The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-29
Mrs. Craven.Fair Causes the OPP
posing Counsel Great Mental
Distress.
STORY OF THREE WITNESSES.
Two Women and a Man Who Think
They Can Throw Some Light on
the Pencil Will.

| Mrs. Nettie Craven Fair is not the
least disturbed over the alleged discovery
of three witnesses who will swear that on
September "a, 1894, the date of the now
famous pencil will, James G. Fair was Sc
riously i'll in his apartments at the Lick
House.
The chief surprise of the widow is that
these witnesses did not n lumber six, nine
or twelve, instead of three, all of whom are
from one family William Elliott wife
and daughter are the persons referred to,
and the story that the two last named tell
is one so extremely questionable as to find
credence only in the minds of the attor-
neys for the Fair children.
Elliott is bartender in Castros Mont
gomery-street saloon. About the time OF
the writing of the pencil will, so Mrs. FL
lott says. a friend of hers died, leaving
two children. The bartender endeavored
to get passes for the orphans to Los An
geles, but the Southern Pacific could not
see it that way, suggesting that an appeal
be made to some wealthy or charitable
person.
Mrs. Elliott. accompanied by her daugh-
ter, accordingly called on Senator Fair at
the Lick House, but he was. so she says,
them this, and he, according to this story,
volunteered the additional information
that for three days the millionaire had
been too sick to see any one but his physi-
clan. 1t was during this interesting inter-
change of words between Mrs. Elliott and
Fairs servant that the daughter inno-
Gently ambled over to pair Of heavy
portieres and is stated to have heard
what Heggerty and Knight now believe
will assist them materially in getting at
the true facts of the case. From beyond
the heavy coverings came the sound of
voices-a man and woman in earnest con-
versation. Distinctly, according to this
remarkable statement, she heard a woman
say, ''If we could only get him to sign it,"
At least such is the story told by Miss
Elliott and her mother. The young
woman. after hearing the tell-tale words,
discreetly Withdrew to the side of her
mother, and then the couple left the room.
Fairs secretary, however, gave sufficient
sum of money to enable the bartender's
wife to send the two children to Los An
geles. In any event Mrs. Elliott wrote to
the aunt of the orphans informing her of
their departure. When Mrs. Craven-Fair
produced the pencil will Mrs. Elliott pro-
fessd to remember that the case of the two
orphans came up about that time. She
wrote for the letter above referred to and
was fortunate enough to have it returned.
The date is September %, 1894, or the day
following her call at the Lick House.
All this. however, gives Mrs. Craven
Fair no uneasiness. She is confident of
her position, and declares it was nothing
more than was to be expected.
1--WE have heard of all this" said pretty
Miss Margaret Craven yesterday, land
assure you that mother is not the least dis
turbed over it. Mothers attorneys have
instructed her not to talk for publication
at present, though you can say that this
latest story is without TO undation in fact"
While the attorneys for the Fair heirs
are busy looking after their own fences
they are not forgetting those built by Mrs.
Craven Fair. That lady stated in open
court that there was possibly one person
who knew that she was Fairs wife.
Knight and Heggerty have been assidu-
ously endeavoring to find this person.
Her name, it appears, is Mrs. Rhind of
Jones street, but so far the attorneys have
signally failed in their efforts to draw her
out She declared yesterday that she had
absolutely nothing to tell except that a
sister of hers had occupied the upper fat
of the Sutter-street house where the con-
tract marriage between Mrs. Craven and
Senator Fair was signed.
Mrs. Rhind failed to tell where this
sister could be found, though she was con-
fdent that no information could be gained
in that quarter. In any event the counsel
opposing Mrs. Craven-Fair have so far
failed to refute any of the testimony
given by the widow before Judge Slack.