The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-09-08
WAS WILD IN EARLIER YEARS.
Charlie" Fair Came Near to Being
Disinherited by His Father.

When James G.. Fair, millionaire.
died in December. 1894. ne bequeathed
a vast litigation 10 his heirs. II was
not the intention of this rich man
passing TO his last account TO deprive
his children of any portion of the
wealth he was compelled to leave in
the world where Il was so suddenly
and so easily accumulated. but he had
not reckoned upon the disposition or
the desires OF those who were TO pos
sess his property after his death. and
he made viii that attempted TO die
tate the manner of its use after James
@. Fair should be laid away in the
tomb forever, says the San Francisco
Examiner.
The tragic death of Charles L. Fair
not only revives memories OF this liti-
CATION, recalling all the dramatic fea-
lures of the series OF suits at law, the
counter suits, the decisions, appeals
judgments and reversals, but IL makes
possible another effort to disturb the
Intentions OF the bonanza king.
1t is known that Charles l.. Fair left
a will and it is believed that he be-
queathed to his wife Caroline d. Fair
the bulk Of his estate. II is also
known that his wife left a viii and
there is reason to believe that by the
provisions of this testament the mill
Hons that would have been hers il she
had survived her husband were di-
yided among her relatives in New Jer-
sey.
1t is said that death came instantly
to both husband and wife; that they
were speeding at terrific velocity in an
automobile along the roads of France
when the giant machine swerved and
dashed into the. trees at the roadside.
II is presumption of law that Charles
l. Fair survived his wife and that
his will bequeathing his wealth TO her
Is void. but there are many opportuni-
ties Of converting a presumption Of
law into an assumption Of fact, and
there are lawyers who contend that
the relatives OF Mrs. Fair viii be en-
riched out of the Fair estate unless
other lawyers can find a way of hold
ing it for the surviving sisters.
81 o @
So there is now. in the death OF
Charles L. Fair. possibility OF more
litigation that was not foreseen by
James G. Fair when he died hoping
that the knotted trust with which he
had secured his wealth could not be
united.
Charles L. Fair was the only surviv-
ing son of the dead millionaire. This
son, with his sisters. Theresa, now
Mrs. Oelrichs. and Virginia. who mar
ried William X. Vanderbilt. were the
natural heirs of James G. Fair, and by
a decision of the supreme court invali-
dating the trust provision OF the will,
became the legal heirs and were entitled
20 an equal division of the estate.
The value of the estate Is estimated
at $l5.OO0.0 900. three-fifths of which is
personal property. consisting OF rail-
road bonds, stock in various Industrial
corporations, and horses and cattle on
two large ranches. one of which is
known as the knights Landing ranch.
in Yolo county, and the other as the
Petaluma ranch, in Sonoma county.
This personal property. with the ex-
ception Of the horses. has been divided
, among the three heirs.
The real estate includes two-fifths OF
the property and is still held in joint
ownership by the heirs. This property
consists of incOme-producing realty in
San Francisco and the ranches in Yolo
and Sonoma.
. On the death of the mother of Charles
Fair, in September, 1891, he came into
possession of 81. OOO, OOO $500, 600 of which
had been Willed TO his brother. James
G. Fair. IT., by Mrs. Fair on condition
that If he died before he reached the
age of thirty without wife or issue the
legacy should 90 70 his brother Charles
James Fair did die. and. there being
no opposition, Charles inherited as pro-
vided by his mothers will.
, The property out of which Charles
received this money was part of the
division of the Fair millions that came
to Theresa Fair when she was divorced
from James g. Fair in 1884. The re-
mainder Of Mrs. Fairs estate, valued
at between 5000, 900 and $40. 600 900. was
| bequeathed to her daughters.
g @ g
On oct. Is, 1888. Charles Fair married
Miss Caroline Dexter Smith. 1t was
T very quiet wedding, for the contract
ing parties knew that IL was a mar.
riage that would not be countenanceC
by the family of the groom. The cere
mony was performed by the Rev. Franz
h Church, rector of ST. Johns church
I Oakland The witnesses were Mis-.
Margaret True and Patrick Mulian. Il
January 1894. Mr.. and Mrs. Charles
V Fair left for Europe on a bridal tour
returning in June of the same year
a They made no effort toward a recon
$ ciliation with the sisters of Charles
/ and there has never been any social in
tercOurse between these women. TIL,
= father OF Charles, however, was not s,
I hard to please. and he received hi
[ daughter-in-laW after their return from
Europe. They We're with him in hi
v last sickness and stood at his bedsid,
s when he died.
z Immediately upon the death of Jane
q. Fair his trust will was filed and tn
: litigation upon the estate of the dea,
n millionaire began.
r This litigation was complicated il
a sensational manner by the claim o
y Mrs. Nettie r. Craven, who declare,
T that she was the widow Of James G
y Fair, and produced a viii purportini
to have been written by her allege,
i husband bequeathing 100000 to Charlie
y l.. Fair and one-third of the residue o
s the estate. the remainder being equal
I ly divided between his sisters. Mrs
Craven was not mentioned in the will
= but with the document she produce
) Two deeds from Fair transferring I
n her the title TO property at the corne
= or Mission and Eleventh streets. in thi
t city, and to the valuable buildings O
the corner Of Pine and Sansome street,
8 the total value of which was estimate
v at $l.5C0,OO.
Charles and his sisters approved thi
viii because it would, If accepted. dis
pose Of the trust provision in their IA
: ther's viii already on file They unite
IN a petition for the probate of IN
Craven will, but two or three month
later Charles withdrew from the pet
D ton for probate of the Craven will an
at the same time filed contest al
:. leging that the will was a forgery.
I subsequently, in November. 1896 III
s craven will and the trust VIII wer
n both called for admission 10 probate
and Mrs Craven, who at that tim
d was being assisted by Marc Levine
stoh, Who was named In the will a
: one of the executors. appeared befor