The San Francisco call., 1899-01-29
LIABILITIES ARE 100000
ASKS TO BE ALLOWED TO KEEP
HIS HOMESTEAD.
Latest Chapter in the Sensational
Career of the Lord of Round VAL
ley-Troubles Date From
Wife's Divorce.


has so long ruled with rod of iron
among his creditors. In petition in
insolvency filed in The United States
District Court yesterday morning. the
man whose will has for years been
practically the only law recognized by
the half-Wild Vaqueros of the Round
Valley district, voluntarily abdicates
his authority, confesses his utter ina
bility to pay his debts and pleads for
the law he has so often defied in the
past to come to his rescue and set apart
remnant of his former great possess
sions for his support in his old age.
According to the statement of La
bilities and assets appended to the petit
ton, the one-time cattle king owes
claims having face value of $181. .153.
but which, together with accrued inter-
est, etc. will aggregate over 100000
The value of the assets as given in the
statement is $4,000, including all the
real estate, which is mortgaged for
$109, ,000 The largest single claim is
that of the Sun Insurance Company.
which holds an unsatiShed mortgage
for SSS, 900. The amount due this con-
Germ was originally $4,000 but unpaid
interest piled up until judgment was
recently secured for a total OF S92,3bS
On January of this year the supreme
Court, on appeal, cut this amount down
to $SS, 600. OF the other claims men
toned in the schedule the only ones of
more than a few thousand dollars are
those of Whites divorced wife for Sf0.-
900 and a mortgage for S2S,00O held by
Costigan & Cohen of this city. 1t is for
the acknowledged purpose of ridding
himself of these annoying debts that
the lord of Round Valley seeks to be
legally declared a bankrupt. He de-
clares he has been harassed and pur-
sued by his creditors, meaning his eX-
wife. until he has been driven almost
TO distraction, and now processes his
Willingness to throw all his immense
holdings into the ring and let those
having claims against him fight for the
spoils. All he asks for hlmselt Is ms
homestead in Mendocfno County. con-
sisting of 160 acres, and valued at S5000
together with about $1,000 worth of per-
sonal property, which he claims the law
allows him. Those who know White
best are inclined to suspect some
scheme to defeat the law. They init
mate that it will be found that Whlte
has made away with the most valuable
portion of his holdings, and that his
petition in insolvency is only blind.
His record suggests such a course. and
he may find obstacles in the way OF
securing a discharge from his indebt-
edness at the hands of the court. A
similar petition was filed by White in
the Superior Court of Mendocino Coun-
" last summer, but was successfully
fought by his ex-wife's attorneys
Whether they will attempt to interfere
in the present proceedings remains to
be seen.
George E. Whites troubles, financial
and otherwise, date from the inaugura-
ton of divorce proceedings by Mrs.
frankie White in 1883. AT that time
he was rated a mllllonalre ana Wlelue9
a tremendous influence in the Round
Valley district, where he owned i'm
mense herds of cattle. In addition to
great tracts Of land in Mendocino,
Trinity and Humboldt counties in the
north he also held the title to other
vast tracts in Kings, Kern and Tulare
counties, altogether more than 4O,0OO
acres. Notwithstanding this great en-
pire held in his own right, he invaded
the Government reservations and fat
tened his cattle for the market on fod-
der grown on the preserves Of Uncle
Sam, in defiance of the Federal authori-
ties. This man apparently knew no
law but his own sweet will, and fought
with tigerish ferocity every attempt to
curtail the authority he had usurped.
In Round Valley he was feared and
avoided by the law abiding element
and won his title of Cattle King as
| much by the terror he inspired as by
the immensity Of his herds.
When his wife instituted her suit for
divorce every man who expressed him
self as favoring her cause took his life
in his hands. Those who went on the
witness stand and testified In her be-
half were given up as lost by their
friends and events proved that their
fears were we'll founded. Murders, more
or less mysterious, began to occur with
alarming frequency, and in almost
every instance the victims were men
who had taken sides against the Cattle
King. White was not charged with
taking an active part in the assassina-
tions, but he had a horde of cowboys
in his employ always ready to do his
bidding. and whether rightly or wrong
ly, the community felt that he was met
ing out vengeance to his enemies for
daring to openly defy his wishes and
take the part of the wife who had re-
undated him. But although he fought
the divorce and the accompanying peti-
tion for a division of the property with
all the immense power at his command.
both in court and out, he was defeated.
Mrs. White was given decree and
| finally awarded 100000 alimony Then
followed a long series of legal contests,
by which Mrs. White sought to compel
the payment of the award and the Cat
tie King tried to prevent her receiving
any benefit from the courts decree.
Finally one of Whites ranches was
levied on and sold to satisfy the judg-
ment, and at the sale of the property
it was bid in by the woman for 1000.
This is all she ever realized. With the
| accrued interest, the amount still due
now foots up to over 100000 AS last
resort to avoid paying this and other
claims against him the Cattle King OF
Mendocino County, the man whose
minions held the entire community in
! a state bordering closely upon terror
| for years by their reckless disregard for
| all law, comes into court as suppliant
! and asks that he be declared a bank
rupt. His great herds of cattle are
| gone, his almost limitless domain of
| land is plastered with mortgages for
| nearly their full value, and with the
! disappearance of his wealth his power
| and claim to the title of king" have
vanished He no longer dictates to his
neighbor, but pleads with the court that
he be left small slice of his great
estate in order that he may still have
home Since Mrs. White secured her
divorce White has married again.
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DR.. Rottanzi's Brother a Policeman.
/