The San Francisco call., 1898-02-08
ADOLPH SUTRO
 INCOMPETENT His Daughter Appointed His Guardian by Judge
 Belcher.
Is Now Afflicted With Senile Dementia, for Which There
 Is No Remedy.
Collapse of the Master Mind That Planned the Great COnastock
 Tunnel

Adolph Sutro the millionaire, philan- thropist and ex-Mayor, was adjudged mentally incompetent by Judge Belcher last Saturday. His daughter, Dr. Emma L. Merritt, who has been attending her father since he began to manifest signs of a failing intellect, was appointed guardian of his person and estate, and she gave bonds in the sum of s100,0 as guarantee that the duties imposed upon her would be faithfully per formed.
 It has been known for some time that MT. Sutro was nearing the end of a use full business career; that his mind was failing and that a guardian must be appointed to attend to him and his vast estate. In the hope, however, that something would intervene at an uneX- pected time to render the proceedings for the appointment for a guardian un- necessary his friends and relatives did all in their power to prevent the world from knowing his true condition.
 Last September MT. Sutro began to grow worse, and finally his case was pronounced by three eminent physi- clans, w w Kerr, William H. Mays and w. A. WhitweIl, to be senile de- mentia, for which there is no relief. This precipitated matters and the ap- plication that he be declared incompe- tent and guardian appointed was filed with Judge Belcher.
 Last Saturday the millionaire'S four children, accompanied by the physi- clans and Colonel Little, appeared in Judge Belcher's chambers. All were ex- amined and the Judge signed the order declaring Adolph Sutro mentally in competent Dr. Emma l.. Merritt was then appointed guardian, her bonds be- ing fixed by the court at $100,OOO. Her brothers and sisters went sureties on the bond and, this completed, the estate was forever removed from the hands of its owner.
 Adolph Sutro was born in Germany eighty-one years ago, of humble pa rentage. When young man he came to America and to this city, where he opened a little tobacco store. He re- mained here a short time and then went to Virginia City. New, and a short time after his arrival there he evolved the scheme of running tunnel from the base of Mount Davidson into the Comstock lode that the water from the lower levels of the mines might be drained. After a long struggle. he finally succeeded In getting the enter prise under way, and in 1878 the tunnel was completed, at a cost of over $5,- 900 900. A year later MT. Sutro resigned his position as superintendent of the tunnel and returned to this city.
 He immediately invested in real es- tate, and to-day owns one-eighth of the whole taxable area of the city. AL though he pays assessments on but s1,- 500.000 1t is estimated by experts that his estate Is worth over 5000, 000 Ow- ing to his speculation, however, in the enterprises known as the Sutro Rail- road and the Sutro Baths he was com peIled to raise large sums of money. and in consequence his estate is heavily encumbered.
 He ran for Mayor in 1894, and owing to his popularity and reputation for in- tegrity he was elected by a large ma jority. This was the beginning and the end of his public career, and now he Is as g child, his mind shattered by overwork, and he must be cared for until the end of his days