The herald., 1895-05-18
A Suit Involving a Valuable
Tract of Land
TALCOTT AGAINST CARRAN
The Handiwork of Little Napoleon
OF Finance
Married a Rich Young Lady and Fled the
State When He Had Jeopardized
Her All

Inc UllnS III tue superior court Ol u Dlu
in equity in which the plaintiffs are Mrs.
Emma Moerenhout de Philip, Mrs.
Blanche f. Talcott, who formerly was
Mrs. Clinton. and her children, and Mrs.
Catherine 7. Carran, administrative of
the estate of Thomas J. Carran deceased.
and others. the defendants. involves the
ownership OF real estate in the city OF LOS
Angeles which IS worth today $40 Ou0.
1t calls to mind again the story OF rare
mismanagemcnt by which a valuable
estate, whose original owne, had lett it 20
his daughter and granddaughter in SEEM
ingly such way that it could not pe
alicnatcd from them during their life
time, was frittered away with the greatest
of ease by the husband OF Que OF them.
Many people here will recolect the ven
eroble j. A. Moerenhout. who was for
many wears consul of France for Southern
California. lie was one OF the most aim
able and excellent gentlem en- eAtaut bat
he had a great distrus: fo, sonsin- law,
and probably for cause. Mr.. Moerenhout
had plenty OF landed property, and would
have had considerable ready cash ii he
had not been obliged to sink it in a
couple of lawsuits involving large tracts
OF land, which if he had won them would
:. In 1879 he had reached the great age o
81 years. but he was Just as spry and bril-
liant in intellect as in the days of his
yont tn. Knowing. However, that he could
not live on forever, and being desirous
to provide securely for his daughter and
granddaughter. he decided them on May
1ith OF that year, as dn estate for lite.
with remainder in fee simple 10 the issue
of his granddaughter. Blanche Il. Crow
ley, ranch containing 4757 acres at the
corner of Jefferson aud san Pedro streets,
just outside the city limits. and large
lot Oh Main treet, between Second anu
Third streets. The ranch today is cst-
mated to be worth 800, 900 ana the lot
upon which stands the Nc Lain & Lehman
building. 5000. 1t was expressly pro-
vlded in the deed that the estate should
be free from all control. interference or
liabilities of any husbands which either
of his relatives might have. Mr.. Moenre-
hout died soon thereafter.
In August, 1881, Mis-. Crowley married
Winfield A. Clinton, and they had two
children In the course OF time. both OF
whom are now living. Miss Edwin Moore
Clinton ana the other Marie AntolnetJe
Clinton. After the honeymoon Clinton
began to cast covetous eyes at his wife's
property and devise means ny which he
would be enabled to throw it away upon
risky schemes for aggrandizement and
fast living. To begin with, he secured the
appointment of administrator to the es-
tate of the deceased grandfather of his
wife, notwithstanding the provision in
the deeds and the will prohibiting such
course. Then he leased the Moeren-
hout rancho to one ;. Bodrero for nine
years for the sum of $50O0 paid in advance.
His lease will not expire until next Feb
ruary. Clinton's next Napoleonic move
in the financial line was to lease the lot
on Main street to Messrs. McLain & Leh-
man for fifteen years with the privilege
of five years more at the :ate OF $500 per
year. This tease will remain in opera
ton until July |. 1903.
Having now disposed OF all the real es-
tate that was in sight he proceedd to
build hims elf. and thus erected block
OIL Upper Main street called the Clinton
block, in which lie sunk $40 600. To Sc
cure the money he made his mother-in-
law, Mrs. Philip and his wife endorse
Eotes. And all this time he was getting
deeper and deeper involved in wildcat
specuations. He sold tell acres Of the
ranch out and out for $4,000 without an
order of the probate court and could not
return the purchase money when called
upon to do so. Then he forced his wife
ana her mother to mortgage their home
to raise the wind leaving them virtually
stranded, temporarily at least. And then
ht sneaked out of the state, taking with
him all the ready cash that he could
gather and leaving his family without
cent.
During the time of Clinton's s speculation
in this city he was the friend OF the late
Thomas J. Carran, formerly state sena-
tor in Ohio, and who was prominent
Republican in this section up to thu
time of his death at Sacramento, during
the state convention in June. 1891 Mrs.
Clinton had become acquainted with Mr..
Carran by having been introduced to him
by her husband.
Ii mcdiately after the flight and disap-
pearance of W. A. Clinton, the bill IN
equity alleges that Mr.. Carran persuaded
Mrs. Clinton to secure divorce from her
husband, and she did so OH May %, 1888.
However while Carran acted as her attor-
ncy in the matter, it was Frank z. Kelly,
who had been district attorney shortly
before, who appeared OF record, and his
appearance was without Mrs. Clinton s
consent.
Knowing the financial distress of Mrs.
Philip and Mrs. Clinton, Carran protferod
hem pecuniary assistance hut while he
was advancing them monev osten sbiy out
of his own pocket, the complaint alleges
that he was all the while paying them out
OF the $3.50 monthly renta.s which he col
lected from McLain X Lehman. In order
that they should not know of this. he
had, it is alleged represented To the ladies
that Clinton had collected the rent in Il
lump sum mp till january. 1890. and that
there could be no returns from that quar-
ter until then.
The next move he Is charged with was
to get Mrs. Phillip and Mrs. Clinton to
20 into insolvency and to have Andy
Francisco. jr., appoined assignee. Then
the lawyer became the purchaser Of the
hfe estate OF Mrs. Philip and Mrs. Clin-
ton in the McLain IL Lehman block for
$40. and of the Moerenhout ranch for $500,
and Andy Francisco. ir., the assignee,
decided 10 Carran the life estate of the la
dies in the two places. The real value of
the property so transferred was, accord
ing 10 the bill in equity, SOS, 334, ant! Car
ran told his clients that the reason he had
become the purchaser was TO enable Lin
to hold them for his clients in trust and
to protect them from waste.
A. W. Francisco. who was the conidcn-
t.al clerk OF Carran. was appointed guar
dian ct the person and estate OF the Clin-
ton minors III August. 1889. 1t is alleged
shat 1t was made without u petition hay
ing been presented 80 the superior, court
and without any notice OF presentation of
such petition to the next of kin. rs re-
quired ry law. AS guardian OF the mi
nors, Francisco sold in August, 1889, the
interests OF The infant hrirs N the
Moerenhout ranch to Don Jose Mascarel,
for $40, $40, but the sale was rot consum-
mated. because Mascare!'s attorneys con-
sldered the title defective. Mascarel had
deposited $lOsl prior 10 the purchase and
he now found it much harder to get it
back than he had anticipated. Thereaf-
ter, the bill in equity AYERS, there was a
uretenl.d sale To MasCarels and Francisco