The San Francisco call., 1908-10-21
100000 ESTATE
DIVISION OPPOSED
Children and Guardian of Aged
Insane Woman to Garry
Case to Court
Right of Demented Mother to
Retain Sl,z5O,OOO in Her
Name to Be Contested

Whether Mrs. Mary voorman, an in
mate for the last 33 years of the
Stockton insane asylum and a woman
more than 20 years old, shall retain in
her name $l.250,0 900, or that the greater
portion of that sum shall be divided
among her six adult children, is tho
question that will come up before Su-
perior Judge Mogan November g. The
case was called In Mogan's court yes
terday and continued to the later date.
Behind the suit is story of
$2,0O0,000 estate drifting about in the
current of the law for eight years. And
the pathetic central figure in the con-
troversy is a woman hale and hearty
in her body, but with mind wrecked
and blank. In the void world in which
she lives she knows not whether she
has million dollars or a cent-but
the energies of the courts are to de-
eide whether she shall have greater
or lesser percentage of fortune about
which she knows nothing.
Mrs. Voorman, the insane woman, is
the widow of the late Henry Voor
man, who died in. 1900, leaving an es-
tate in a muddled condition. The
children of the couple and heirs to the
property are Annie Laura Voorman.
Viola v. Willett. Walter NJ Willett.
Ida Louise Voorman, Alice Amanda
Tilden, Herbert C. Tilden, Henry A
voorman du Bois and Mary Ann Voor-
man. They appear in the suit and
with them is Annie Laura Voorman as
executrix of the last will OF Henry
Voorman and the Voorman company.
Henry Voorman. A cross complaint
has been filed by Viola v. Willett
against the other heirs for an adjudi-
cation on the property.
Mrs. Voorman is represented in the
case by Judge John r. Aitken, guar
dian ad litem, and his attorney, Frank
Aitken. The heirs are variously rep
resented by Attorneys Lloyd and Wood,
Knight and Heggerty and r. Il. Coun-
tryman.
MARRIES HEIRESs
Fifty years ago Henry Voorman
married Mary Duncan, the daughter OF
a very wealthy property holder OF
that time Mrs. Voorman inherited
large interests from her father, and 1t
is said that that Inheritance was the
basis of the Voorman fortune, Whlcn
now amounts to about S2,00O,O0o.
Thirty three years ago Mrs. Voorman
went insane and was committed 10 the
Stockton asylum. In 1873 her nus
band was appointed guardian OF ner
property and held that trust until his
accumulation of parcels of land and
stocks, including many holdings In
Chinatown, the south of Market street
district, in the islands along the sac
ramento and San Joaquin rivers ana In
First national and San Francisco saw
ings union bank stock. Voorman had
charge of the estate, but is is alleged,
did not make an accounting during all
the time of his stewardship. Before
his death he further confused the titles
by merging all the interests into the
Voorman company.
LEGAL QUESTION ARISES
When he died the legal question
arose as to how much of the accumu-
lated property was legally his to be di-
vided among his heirs and how much was
his wife's, which could not be touched.
1t was contended that Voorman's only
interest in the estate was in the COM
munity property amassed during the
years of the couples married life. Be
fore the fire Judge Sloss, then sitting
on the superior court bench, appointed
Judge Aitken guardian ad Item for
Mrs. voorman. While the probate pro-
ceedings were pending before Judge
Coffey Aitken brought suit against the
heirs of Henry Voorman to clarity the
titles. 1t is contended that about
$1,25O,000 of the $4,000, 900 estate prop
in the Stockton asylum. That would
leave s750,OO0. approximately, to be
divided among the heirs. The heirs
contend for a larger share. AS there
was no accounting in the estate while
Voorman was guardian the matter is
peculiarly complicated.
The voorman children have provided
their mother with every care and COM
fort possible at the state institution
There are no heirs to the estate out
side the Voorman descendants, and the
question of the final division of the
property among the children is matter
of time, for should the mother die they
would receive the entire estate. But
in spite of her hopeless mental con-
dition the woman gives every sign OF
physical health and vigor.
Don't forget the grand benefit en-
tertainment for st. Mary's college at
Drear11aud Steiner near Suffar f0mor-