Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-01
FORTUNE FOR KEEPING SOBER.
George Crocker Claims His Inhcrit-
nmcc Afier u EiNc Ncnrs' Tcai.

nncc AFTER ~ rive Years Test.
BY keeping sober for five consecutive
years George Crocker, son of the late
Charles Crocker. has earned half a million
dollars. relates the San Francisco Chron-
icle. He is son of the late Charles
Crocker. Because of his dissipated habits
he was excluded from receiving his share
of his fathers will As now develops, pro-
vision was made for him in n different way
The question as to Crocker's sobriety or
lack of sobrety is submitted for judicial de-
termination in suit filed Wednesday. The
plaintiffs in the action are Charles +.
Crocker and William II. Crockcr as trustees
of a trust created by their father on April
%. 1887. The defendants are George Crocker
the beneficiary of the trust, and the minor
children of Charles +. and William H.
Crocker and Harriet V. Alexander, the only
daughter OF Charles Crocker
The complaint shows that the plaintihs
held in trust 490 1000 bonds of the South
crn Pacific Branch Railway company They
received the bonds under an agreement
which has been in force ever since the death
Of Charles Crockcr. which occurred on Au-
gust a. 1855 Under the agreement they
were given power TO handle the property free
from any order of court and to receive ana
invest the income as they deemed best. Inc
complaint continues:
And said written agreement further pro
vidcd and provides that II at any time within
fifteen years after the death OF said Charles
Crockor the said trustees or their Survivors
or successors shall be satisfied that lis son,
the said George Crocker, shall, at any time
after the said 22d day Of April 1857, FOR the
space of five years continuously abstain from
the use of sprituous. vinOus and malt liquors
to the extent that he shall not during such
period have been intoxicated, then at such
time the whole of said trust property with
the interest thereon and the income thereof
shall vest In and become the property OF
the said George Crocker. and that the said
trustees and their survivors and successors
shall thereupon assign, transfer ana deliver
the same to said George Crockor.
II was further provided that should George
Crocker die without fulfilling the condition
of the trust, or fail, for any reason, to OBJ
serve such condition, the trust property was
to go in equal shares to the children OF
Charles f. and William II. Crocker and Mrs
Alexander.
Although Charles Crocker died in 1883,
George Crocker for several years made no
effort to meet the condition imposed by his
father. His start on career OF sobrlety
was made on September IS, 1891. The five
years were up last Tuesday. George now
declares that he was sober during the entire
time, and has made a demand upon his
brothers to be placed in possession OF the
property which they hold in trust.
The plaintiffs say in their complaint that
they are willing aud ready to deliver the
property. They have been advised, how
ever, that the defendants have a right to
question Georges declaration of his sobriety,
For that reason they are unable to make de-
livery except at a great personal risk, which
they do not care to assume, anu hence their
application TO the court.
The plaintiffs ask for a judicial finding
that George is entitled to his property. II
such a finding is had they ask further for
a judicial decree settling and approving
their accounts and authorizing immediate
delivery and conveyance Of the property TO
the beneficiary Of the trust.
Reference is made in the complaint to the
will of Cro2kcr dated May =, 1851 BY this
will the residue of the estate was be-
dusathed to his widow. Mary a. Crocker,
and his sens, Charles +. and William H.
Crocker An agreement made the same day,
excepted from the residue the property
which Rad previously been conveyed in trust
for George CroCker.