The San Francisco call., 1897-06-22
Two Persons Petition
for Letters of Ad-
ministration.
Miss Lee of SausaIito VIII
Produce a Will in Her
Favor.
The Dead Mans Account Books
and Deeds Disappear With
His Diamonds.

SAN RAFAEL, CAL, June 2L-The
scene of the squsbbIe for the property of
the late DR.. Richard Thomas Freeman.
who died last Wednesday at the home of
Mrs. A. D. Bell, has been transferred from
Sausalito to the county seat and the
courts have now been appealed to. Public
Administrator Edward Eden filed in the
County Clerks office at O'Clock to-day q
petition for special letters of administra-
tion on the estate of DR.. Freeman. The
petition set forth that no application of
any kind had been flied for the probate of
the last will of the deceased, or for letters
OF ad ministration, and that the property
would suffer for want of an administrator.
The petition stated that DR.. Freeman left
no heirs-at-laH in California.
Jennie Lee, the niece of Mrs. Bell and
one of the women who claim that the
doctor was engaged to marry them, filed a
petition at 10 O'Clock for special letters of
administration. She sets forth that D..
Freeman was a widower and left no
father. mother or issue surviving. She
asserts that on the 31st OF December, 1895,
she filed in the Office of the County Clerk
will made by DR.. Freeman in her favor
and that the will is now in the custody of
Clerk Bonneau.
Judge Carroll Cook of San Francisco,
who is occupying the Superior bench
during JudgeAngello s absence, listened
10 the applications this morning, but pu !.
the proceedings over until next Monday
SO thar the will in the County Clerks big
safe can be produced.
1t has been learned that the will alleged
by Jennie Lee to have been made by the
doctor in her favor was drawn up by Re-
corder Joseph II. Pryor of Sausalito at
the instance of DR. Freeman
esterday Edward Eden, Marin
County's Coroner and Public Admlnistra-
tor, together with District Attorney z. B.
MaTtinelli, made a thorough examination
Of the effects of DR.. Freeman, but found
no Will. The investigation was not with
out results. The officials failed to find
the book of account kept by the doctor for
a record OF his property in Africa. This,
together with the mysterious disappear
ance OF the costly diamonds, adds much to
the interesting features of the case.
In reply to questions as TO where she
thought the diamonds were Mrs. Bell said
that she was OF the opinion that Dr. Free
man sent them TO England. The officials
do not believe this and say that Mrs. Bell
could tell more about the diamonds if she
would. She was searched, as was her
home, but no trace OF the missing gems
could be found.
Mrs. Bell is very indignant over the
methods employed by The officers while
searching her residence. She declares
that beds we're tumbled apart, mattresses
torn up and pictures pulled down. Fail
Ing IN their efforts to locate the mythical
gems, Mrs. Bell states, she was forced by
the officials, under threat OF going to Jail
to disTobe in order that further search
might be made, and she says that her
niece, Miss Lee, was subjected to the
grossest indigDities by these officers of the
law, who threatened and forced her into
allowing q most disgraceful search of her
person Mrs. Bell threatens to begin a
suit for damages.