho cYoonio oil nd iy,ic
traitors, said yesterday: Il do not know of
my personal knowledge that any such
offer was made by Detective Curtin, or any
one else. | know of it only through my
attorneys. No one ever peddled the stolen
will around here. If it had drifted in our
office during the course of its hawking |,
for one of the administrators, would have
had nothing to do with the auctioneers."
Mr.. Pierson said: 1--WE were approached
by twenty or thirty persons who had the
Will for sale. l cannot give any names,
though l will say this much that one was a
well-known Front-street merchant and an
other prominent politician, who was at
one time a Senator.
"They did not say whom they repre-
sented or whence they came. We went to
Judge Slack, as YOU know, and were adj
AS a matter of fact, we do not care whether
the will is returned or remains wrapped in
a dense mystery all its own
Eyes, Curtin was the man who was try
ing to negotiate the sale of the will" said
Attorney .McEnerney, land | was rather
in favor of entertaining the proposition of
purchasing the document for $1,000, if only
to relieve the case of its legal embarrass-
ments, although the court had admitted
the certified copy. Inasmuch as Wheeler
has filed a bill of exceptions to Judge
Slack's order admitting the certified copy
l rather thought it might be worth a thou
sand dollars to get the original back on
the flies.
Curtin did not claim that he had the
will, but that he could produce it if COM
pensated sufficiently for his pains. B ut, as
| have said, there is no need for the origi-
nal instrument except to relieve the case
of all embarrassments.'
Detective Curtin does not deny, as first
said that he has been acting in the mat
ter, though he says it was only in the ca
pacity of a messenger.
Whoever he may be who has the stolen
will in his possession it is palpable an ex-
pensive blunder has been made Had the
will been put up at auction before the
court admitted the certified copy it is prob
able a purchaser could have been found.
AT present its valuation is to be fixed
mainly by the rag and bottle mans scales.