Los Angeles herald., 1905-01-28
NEPHEW SUES WIDOW OF THE
SUPPOSED MILLIONAIRE
SAYS WEALTH WAS HIDDEN
Mrs. Arcadia de Baker and Her Agent
Are Accused Of Failure to Ac-
count for Certain
Funds

famous III the CIVIL pTOCeuuie VI
fornia was filed yesterday in the su-
perior court by William II. Baker
against his deceased uncle's widow,
Mrs. Arcadia b. de Baker, owner OF tine
Baker block on North Main street ana
reputed to be worth millions.
In bringing the suit Baker charges
his relative with having knowingly,
systematically and fraudulently, by her
own acts, covered and concealed the
property belonging to the estate OF
Robert s. Baker, who died interstate IN
May, 1894
AS the nephew and heir at law of the
deceased, Baker says he was entitled 10
receive one thirty-sixth part of the
estate, which prior to the death OF
Robert S. Baker was commonly sup
posed to be valued at many millions.
In this suit the name of the wealthy
Mrs Arcadia de Baker does not alone
appear The name of Charles ii.
Forbes, who died in Los Angeles on
September. 1900, and who during the
life of Baker acted as his conf1dential
agent and manager of his property, en-
ters in the suit, and at the trial of the
case Forbes conduct and business re-
lations with the parties involved in the
suit will be a question of inquiry.
Agent in Charge
The complaint says that after Baker
demise his widow waived her right TO
administer upon his estate in favor OF
Forbes, who at that time acted in the
capacity of confidential agent to the
deceased.
Forbes was appointed administrator
of the estate June 10, 1884, and Mrs.
Baker became surety on his bond.
In the inventory filed by Forbes as
administrator of the estate he fixed the
total valuation of the estate at $65,OOO,
save and except 2143 shares of stock In
the California Oil Works company OF
San Francisco.
1t was asserted in the inventory filed
by Forbes that this stock was held In
trust by the deceased for the benefit OF
his wife, who it was claimed, legally
owned the stock.
William II. Baker, the plaintiff in
this action, claiming that the stock was
the separate property of his deceased
uncle, contested Mrs. Bakers claim,
and there being no evidence of any
trust in favor of the defendant, the
stock, by order of the court, was in
cluded in the assets of the estate and
was distributed to the heirs at law.
Estate Appears Small
Baker says that after the final de-
cree of distribution was entered he was
surprised at the paucity of his uncle's
estate, the deceased having been gen
orally reputed at the time Of his death
to be a multi-millionaire.
He says in his complaint that in the
month of February, 1902 at San Fran
CISCO a man named Crum said to him:
"You are worth thousands upon thou
sands of dollars and don't know it,
Baker declares he then commenced
evidence touching the property belong
ing to his deceased uncle, which he al
leges had not been accounted for in the
inventory filed by the administrator OF
the estate.
Again Baker says that Attorney j.
Houx Of San Francisco said that no
one, except possibly the defendant and
Forbes, knew how much property the
deceased really left at the time of his
death, and from this statement, Baker
asserts. he understood that property
belonging to the estate had been con-
cealed and not accounted for by the
administrator and his aunt.
Says Papers Were Burned
Within a period of three months from
the fling of the suit the complaint al
leges that Frank Freeman, the husband
of the defendants niece. informed him
that prior to his death Forbes burned
and destroyed all his books of account
and other documents relating to his
acts as agent.
He charges that this was done at the
instigation of his aunt for the purpose
of covering and concealing property.
The plaintiff declares that his uncle
erected the Baker block on North Main
street at cost of $25O,OOO, and that this
sum was paid out Of his separate
estate.
He now asks the court TO order Mrs.
Arcadia de Baker to pay this sum into
the estate for distribution among the
heirs at law.
Bakers conversations with other men
appear to be numerous. and to a man
who Is described in the complaint as
Unknown" the following conversation
is attributed:
''You Inundated yourself by borrow
ing money in my presence of Charles
H. Forbes, man who was robbing
your uncle's estate continually"
Widow Accused
He further declares that Forbes dur
ing his life time, as agent for the de-
fendant. collected rents and issues Of
real estate from the estate Of Robert s.
Baker, which passed into the posses
1COntinued on Page Two.l