Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-08
TWO LAY CLAIM
TO BELL FORTUNE
MIS-. GoLDNER SAYS SHE IS
H DEcEASED'S DAUGHTER
Oser Three Hundred Thousand DOL
lars involved In Case Which
Is Being Fought
Bitterly

1 large fortune and a battle for a
good name, are involved in the contest
for the estate of the late Nathaniel
Bell, who died intestate in Los An
geles May %, 1899.
It Is woman against woman, and the
long drawn out ENHANCEMENT of the
estate left by the deceased is now
NE subject of bitter litigation before
Judge Wilbur in the superior court.
Over one hundred witnesses will be
examined in connection with the settle
men! of the estate which amounts to
aboit 100000, and in connection with
the charge of double life which has
beer injected into the case, dispositions
hav. been taken which go back over
fifty years.
Tie dispositions cover in some par
ticuars the history of the war between
the states, and the eventful time in
Me1ico when France tried to enthrone
q ruler there.
Tie contesting factions in the case
represent two distinct sets of heirs.
The acton was instituted by Mrs,
Ella B. eoldner, who claims to be
the daughter of the deceased by a
former marriage, and she asks the
court to Illow her to enter into the
distributia Of the estate.
Denis Mrs. Goldner's Right
The clam of the petitioners legiti-
macy is practically denied by Mrs.
Susan w. Bell, who became the defen-
dant to tie action, and the widow Of
the deceaed prays the court to deny
the petitin of Mrs. Goldner
Attornes Henry c. Dillon and Will
liam M. HIATT appear in behalf of the
widow of the deceased, while the in
terests of The claimant are being look
ed after by Attorneys F. e. Davis,
Charles S Wilson and Telfair Creigh-
ton.
Bell die in Los Angeles in 1899, and
Mrs. Susn w. Bell, the widow Of
the decesed, was appointed by the
late jude Shaw as the administrator
of the esate.
In all probability the estate would
have beef distributed long ago had not
two minig commissioners filed suit
which neessitated a delay in the dis
tribution.
AS the estate was about to be dis
posed of Mrs. Goldner appeared upon
the scent and declared herself to be
the legitimate daughter of the de-
ceased bsa former marriage.
cIaiis to Be Bells Daughter
Mrs. Gldner asserts that she is the
daughterbf Lbrada Valencia Bell, the
marriage between her father and
mother hving taken place at Silver
City. NeI Mexico, in 1872.
She assrts that the deceased separ-
ated from her mother in the sos and
caused he mother to take up her resi-
dence in he republic of Mexico.
She clans to have made her home
in the slthern republic since the
separation and at the present time
she livestt Nueva Casas Grandes, in
the state)f Chihuahua.
Mrs. sBan w. Bell, the widow of
the decesed, was married November
8, 1884, ad she is said to have lived
continually with her husband until
his deathseveral years ago.
Attorne Dillon in behalf of Mrs.
Bell declred that his client proposes
to provethat Mrs. Goldner bears no
relation whatsoever to the Bell fam
lily.
The attrney declared that he would
show tina the petitioners mother fire.
quented he various mining camps in
the earlyB0's, and that he would show
her movnents from Silver City to
Georgeto'n, thence to Globe and Tue
son, Ari3na, and finally her visit to
FL Paso, Texas, where it is said she
died.
Denial by Attorney
Attorne Dillon told the court that in
her life me, the petitioners mother
never claimed that Bell was her hus-
band.
BY depeitions which have been talk
en- in thecase, the defense expects to
prove tha the petitioners mother led
double life, and in this connection a
story of murder will be injected into
the proceedings.
1t is Alleged that one of Librado
ValenciaBell's admirers shot down in
cold blod a rival for her affections,
and as smeans of fixing certain dates
and incients in the life of the parties
who arenow dead, a history of this
alleged del will be brought to the at
tention ( the court.
The taSing of testimony will begin
today an it is probable that the trial
OF the ase will be in progress for
several weeks.