The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-29
He Paid Thousands Of Dollars to
Keep Her Silent.
THE STORY OF HIS EARLY CAREER.
As Told by A. B. BaVis-TeStimOny in
the Will Contest in Behalf Of
Contestant.

who practically dlSlnherlted his son
George, leaving the bulk of his $4,000, 900
estate to his widow, Eva Rose, who mar
ried him at Dublin after few days ac-
quaintance, has begun in earnest. Testi
mony by witnesses and by deposition was
presented to-day, and an audience that
packed the courtroom drank it all in with
eagerness. Much evidence favorable to the
contestant was introduced, and thus far
seventy-five exceptions by the proponents
decorate the record. When the case was
called this morning it was seen that an
other legal light had been added to the
galaxy on the side of the young widow,
showing the desperate efforts to save the
will that are being made. The new lawyer
was ex-Judge Francis E. Spencer.
The proceedings opened with the deposi-
ton of John Cornelius Corbett, resident
of Alborn avenue, San Francisco. He
came to San Francisco in 1849. Knew Ed
ward Barron from 1852, until the time of
his death. Barron came to Corbett's house
with letters from New York Got employ
cisco as a butcher.
"Who for?'
sCharles Lux of Lux & Miller"
CATER leaving your fathers house where
did Mr.. and Mrs. Barron take up their resi-
dence?"
ain the Mission Dolores"
''Did your father advance him any
money?'
Objected to by Judge CARRIER, joined by
Attorney Bowden.
Objection overruled and proponents ex-
cept.
"He advanced him a small amount to
get tools and things with
'Give us an idea of the size of the shop?"
81 suppose the shop was about the same
size as this room"
"They lived above the shop?'
''They did
SAT that time they had no children2"
''They did not. ,"
''What was Mrs. Barron's occupation up
to the time of Barrons going into bust
ness?"
"She was seamstress."
"Going out and taking in sewing?"
Eyes, sir; until Barron went into bust
ness"
"After going into business what did Mrs.
Barron do?"
TENDED shop, waited on customers, etc. :"
GLOW long did this continue at the shop
in the Mission-on Sixteenth street?"
''Until the fall of 1854. About one year
and half"
''What business did he start in down
town?''
"Wholesale and retail butcher"
GLOW long did he stay in business?'
"Until he gave up business and went into
mining. 1t was during the excitement on
the Comstock.'
Did Barron ever get hurt while in the
butcher business?"
cat one time wild steer gotEoose and
ripped up his arm, laying him up for a
couple of months"
During his illness who attended to the
business ?''
Mrs. Barron had sole charge of the
business. One man helped her in the
shop and another delivered meat"
'You know that Mrs. Barron gave birth
TO number of children?"
six in ALL"
'What were your relations toward the
Barron family?"
Twisted them frequently. They lived
in one part of the city and my family in
another part"
''What was Mrs. Barron's conduct as a
wife and mother?''
"Kind, considerable and affectionate al
ways"
The next deposition was that of Mary A.
Corbett, wife of John c. Corbett. The de-
position was in substance the same as that
of her husband, whom she married in 1855.
"What made Mrs. Barron remove to
Santa Clara?"
"Mrs. Barron told me she was forced to
CO."
Stricken out.
"Then you don't know why she went to
Santa Clara?"
''Mr. and Mrs. Barron had difference
between themselves"
"What was their attitude toward each
other when you first knew them2"
"He was very good husband as far as
I knew"
"Was there any change in after years ?"
Objected to on ground of remoteness,
not proving incapaeity to make will, etc.
Attorney Delmas argued at length on
the admissibility of evidence covering the
entire history of testator for the purpose of
discovering motives in the making of the
will Contestants proposed to show that
the fortune was built up by the young peo-
pie when they first came to the State, by
the industry, energy and frugality of both.
Contestants proposed to prove what was
the duty of Barron toward the children of
his first wife, who toiled and struggled with
him to build up the fortune, rather than to
the children of Eva Rose Barron, who had
not contributed one effort toward the ac-
. cumulation of the fortune in question The
contestants proposed to prove that it was
the influence of the then living wife, who
had not contributed one cent toward the
building up of the fortune, rather than the
Just claims of the children of the then dead
wife, who had toiled and struggled with
Barron to build up the fortune, that had
dictated the provisions in the dead mil
onaire's will.
Judge CARRIER answered the arguments
of Attorney Delmas at length.
Attorney Delmas said at the very outset
the question arose as to who were the
proper claimants for the bounty of Ed
ward Barron. In her life the wife, who
had started with him poor and penniless,
had not eniOved the fortune that she nv