The San Francisco call., 1897-06-04
THE STORY OF
DAVIS DEATH
Mrs. John M. Curtis Relates
the Occurrences of His
Ebbing Life.
He Was Debating a Will for
the Benefit of His
N!eces.
It Inc, uded Disposition of the Post
Street Residence and the
Thurlow Block.

terday the most interesting witness was
Mrs. Belle Curtis, wife of John NJ. Curtis
and Iegatee under the provisions OF the
| will that is in dispute.
Mrs. Curtis gave a graphic account of
her life in the household of her uncle by
| marriage, and explained that he and
his wife had treated her just as if she had
been their daughter. Two years after she
went to the Davis nome her sister also
went there and was treated in the same
affectionate way by Mr.. and Mrs. Davis.
Attorney George A. Knight, represent
ing the contestants, asked for a history of
| the trip from San Francisco TO Philadel-
| phia, which ended with the death of MIR.
| Davis in the last-named city on the 2Sth
of last October. Day by day the route of
| travel was gone over by Mrs. Curtis until
| they reached Philadelphia. She said:
| We arrived in Philadel phia on Friday.
Uncle Davis wes feeling quite well: On Sat
! urday he was ailing some. but was able TO get
| out He went 10 chuI ch on sunday and l
went with him. On Monday he was out most
all day. l don't remem ber whether DR..
! Senderling had called or not up to Monday
| John Seuderling called several times. He
sDen most of his time with u.s. but do not
remember that he look any meals with Mr.
| Davis at the Conuneni al Hotel.
What was Mr.. Davis condition Monday
| night? was asked
He was i'll.
When did DR.. Curtin first attend Mr.. Davis d?
On Sunday.
Did Mr.. Davis go out on Sunday night after
! DR.. Curtin prescribed for him
Yes.
Was he better on Monday7
Yes; he said he was.
What did he do when he came in on Mon
day?
lie took stimulant and rested in an easy
chair. He asked Mr.. Senderling to take US
through the churches and the stores, as he did
not feel able to go out When we got back he
was sitting in his easy chair.
Continuing Mrs. Curtis said that Mr.
Davis went 10 bed about o { lock Monday
night. He seemed to be feeling pretty
well. About 4 o'clock Tuesday morping
he awakened her and said that he was suf-
fering from cramps. He was in pain and
asked her to telephone for John Sender
! ling, as he wanted him to send for Dr.
| Curtin. They got there between and 7
| in the morning. By that time he was
easier, as he had used some medicine that
| the doctor had left for him at former
| visit. He was too i'll to eat breakfast but
| drank little clam broth that she and her
| sister, Miss Lizzie Muir took TO him. He
did not get out of bed on Tuesday and thew
stayed at home all day. He wanted them
/ to remain and take care of him. On Tues
day evening Mrs. Curtis and Miss Muir
went down to dinner together. She
! not RENE ber whether they left MIR. Davis
| alone or whether John Senderliug re-
malned with them while they were at n.
ner. Tuesday night Mr.. Davis appeared
| easier. DR.. Curtin came in about o'clock
and said he was getting along comforta-
| bly,; that there was no need for any alarm,
| as there was no danger.
Mr.. Davis appeared as comfortable on
! Tuesday night as on Monday night John
| Senderling remained in the room with
Mr.. Davis on Tuesday night. He rested
| on a sofa or lounge. Between and 5
! o'clock on Wednesday morning Mrs.
| Curtis and her sister heard her uncle IN
| the bathroom and got up and dressed
themselves. Mr.. enderlIng was with him
still Talking through the door they
asked how Mr.. Davis was and Mr.. Sender
! ling said he was easier. Soon afterward
! thev noticed that the dining-room was
! open and called TO Mr.. Senderling asking
/ him if he didn't want to go and get some
coffee.
"He replied that it was too early for
| him" =" said Mrs. Curtis, 80 We went and
| took breakfast. After we came back We
asked if we might go in and see our uncle
and Mr.. Senderling said, No, not for a
moment. A minute or two later he
opened the door and said for US to coms
| in as our uncle was dying. He had called
fo- the girls and we went in. He called
for US three times. l ask ID him if he was
able to recognize US, and he nodded his
head TO show that he did. He died soon
after. My sister and l were there. Ican't
tell all that happened then"
Mr.. Knight-Do you know that your uncle
or Jacob z. Davis was debating win 10 John
Sendering giving to you and your sister the
home at 40S Post street?
This question brought out a strenuous OBJ
jection by Mr; Campbell and spirited COL
loquy occurred
Mr.. Campbell-You have a copy of the pa
per 10 which you refer. What more DO you
want?
Mr. Knight-why don't you admit it then ?
Why don't you give this jury the benefit of it ?
! Mr.. Campbell-Why don't you take John
| Senderling's testimony?
! Mr.. Knig ght-We couldn't ca tch him with
| gatlling-gun.
The court-Objection overruled.
The witness-Mr. Senderling told US that our
uncle had been debating a will. He said IL
was to give us the home on Post street and the
Thurlow block.
Mr.. Knight-Did you ever see that paper?
The witneSs-No.
Nj. Knight-Did you never ask to see it?
The wltness-No.
| Mrs. Curtis described the hand-satchel
| owned bv her uncle as about $50 long and
| 50 wide, but could not be induced to desig-
nate metes and bounds by inches. The
| best she would do was 10 hold up her
hands, indicating the dimensions of the
! grip, and the court guessed that it was
| about 1S by II inches in size.
! Counsel on both sides agreed to accept
this estimate. and it went down on the
record that way. Mrs. Curtis said she did
not see the satchel after her uncle's death
until it was delivered at 4OS Post street.
| John Senderline took charge of it,
| Mr.. Knight evidently wanted TO know
whether any OF Mr. Davis papers had dis
appeared in transit, but the witness was
not able to enlig hten him.
Mrs. Curtis testified that one dav while
walking with her uncle Davis on Market
street he told her that he wished to be
cremated, and that if she and her sister
| Lizzie had no objection he wanted to
| have his ashes mingled with the ashes of
| his wife, and then to have them deposited
! in the grave of his mother.
| At this point Charles NJ. Wilson was in
troduced as a witness to prove that photo
graphs of the Dankard church in Ger
mantown, Philadelphia, were authentic,
| but before he could tell what he knew
about the pictures court adjourned until
| this morning,
| Annual Class Day.