The record-union., 1897-09-15
ANGUS-CRhVEN
CASE DECIDED,
Judge Slack Renders a Decision in
Favor of Plaintiff.
Says That the Deeds Were FOrgerieS and
That Perjury Was Committed.
Defendants Counsel Asks for and
Granted a Stay of Proceedings
for Thirty Days-Neither Mrs.
Craven Nor Her Daughter in
Court When the Decision Was
Rendered.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 1.-THE fa-
nous case of Angus VS.. Craven, by
which the executors and heirs of the
late Senator James G. Fair sought to
quiet the title of Mrs Nettie r. Cra-
ven, a school teacher of this city, to
two pieces of property on Sansome and
Mission streets, valued at $1.000,000,
was finally decided to-day by Superior
Judge Slack sitting as a chancellor in
equity.
For five long months the trial of the
case dragged along before a jury, to
whom it was finally submitted upon
three decisive issues yesterday; but
after wrangling for ten hours that
body announced it's inability to agree
upon a verdict, and was discharged by
the court late last night. Judge Slack
intimated that he had reached his de-
cisiOn at that time, but at the urgent
request of counsel for the defendant
deferred rendering it until to-day
When the case was called the court
room was packed to suffocation with
lawyers and others interested in the
result of the litigation, and the closing
scene in the legal drama was awaited
with unusual interest.
Attorney r. B. Mitchell, on behalf of
the plaintiffs, opened the proceedings
by offering to submit the case for de-
cision by the court as a chancellor in
equity d. M. Delmas, on behalf of
the defendant, cOntended that the is
sues before the court were not equita-
bic issues, and although Judge Slack
had overTuled this contention at the
outset of the case requested leave to
argue the point. Judge Slack declined
to hear counsel, however, and Attorney
w. w. FoOte made a vigorous appeal
to the court not to decide the case by
chancery, arguing that since the
court had decided that the defendant
was entitled to an advisory jury to ad
wise the court, and that jury had not
advised it, the court could not take
upon itself to decide the case.
Judge benson supplemented the ap-
peals of his conferrees for another jury
trial. but the court was deaf to them
all and curtailed the argument.
Judge Slack thereupon rendered his
decision to the effect that the pencil
deeds purporting to have been signed
by James G.. Fair. by means of which
Mrs. Craven sought to sustain her til
tie to the property in controversy, were
forgeries, and that they had never
been acknowledged by James G. Fair
before Notary j. ]. Cooney, as claimed,
and that therefore the acknowledge
ments attached thereto We're also
forgeries.
AS to the third issue, Judge Slack
held that there was no evidence of a
conspiracy existing between Mrs. Cra-
ven, Mrs. Haskins and Notary Cooney
which had for it's object the looting of
the Fair estate except by inference.
The decision was evidently unex-
pected by the defendants counsel, who
asked for and obtained a stay of pro-
ceedings for thirty days.
Neither Mrs. Craven nor her daugh-
ter were in court when the case was
decided. When questioned as to what,
if any, action they proposed to take in
the premises, the plaintiffs attorneys
declined to discuss the subject at pres
ent, but it is generally believed that
the Grand Jury now in session will
take the matter up Immediately.