The herald., 1895-05-30
Claims of an Incompetent to the
COrOneI Estate
DISPOSED OF FOR A SONG
An Important Contract Recovered After
Many Days,
Story Of Weak rinded Fiddler and Rich
Uncle Who Left His Wealth to
His Widow

The interest evidenced in the finding OF
a will made by the deceased millionaire,
Ex-Governor John G.. Downey, has
Iomewhat cast into the shade another
rather interesting event which was briefly
alluded to in the Herlad a couple OF days
ago, namely. the bringing of suit by
Pancho Yndart against the executrix
of the Will of the late Don Antonio L.
Coronel, who died a little over year ago.
Mr. COronel was well-known and
prominent citizen of Los Angeles, of "A
studious and inauiring mind, scholar.
and he had, both before California came
under American rule and afterward oc-
cupied positions of public trust. He was
the son of Ygnacio Coronel,. a man of
means who died here in September, 1867,
leaving several ether childen, one being
Mrs. Soledad Indart, another Mrs. Maria
Antonio Cooley, also Il son. Manuel f,
Coron,il, and grandson. Frank Sabichi.
the only child of a deceased daughter.
At the time OF the acquisition of Cali
fornia by the United States, Ygnacio
Corone ell owned lot of land on Niger
alley, near the plaza. with adobe build
ings thereon, commonly known as the
Coronel block, also fifty-acre ranch
bounded by Seventh, Eighth and San
Pedro streets. Finding that he could not
accustom himself to the modes of bust
ness of the Gringos, he conveyed his
realty TO Antonio. in trust and during
Ygnacio's life time the son always raid
him the rents and profits derived from
the properties.
1t is alleged that the titles to these two
tracts had been delivered to Antonio by
his rather at the time he executed the
trust Deeds The records OF the grants
of these, however, which should have
been in the archives of the city of Los
Angeles, were lost and have never beer
found The complaint IN the suit says
that in 1853 Antonio, taking advantage
of the absence from the archives OF the
title to the land on San Pedro street,
represented TO the council that he was
its owner under grant that had been
lost and prayed for new title TO it, which
was issued. Afterwards in 1887 Antonio
applied for another deed from the city
because of some mistake IN the former
deed, and this too was executed.
Soledad. the sister of Antonio. had mar
ried a native of Spain named Miguel
1ndart. who was merchant here in
California for number of years. In 1854
or 1855 lie went to Mexico and took SER
vico 1der General Alvarez. who was try
ing to down President Santa Ana. Yndart
was appointed captain and saw some ser
vice in the state OF Guerrero. where the
agitation was very stro ig. General Santa
Ana swooped down upon that state with
at Coquilo. Yndart and Il number of
other insurgents were caught alive and
suffered the tate of the vanQushed III
Mexico-they were shot. fterward the
Commonfort administration made grant
of $l2. $40 to be paid to the widow of Cap
tain Yndart. Antonio Corcnel went to
the City of Mexico to collect this money.
and 1t is alleged that he never accounted
sor it I'd the widow or her son, Francisco
or Pancho. as he is commonly called,
who was born February I'D. 1883.
Mrs. Indart resided with her brother
Antonio. intrusting to HIM all her busi
ness. In March, 1872. Immediately pre-
ceding her DEATH she made her brother
the guardian Of the child, who grew up
in the family and remained with his
uncle until after this ma joirty. When An
tonic accepted the guardianship he and
his brother Manuel f. CoroEel execLted
document which was placed in the dy-
ing mothers hands and by her entrusted
to her friend, Mrs. Luisa Garias. VINO
kept it in her possession until after the
death of Don Antonio, when she placed
it in the hands OF Major Horace Bell the
attorney for Pancho fndarr.
The paper was an agreement made on
the lst of March. 1872, by which all the
parties thereto obligated them selves to
care for young Yndart during life and to
be trustees of the interests of Soedad
Yndart as heir of the deceased Ygnacio
i. Coronel and Francisco, his late wife.
consisting of halt of the Coronel block
and half of the ranch. Owing to the in
capacity of young Indart to manage
business on account of mental weakness.
the guardians obligated themselves to
manage his property for him and main
tain him during life out of its products,
or to turn over the estate he Il iI trust
when they beleved il proper and safe TO
do so. The two brothers. Antonio and
Manuel bound themselves not to buy