The San Francisco call., 1897-07-15
Miss Lille Fl. Theurkauf
Gives Her Friends a
Surprise.
Proof That She Did Not Unduly
Influence the Testator's
Mind.
Production of an Important Document
From the Archives of the Scottish
Rite Masons.

A genuine sensation was caused in the
Probate Court yesterday by the filing of q
paper which purports 10 be the will OF the
late Louis F. Reichilng of this City, who
died several months ago. leaving an es
tate estimated at that time to be worth
about S100, 900.
County Clerk Northrop by c. E. Gillett o
Oakland at the request of ex-Judge John
F. Davis, who is attorney for George Good
man, special administrator of the Reich
ling estate.
The document IN which so much inter
es ceuters reads as follows:
In the name of God, ameni 1, Louis Frank
Reching, being OF sound mind and memory
do now make and publish this, my las will
and testament, that is to say:
l bequeath all my property, both real and
personal. TO my beloved cousin, Lille H
Theurkauf, the same TO be held in trust fol
her by my executor Ito act without bonds F
Reicnling, my father, until she has reached
her twentieth year.
LOUIS FRANK REICHLING.
Thomas H. Caswell and James s. Law.
son are witnesses to the instrument.
This will, the body of which is in the
handwriting of Mr.. Reichling, was ascer.
tanned to have been written by him at the
time he was about 10 take his fourth de.
gree in Masonry, and has bee n kept in the
archives OF the society ever since.
Immediately after the death of the tes-
tstor a will was filed, which, bv it's pro-
visions, gave to Miss Cornelia Theurkau
$4,000, and to the Academy of Sciences
OF his City magnificent Ca binet of mine.
raj specimens. Miss Lille Theurkauf was
in that instrument named as residuary
legatee, and against that will contest
was flied by relatives of the testator, on
the ground that it was procured by Mis-:
Lille by undue influence, and that the
testator was OF unsound nina. The pro-
duction of the will of 1883. which is more
favorable to Miss Lille Theurkauf than
the later will, puts her in very com for t.
able position.
AS no petition was filed with the docu-
ment of yesterday, it leaves Miss Lille
free TO choose which will she may ulti-
mately ask to have accepted as the u
thentic wish of the testator. If she should
withdraw her answer to the contest
against the. will of 1896, the court may
find that it is not entitled to be admitted
to probate, and in that event the will OF
1883 written when the testator was in the
prime of manhood and was presumably
free from undue influence may be con-
sidered s his desire for the disposition of
his estate. By that it would seem that it
was his intention to make Miss Lille
Theurkauf the recipient of his entire
bounty. If she should take under the
instrument of earlier cate she would get
$40, 900 more than by standing up for the
will which she is accused of procuring by
undue influence on the mind of man in
failing health.
As she is over 20 years of age, the trust
has laDsed and the property would come
to her direct. On the other hand, if she
chooses to stand up for the will of 1896,
the discovery of the will of 1883 shows
that for the last fourteen years of his life
Reichling intended to make her bis sole
legatee.
This would strengthen the presumption
that she had nothing to do with the
making of the last will, the terms OF
which are less favorable 10 her.