The San Francisco call., 1908-04-09
SAYS SHE BRAIDED,
BOARDMAN' BEARD
Widow of Millionaire Tells OF
His Eccentricities and Mem
tai Unsoundness
Many of His Former Associates
Support Her in Effort to
Break Will

OAKLAND, April S.-Mrs. Blanche
Boardrsan. the beautiful young widow
of Joseph Boardman, the eccentric mil
lionaire, related incidents of her life
with him in Judge Wastes court in an
effort TO discredit an alleged will Of
her husband which would practically
disinherit her If admitted to probate
BY its terms the bulk of the estate
would be devoted to the erection of a
great observatory upon some neighbor-
ing peak and she and her infant daugh-
ter would be left with an allowance of
$3.50 month out of the entire estate,
valued at $1,250,000
She said he was mentally inoom-
petent at the time he made the Will
and testified that his mental failure
was first observed in 1901 during
trip to Europe. Before that time, she
said, he paid all the bills and attended
TO all the details of travel, but after
an illness which occurred in Rome she
was left with all the burden of man
agement upon her shoulders. At times
ne engaged in long arguments with
her about trivial details of the trip
and sometimes insisted that bills had
Aeen paid which had not
TELLS OF FAILING MIND
When we were married in June.
1899, Mr.. Boardman was II years of
age, said the widow, but he had all
his faculties and needed no assistance
In his affairs. During the trip to
Europe Mr. Boardman's mind failed
after an illness and he never recovered.
When we came back home he was con-
stantly in need of some one to look
after him. He developed fondness
for cheap theaters and would remain
during several performances.
He also became most careful of his
personal appearance. l braided his
whiskers one night, as he said he
wanted them fluffy and nice in the
morning. when he proposed to have
his photograph taken. He asked to
be buried on a high hill in sight of
the convicts in the penitentiary at San
Quentin, with great monument over
his grave, in order to influence the
convicts to repentance by the me-
mortal of so great a man as he con-
sidered himself at that time
He also asked for a bust of himself
and insisted that it should be very
dignifed. He wrote me letters when
l was absent at Lake Tahoe which
We're incoherent and badly spelled
though Mr.. Boardman was we'll edu-
Gated and when i first knew him wrote
good hand and was accurate in his
orthography.
FEARED POISON IN FOOD
He had whims that he was being
poisoned by the food served at home
and asked doctors to treat him for
poison which he thought had been
given him in his meals. He went to
the receiving hospital on one occasion
and asked treatment for poisoning Mr.
Boardman was certainly incompetent
in 1902. at the time this will was writ
ten by him"
Mrs. Boardman said their daughter
was born four and a half years ago.
She will be cross examined tomorrow
morning.
Other witnesses, who were old
friends or business associates of Board
man, and who testified that they be-
lieved him mentally unsound, were M.
c. Chapman, N. F. Neal, George L. Fish,
John w. King. j. B. Bowen, W. T. Tate,
E. P. Cook, II. P. Belden. Max Roths-
child. J. Tyrrell, J. c. Downey, ]. C.
Hart, j. P. Broad, Rose Altman. Jacob
Altman. Henry c. McPike, T. Stanley
Crellin and Anson Blake.