The San Francisco call., 1896-11-19
Mrs. Craven and Her Principal
Witnesses Meet for
Consultation.
Judge Slack Has Appointed Three
Appraisers to Inventory the
Fair Estate.


will has passed out of the complication.
The special administrators. w. K. Good
fellow, James s. Angus and Thomas r.
Crothers, and their counsel, will stand
with the heirs and their counsel in oppos-
ing the suit of Nettie r. Craven to recover
possession of the Mission and Pine street
properties while they are opposed to each
other in the contest over the trust clause
in the probated will, for the admInistra-
tors are also the trustees.
All sorts of dire things are being said
with regard to those deeds and the claim
ants under them. 1t is asserted that the
activity of the Police Department, begun
in anticipation of the trial of the will con-
test. will be continued in the matter of the
claims under the deeds held by Mrs. Cra-
ven for the Nilsson and Pine street prop
critics. 1t is alleged that the police have
evidence going 10 show that the deeds are
forgeries, and that this evidence Will be
brought before the Grand Jury.
On the other hand, the counsel for Mrs.
Cr aven declare that should this action be
taken it wou Id please them 10 meet and
answer the charges on those lines as well,
if not better, than upon any other.
1.-The same principle is involved in the
deeds as in the will" they say. "The
counsel for Charles Fair piled up stacks of
xpert testimony to our hand when they
pr oduced and espoused the pencil will,
as they did up to very recent date and
until the trust clause OF the pencil will
had been decided invalid. The resources
of the City in the matter of experts and
friends of Fair familiar with his and
writing were almost exhausted to show
~. = Nf l,sc
That evidence is still there. 1t will be a
strange spectacle 10 see them now bring
ing charges of forgery in face of that evi-
dence. supported by some other expert
evidence going to show that 1t is not
Fairs signature"
1t is not claimed that the deeds, which
are also written in pencil, were drawn by
Senator Fair himself. So far from being
an element of weakness it is cited as one
OF strength by the counsel for Mrs.
Craven, for they will introduce as a wit
ness the man who wrote them, said to be
a gentleman of high standing and a
familiar friend of Senator Fair. The
name OF the person to whom the property
was to be decided was not written by this
person, space being left for it and in
which the name of Mrs. Craven was after
wards inserted. The experts imported
from the East WILL therefore, direct their
attention toward the signature, James
g. Fair"
The experts. Messrs. Ames and Car
vaiho, have taken q room in the Parrott
building, adjoining the offices of knight
& Haggerty and Charles Fair, and with
the most improved appliances are at
work.
They had not been in the Office twenty
minutes before they were able to point
out convincing discrepancies in the pen
Gil will,' said George Knight yesterday.
aEIneV will do tho ba
deeds. We have provided microscopes
that allow nothing to get away. They
cost the neat sum of $1,000, but it is won-
derful the work they 90. Talk about the
y ray-the work of these instruments is
almost as remarkable. No. it is absurd
for the plaintiffs in this eiectment suit 10
expect to win by merely getting behind a
'notaria seal. l may say that the claim
of Notary Cooney for damages for the al
legation of forgery by Charles Fair is also
absurd, as he will doubtless discover be-
fore all this litigation is concluded"
1t is known that Fair has number of
private detectives in his employ working
on this matter, and one of them was over
heard TO say In so many words and speak
ing of this matter, "We have the Grand
Jury all right, anyhow"
The counsel fer Mrs. Craven are busy
pre- pairing for the trial of the ejectment
suit, which they expect will be reac he'd
carly Ai 1Hey are eager
trial. they say. and would like TO bring on
the issue earlier, but that the crowded
state of Judge SIack's docket prevents
They had consultation with the prlnci-
pals yesterday, Mrs. Craven, Mr.. Roberts
and Mr.. Williams being present
With regard to the suit OF Fair against
Angus, to establish the status of tie trust
clause of the probated will, it is under
stood that the opposing counsel have
agreed upon a means of getting to the
Supreme Court as quickly as possible With
that question.
While Judge Slack has decided the trust
clause invalid with regard to~real prop
erty, judgment has not been given, and
therefore an appeal could not be taken
IL is understood that under this agree
ment Charles Fair will be placed on the
stand on Tuesday, when the case comes
up before Judge Slack. few questions
Will be asked h i'm and then judgment will
be asked, given and an appeal taken.
The heirs of the Fair estate are losing
no time in the matter of securing to them
selves their own under the will allowed to
go to probate last Monday.
Upon their application Judgel Slack yes
terday appointed three appraisers of the
estate, who were no sooner appointed
than they began their work of placing val
ues upon the big property.
The appraisers are Richard Y. Dey, Gus
taye L. Brcsse and Ernest A. Leigh
Dey is the choice of the heirs. He for
many years occupied the closest of busi-
ness relations with the late Senator, being
his private secretary and companion in a
tour of the world. He has been the busi-
ness agent of the estate for some years
and was one of The executors of the will of
Mrs. Fair.
Gustave L. Bresse is brother of the
late Eugene w. Bresse, who was named
as one of the trustees of the probated will
and who was Senator Fairs private secre-
tary at the time of the mllionaire's death
Mr.. Bresse was selected by the special adj.
ministrators of the estate, Goodfell ow
Angus and Crothcrs.
Ernest A. Leigh was chosen by Judge
Slack TO represent the Probate Court in
listing the property and placing valua-
tions upon it. Mr.. Leigh is me mber of
the real estate firm of Davidson q Leigh
The appraisers met yesterday and began
the preliminary work of taking an inven-
tory OF the estate.