The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-20
Land of the Estate
in the South
Holds Oil.
Discovery Cheering
News to the
Creditors.
Syndicate Offers the
Widow Fortune
for Ground.

impoverished to an extreme by years
of bitter litigation and mismanage ement,
the once rich estate left by the late
millionaire Thomas Bell has suddenly
been promised recuperation that may
end in it's empty Golfers being restored
their gold and it's heirs permitted to
enjoy the fruits of wealth that the fam
Gus Californian had planned should be
the Inheritance of his children.
The first indication that fortune had
Thomas Frederick Bell-named in the
will of the deceased as a son. repudiated
as such by the woman he had known
from childhood as his mother-dled in the
off1ce OF the County Clerk an assignment
or all his interest in the estate to his
wife, Elizabeth NJ. Bell. II did this,
he said, because the estate is rich again
and l want her to be cared for should
the unexpected occur to me-"
Just as Mrs. Teresa Bell is reconcil-
ing herself to the possibility OF soon
seeing the remnant OF her once vast
fortune pass beyond her reach. lands
In Southern California belonging to the
estate OF her husband have been found
to be rich In oil and price far In ex-
cess of the originally appraised value
of the entire estate has been set upon
tHeLn Dy an Eastern SyQQ1cdte. slf
When Thomas Bell died years ago his
estate, including $4,000 acres of grazing
land in the northern part of Santa Bar
bara County, was appraised at $780,
To-day the Santa Barbara property is
roughly estimated to be worth nearly
100000 more than that figure, which,
II realized upon the property through
negotiations now in progress for sale,
will relieve the estate of its cumber-
IAl H.
widow and children sfortune of sew
eral hundred thousand dollars. Bell was
not good manager, a fact that plainly
suggested itself when the executors of
his estate set about their work of
Strengthening it out. They found the
Bell properties burdened with mort
cages and other obligations to the ex-
tent of about $400. 200. Hardly had the
millionaire been placed in his grave
before the widow had appealed to the
local courts for a family allowance of
$4,000 month, on which she eventually
drew from the funds of the estate some-
thing like 100000.
WRECKED BY LITIGATION.
The creditors of the estate, read
lily realizing that Mrs. Bells allowance
and the lawyers fees would soon eat
up the entire Bell wealth, inaugurated
the litigation that has been so bitterly
contested ever since.
Although the creditors finally sue
ceeded In having Mrs. Bells handsome
allowance cut off, she found other
means of consuming the money left by
her husband and to the present day, de-
spite the fact that the creditors with
their approved claims, have been fight
ing every move made by the widow
they have failed to discover a sufficient
amount of funds upon which they could
q w
debtedness standing against the estate
Suits and counter suits, followed by ap-
peals to the Supreme Court, have even
tually wrecked the estate. And aside
from these troubles the creditors have
been confronted with claims to large
portions of the estate originating in
the seemingly close friendship that
existed between Thomas Bell and the
late Nanny Pleasant and later in the
wonderful influence that the strange
colored woman apparently exerted over
Mrs. Bell.
It was only a few weeks ago that
Thomas F. Bell formally transferred
to his young wife. Elizabeth M.
Bell. all his interests in his
fathers estate 1t was said at the
time OF this transfer that young Bell
had been made to appreciate the bank
rupt condition of his fathers estate
and had taken this means of insuring
some protection to his wffe's interests
in the event of future years revealing
anything of a tangible nature in the
estate.
MILLION Is IN SIGHT.
But the latest report is that Bell had
a higher motive in this transaction. It
is now said, and he veriies IT.
that he learned of the sudden rise in
the value of the Santa Barbara prop
erty and is still in position where he
can, through the agency of his wife.
realize handsomely in the event of a
deal for the oil lands being consum-
mated The property that was former
" regarded as only available as graz
ing land has lately enhanced in value
in view OF the fact that oil in abund-
ance has been found in wells now oper-
ating on all sides of 1t.
Young Bell admitted that represen-
tatives of an Eastern syndicate have
been looking over the Santa Bar
bara property and after making a
number of tests they have pronounced
II an exceedingly valuable possession.
A little later 1t was learned that I. y.
Brakeman, Mrs. Bells attorney, had re-
ceived an offer of 500 an acre for the
land in Santa Barbara County. or a
total OF $1.4o0, 900. When seen yester-
day the attorney admitted that the
OFFER had been made to him, but his
manner suggested that he was not anx-