The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-19
CHARLEY FAIRS CASE.
His Counsel States 1t in
TerSe Terms.
UNDUE INFLUENCE CHARGED.
A Vast Estate Left in inexperienced
Hands.
THEY MIGHT THROW IT IN THE BAY.
The Children Left Wholly at the Mercy
Of Foreigners and Several
Cheap Clerks.
THEY MIGHT THROW IT IN THE BAY.

sci for Charles Fair, talking over the pro-
posed contest of that important document
last evening.
GAS a proposition of law it is a mon
strosity, vulnerable and breakable, be-
ieve.
"Shall we attempt to break it? That IS
another question which I am not prepared
to answer"
'But you have already taken the first
step?"
mot necessarily. We want to see all
the wills and the other papers appertaining
thereto They admit there is more thar
one will 1t is like the man who made
series of dying statements, read them over
one after the other-none fitted the case
and declared with an oath that he would
make one that would. We want to see all
the wills and see which fits the case-or
rather which is the real and intended will
of James G. Fair"
"But about the published will, what are
its vulnerable points ?"
at is an all-round monstrosity l tell
YOU Now, imagine a man having millions
to bestow placing it all in the hands of
lot of foreigners and comparative strangers,
leaving it to them to do with as they will,
wholly without bonds or other restraints.
Just think of it a minutel They could
enter into a contract with you tomorrow
to have you deliver 200 wagon loads of
sand over there on North Beach every
minute, and pay for it out of the funds of
the Fair estate. If they wish they can
throw it all in the bay, and there is no
one to call them to account for it.
Imagine man who brings children into
the world, no matter how, and who, one
way or another, collects a monumental
fortune of many millions, and goes out of
the world leaving his children wholly at
its mercy Why, the idea is monstrous,
as l say. James G. Fair in his right mind
was clear-headed business-man-none
can gainsay that.
9Why should he set his face against his
own unprotected daughter, Virginia FAIR,
leaving Charley Fair and the others out of
it? So far as that will is concerned, Vir-
ginia Fair may be pauper on the streets
tomorrow. 1t is wholly with the exec
utors to say whether she shall be or not.
Now, do you suppose that James G.. Fair
intended that, or would so intend if left
alone? I tell you that a man who would
do it is either under the influence of some
body or is simply nutty.'
"And who are these executors?" con-
tinued Mr.. Knight, warming to his topic.
"They are an Englishman who has not
been naturalized-a foreigner; an attorney
to whom he paid $3.50 a month, W. S.
Goodfellow by name; a Frenchman, a
clerk whom he paid $3.50 month, L. G.
Bresse by name; a Scotchman, also clerk,
whom Fair paid $3.50 month, ]. s. Angus
by name, and Thomas G. Crothers. These
are the men who are to administer Fairs
millions invested in a thousand shapes
requiring the best of business and execu-
tive ability to keep straight. Why, they
viii fall through themselves in the effort. ;"
'And what is your theory of how the
will making these remarkable provisions
came into being-who drew it?'
"W. S. Goodfellow, the attorney re-
ferred to- and who is himself named as one
of the executors. 1t was copied by w. NJ.
Pierson of Pierson & Mitchell. 1t stands
now in Mr.. Persons handwriting, but
there is one sentence in it that stamps its
authorship upon it: This is the last will
and testament of me, James G. Fair
That is Goodfellow's own"
''Well, which is it to your mind-a case
of undue influence or of being 'nutty,' as
you put il? ?"
''For long time previous to his death
Fair was under the direct influence of w.
S. Goodfellow."
"And how did this comparative stranger
and foreigner, as you call him, gain such
power over the millionaire?"
81 can't say, except that know that
Fair liked to have him about He was a
man he could swear at; perhaps that's the
reason. Fair liked to have man around
that he could swear at with impunity. He
had no use for man who would fight
back"
''And do your clients say they intend to
file contest?'
eve haven't got that far yet-under-
stand, now, don't say that we will con-
test. I simply say that the will is mon
strosity and would not, in my opinion,
stand in law. We have simply asked for
time to examine it, and the court has given
us three weeks, as any unbiased court
would do. We have also asked for the
other wills and papers, and the court has
ordered them to be brought in or cause to
be shown why not, next Wednesday"
'The immediate heirs remain in the
city, do they?"
''They are here-Mrs. Oelrichs, Miss Fair
and Charley Fair-and will remain to see
the matter through. Mr.. Oelrichs is in
New York, but will be back shortly"
ssGovernor Budd is to be associated with
you in the contest?"
"If there is contest, yes. Not in the
active prosecution of the case of course,
for he would not have time, but in an adj
visory way. Budd is a good lawyer and
Charley Fair knows it and knows him very
well, and Budd and are old friends. That
is all there is to that. Don't imagine it is
matter of pull or anything of that kind.
It is not. 1t is simply that Budd has a
good head on him and Mr.. Fair wants to
secure the benefit of his brains and knowl-
edge of the law"
The petition for the order from Judge
Slack directing the filing of all wills made
by the late Senator Fair is now in the
possession of his executors. 1t was filed
in court yesterday morning. The petition
was presented in the name of Charles L.
Fair in person. Citing each of the execu-
tors and their attorneys-W. S. Goodfellow,
n Rrasro Anons and Thomas q