The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-02
THE LOST FAIR WILL.
A Grand Jury Investigation in
Progress.
Curry Would Give $1,000 to See the Fair
Will in the County Clerks
Office Again.

The Grand Jury had very busy time of
it yesterday, and it was o'clock before an
adjournment was taken. The Fair will
case was the center of discussion and
score OF prominent business men andaat-
torneys cooled their heels in the anteroom
awaiting their turn to testify as to what
they knew about the mysterious disap-
pearance of that valuable document
Deputy County Clerks and Deputy Sher-
ifs tumbled over one another in the CORR
dor leading to the Grand Jury room.
Among those in attendance were: Cap
tain l. w. Lees, G. J. Stilwell, w. H.
Davis (the man who was the last seen to
have the will in his possession), w. NJ.
Pierson, George A. knight, r. B. Mitch
ell, Charles L. Fair, Charles ]. Heggerty,
w. S. Goodfellow, James S. Angus, Louis
Haley, ex-Chief Deputy Martin Fleming,
County Clerk Curry, Chief Deputy County
Clerk Harry Piper, Deputies Whiteside,
Heileman and Barry, Herbert Clarke (the
late Senator Fairs valet). Otto Arndt,
Reuben H. Lloyd, Judge Charles A. Low,
William 0. Leary, Charles Keilus and Ben
Napthaly.
These men were not all present on the
lost will case. Napthaly and Judge Low
were Ill diltuQdIlCt W ltll Wlldb bncy hlCW
about straw bond which, it is said, the
former furnished in the Judges court sew
eral months ago.
The first witness called in the Far will
matter was G. J. Stilwell. He had very
little to tell to the Grand Jury, and was
soon excused. w. III. Davis, a detective
employed in Stilwell's office, was next
called, and described in detail his connec-
ton with the lost will. He and Stilwell
went to the County Clerks office last
Thursday to inspect the will. The follow
ing day Davis went out alone, and Deputy
County Clerk Whitesides delivered the
document to him, taking receipt for the
same. Davis handed back the will after
examining it thoroughly. He then re-
turned it to Whitesides, who threw it care
lessly on the desk and gave Davis back his
receipt. That was all the light Davis could
throw on the matter.
Ex-County Clerk Haley and ex-Chief
Deputy Martin Fleming were the next
witnesses. They identified the roll of
paper found in the envelope as being SINH
lar to what was used in the County Clerks
Office under their regime. They also gave
the number of keys they turned over to
County Clerk Curry.
George A. Knight was the first attorney
called, and he was followed by Reuben II.
Lloyd. w. S. Goodfellow, Louis G. Bresse,
Captain |. W. Lees and R. B. Mitchell.
None of the examinations lasted more than
five minutes, and all the information they
had to give was of a general character
Captain Lees testimony closed the inves-
tigation for the day, and the jury then took
up other cases.
Charles L. Fair will be called on to testify
at the next meeting of the Grand Jury.
The most nervous man around the Grand
Jury room was County Clerk Curry. He
paced the corridor continuously and half
the time was lost in deep study. To a
friend he confided that he would willingly
give $1,000 to see the will back in the safe
in the same condition as when it was last
seen.
Charles L. Fair took the whole matter in
a very philosophical manner. He chatted
with George A. Knight, Reuben H. Lloyd
c. j. Haggerty and Judge G. A. Low and
at-intervals read few pages from book
he carried with him.
William o. Leary, an old man who dis
covered the loss of the will, was up from
the dumps, and waited all the afternoon,
but was not called.
Otto Arndt also waited. He is the man
who, while riding on Market-street car
last Monday afternoon, heard young man
telling in great glee about the loss of
Fairs will. His description of the man is
said to tally with that of Herbert Clarke,
the late Senator's valet, and the two will
be brought face to face to settle the
question.