Los Angeles herald., 1907-05-18
GOULD MAY Be
BEHIND INVASION
MRS. RINDGE FILES SUIT FOR
INJUNCTION
Wants to Restrain Trespassers from
Crossing Her Ranch and
Breaking Down Her
Fences

Climax of the famous fight conducted
by Mrs. May X. Rindge, widow of the
late Frederick H. Rindge. to preserve
the privacy of the Malibu ranch against
the invasion of outsiders, was reached
yesterday when suit on injunction was
filed by Mrs. Rindge in the superior
court asking that certain we'll known
Angelenos be kept from her property.
The attempt of the Gould lines to in
wade Southern California is said to be
the secret of the old rancho by the sea
where the representatives Of the Rindge
estate have put up a heavy fence and
lined it with guards to keep out the in
truderS who have heretofore used a
private road through the ranch to reach
the country beyond.
The suit brought by Mrs. Rindge is
against Frank c. Prescott, jr., Ernest
r. Werdin, w. H. Seeley, +. r. Miner,
Richard Janney and others, supposed
to include Dick Ferris, the we'll known
theatrical manager.
Until the death of Frederick Rindge
the famous ranch had been open to any
who cared to visit it. 1t contains 5000
acres of land, with an ocean frontage of
sixteen miles. Most of the ranch is
under cultivation, and under it's name,
Rancho Topango Malibu Sequit, it has
become famous throughout the west as
one of the finest pieces of property in
California.
So when after the death of Frederick
Rindge strange happenings were re-
ported from the ranch, the people of
the southern part of the state began to
look to that direction for some gigantic
enterprise.
GouIds Interested
Representatives of the Gould lines
were known to have visited the place
on many occasions. 1t was. reported
that these same representatives, work.
ing quietly, had bought right of way
between Los Angeles and Santa Mon
lea. About that time the railroad men
of California began to suspect some
thing.
The Gould lines had tried every posi-
but way to get into Los Angeles in a
direct line and had failed. The Santa
Fe, the Southern Pacific, and even the
Salt Lake checkmated the attempt with
ease, being familiar as they were with
the conditions in the southern part Of
the state, and the competitor was kept
away. The Gould line found an easy
way to San Francisco, but until the
present has been kept out of the south.
Representatives of the road, it is said,
have secured a right of way from San
Francisco to the Malibu ranch, so that
1t is now thought the Gould line will
drop down to the Malibu ranch from
the north, and with it's sixteen miles
of ocean frontage that rancho will fur
nish the gateway to Los Angeles.
At any rate, such Is the conclusion
drawn by railroad men who have been
making careful investigation, and from
time to time desperate attempts have
been made to enter the ranch.
Five miles to the north of the ranch
the government land lies. Some time
ago Frank Prescott, Ernie Werdin anC
another went up there and bought up
some of the wild mountainous land
What purpose they had in view they
did not state at that time, but when the
Malibu ranch was fenced in from one
end to the other and guards posted
there, Prescott and Werdin demanded
a right to drive or ride through the
ranch in order to visit their property
back in the mountains.
Ranch Gates Broken
Some weeks ago the gate to the ranch
was broken open by an automobile
marty, Among that number Dick Fer
ris Frank Prescott. Seeley and others
were recognized, and some arrests Tor
trespass were made later.
1t is to prevent any further visits of
the ranch that the suit for injunction
was filed yesterday. Mrs. Rindge in
her suit alleges that Prescott has key
to the ranch gate and insists on coming
and going as he wills.
She asks the court to restrain the de-
PENDANTS to the action from entering
fine ranch or tampering with the gate
until such time as the case can be set
fled by the courts and her right to keep
the ranch secret can be decided upon.