Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-18
Family Corporation
May Settle
Affairs
Millionaire Will Be
President of
Concern
If Relatives Accept Alternative, Trial
for Incompetency VIII Be Dropped
and Costly Litigation
Stopped

Locked in a room in the big Bryson
bolck, ten men will this morning begin
the negotiations which will either mark
q compromise of the famous million
aires case or will doom to trial in
the local courts every step of the fam.
ily's history covering period of years.
Nine of those men will be high priced
attorneys of Los Angeles, representa-
tives of some of the best known firms
in the southwest. The tenth man will
be Attorney Charles F. Hanlon of San
Francisco, who alone will represent
John Bryson, ST., the aged and en-
feebled millionaire.
Yesterday came the surprise Of the
biggest family row in the history of
Los Angeles when in the face Of the
most bombastic rumors of demands and
counter demands from Mrs. Bryson.
there was filed yesterday afternoon in
the superior court an incorporation
known as the "Bryson Estate compa-
ny,"Ja company whose dictatorship Is
composed solely of members Of the
Bryson family, with John Bryson, SEN
ior. as president and Evaline Bryson,
his aged wife, as vice president.
What had happened, how the thing
had been managed, what the move
meant, and a thousand and one con-
! lectures sent more reports flying about
Los Angeles until the phones of the
Bryson block and the phones of the
Bryson home began to hum and tingle
with those interested in the case.
Attorney Solves Mystery
Had a compromise been effected, had
a settlement of the family differences
occurred, had Bryson consented to lay
aside family warfare of years?
Such were the questions asked, but
they were not answered. The news
mongers gathered no news, the attor-
neys maintained silence, and Bryson
was not to be seen. Such was the con-
dition of affairs until last night, when
Attorney Charles F. Hanlon, represent
ing Bryson, gave a full and complete
statement of one of the most cleverly
arranged schemes at compromise in the
history of American Jurisprudence,
scheme which If 1t effects compro-
mise-as it seems entirely probable 1t
will-wilI create a condition which for
the unusual has never been oeen
touched.
If the Bryson battle goes to court for
sick and very old man on the one hand
and his infirm and aged wife, her chill
dren and grandchildren on the other,
Il would mean the expenditure of thou
sands of dollars of the Bryson estate
to satisfy a family quarrel; 1t would
mean the everlasting PARTING OF an old
man and his wife.
Conservative estimate places the
cost of the suit through the lower and
G<.. Ii
fought-at $4,000 for each side, or
total of $150,000. that is conserva-
tive estimate of what the big suit
would cost and many attorneys believe
that that sum would not nearly cover
the case.
The family affairs of the Brysons
were at low ebb when the case was
called and continued for compromise.
Then Attorney Hanlon came to the
front. He met the other attorneys of
the case yesterday and proposed cor
poration. In it Bryson agreed to be
president of a family concern to man
age the Bryson estate, chiefly the Bry-
son block. His wife was to be vice
president, his grandson, Frank Bry-
son. public administrator, was to be
secretary.
Hope for Compromise
The articles of Incorporation cannot
reach the secretary of state before to-
night He cannot pass on them before
Monday. Monday Bryson comes up
for examination before the insanity
commission. In the meantime the at
torneys will work night and day to
effect a compromise. If the case IS
compromised before the hour of the
examination then the big suit will be
declared off and the Incorporation Will
stand. If compromise fails then the
will be declared null and
V old and the fight will go to Its bitter
finish.
This is the statement of Attorney
Hanlon In reply to questions regarding
the compromise and the Incorporation:
mo, there is no compromise finally
reached, Negotiations have been on
between attorneys for Evaline Bryson
and myself, I representing John Bry-
son, sr. =,
yesterday the thought of family
came from me and seemed
to be somewhat a pleasant idea to the
coterie of able attorneys whom Evelyn
Bryson had gathered about her. And
as we must have this case
settled by 10 o'clock next Monday, or
If not settled by that time we must
go into trial before Judge Reeves, and
as II takes two days to incorporate a
company, we attorneys decided today
to send our corporation papers to Sac
ramento so that Monday morning IL
we can agree we can close up matters
with the corporation, and If on the
other hand we cannot by that time
agree we will drop the corporation as
a dead letter and go to the bat without
further delay have an engagement |
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