The San Francisco call., 1908-12-11
MOTHER OF BAIRD'S
CHILD IS IN COURT
Secures Letters of Guardianship
in Matter Preliminary to
$1,000, 1000 Contest
Attorney Says He Fears At
tempt Will Be Made to
Kidnap Contestant

The opening guns in the fight for
the 100000 estate of the late DaVlu
Jennings Baird were fired yesterday
morning in Judge Sturtevants court
When Lydia NJ. Valencia, better known
as Dodle' Valencia. was granted le.-
ters. of guardianship of her child, David
Jennings Baird Jr.. and deposited a
surety bond in the sum of $500. This
action lays the foundation for her suit
against the estate, which will pegin
next Monday, and in which she VIII
ask for the entire property of Bard IN
the name of the child.
Dodie" Valencia solemn in mien
and demurely dressed in suit OF plue
serge and a black mushroom hat ap-
peared in court early, having arrived
IN an automobile accompanied by her
uncle, Detective Sergeant Bob Ho-
gan, her attorney, II. J. Lyons; NJ Levy,
the fight promoter and japanese
nurse carrying a chubby blonde baby,
the real contestant for the million dol
lar estate
Miss Valencia took the stand and
identified. her signature to the petition
and also two photographs of her child
one taken two months ago, before the
death of Baird, and the other last
week. She was questioned by Judge
Sturtevant as to her having read and
become fully conversant with the text
of the petition and answered in the al
firma tive.
Robert Hogan was then placed on
the stand and asked by Lyons IL he
was uncle of the petitioner and replled
that he was. being the brother of Miss
Valencia's mother. He said he had
read the petition, copy of the citation
having been served on him and that
he agreed to the contents.
The will of David ]. Baird was Sc
cured from the county clerk by order
Of court and placed in evidence to
show that-no provision had been made
for the child, and for the purpose of
breaking the will.
Attorney Lyons claims that both his
client and himself have been threat
ened by agents of Mrs. Veronica Baird,
the mother of the deceased, and that
policeman had been detailed from the
central station to guard the house of
the former at $50 / street.
"A fellow calling himself A. Miller
telephoned me and told me that the
other side was going to rope me. lie
claimed that he was a broker in Oak
land and had been a. lawyer in New
York. He advised me to stop the suit
saying that 1t would be useless for me
to try to get the estate, as they had
plenty of money and would stop at
nothing to prevent the child becoming
the recognized heir.
Il expect an attempt to kidnap the
child Two or three men have been
hanging around my clients house for
days and she was obliged to telephone
for police protection.
Agents of Mrs. Baird have called
on Mrs. Harvey, the nurse who was
present at the birth of the child and
she told them that she had been there
and that Baird had acknowledged that
the child was his. She later saw Baird
in the park with the child and identi-
fed him.
There is no doubt as to the validity
of the child's claim. Why. when he
was born Baird rather than go home
to his own home. rolled himself in
blanket and slept. at the foot of the
mothers bed That was shortly after
the fire and there was no accommoda-
tion for him at the little place where
the mother then lived.
'Dr. Edwards, who attended my
client when the baby was born, had
been the family physician in the Baird
household and he knows that the bow
is David Baird's son. 1t is a clear case
and there is not the slightest doubt
but that the whole estate will he
granted to the child"
Lyons hinted that when the nronar
time came he would be able to prodnca
certificate of marriage between
Baird and his client