The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-10

fected his interests 1t was his great
anxiety to raise funds which led in
large measure to the separation of
Buffers and his wife.
Several years ago. in aff1uent days,
he decided outright to her several hun
dred thousand dollars worth of real
estate. among II the family mansion
and grounds, Alta Vista, at Piedmont.
Also Buffers conveyed fine income
property in San Pablo avenue, this city.
Desiring to realize cash TO further his
railway investments, Buffers tried TO
persuade his wife TO reconvey the prop
erty 70 him. Quarrels and the separa-
ton followed her refusal 1t is this
property which forms Mrs. Buffers es-
tate over which her children are pre-
pairing to contest.
GROUND OF CONTEST
) That the will is to be contested on
the principal ground of Mrs. Buffers
alleged mental incapacity is likely in
view of the conditions which she inn
posed upon several of her requests.
Among the most noteworthy was one
in the original document directing
that her daughters. Mrs. Georgiana
Cook. allowance of $3.50 month should
be cut off if she should remarry DIR.
Charming Cook, from whom she was
divorced. codiciI made this even
stronger, and provided that Mrs. Cooks
annuity should cease if she married
Cook or any other divorced man.
Mrs. Buffers provided as follows for
her other children:
William B. Edwards son, $50
month: Mrs. r. A. Bray, daughter. $50
a month. during her husbands life
time. and 500 afterward; David S. Ed
wards. son, 500 a month; Marie But
tiers, daughter, legally adopted by Hen
~ A Buffers. 500 month; Marguerite
Buffers. daughter. also legally adopted
by Henry A. Buffers. 800 a month;
Joseph Paulding Edwards. $50 a month,
residue of estate TO Henry A Buffers
Jr.. son.
other requests were made to the sis
tiers of the Holy Names, Sacred Heart
convent Providence hospital and Fabi
ola hospital, covering annuities of
81. 500, or in lieu, $4,000 in cash. Pro-
vision was made for $50 a month to
Mrs. Georgiana Schell, a sister. who
since died, and SIS a month TO Ada
English a friend.
DID NOT CHANGE WILL
In spite of the domestic troubles.
Mrs. Buffers allowed to stand in her
viii a devise to her husband of Alta
Vista for life. the place then to go
to their son, Henry A. Jr. This was
not changed after her husbands death.
The will was made March 5, 1908.
Mrs. Buffers estate is estimated to
be worth between 100000 and $500, 900,
including Alta Vista, which is not in
come producing. To effect payment of
the various allowances Mrs. Buffers
caused a trust to be created which
should not cease until the death of all
of her children, their children and the
other personal benefciaries of the will.
She also provided that if any of the
requests should be invalidated. her son
Henry A. Buffers Jr. should receive the
remainder.
In view of the prospective battle, in
/ teresting side lights are thrown upon
/ the family history of the Buffers.
Henry Buffers began life IN Oakland
as a newspoy. His family lived in
the lower part of the city, now COW
cred by Chinatown. Buffers grew to
manhood and became interested in
mining He accumulated competency
in Colorado, went to South Africa and
amassed considerable fortune.
CAREER OF MRS. BUFFERS
He married Mrs Buffers in 1891 at
Denver. She was born in St Louis.
1 Mo, but spent her early years in New
York state. Her first husband was
Captain W. S. Edwards of the United
/ States coast and geodetic survey, who
died in 1880. Two years later she mar
ried Captain Louis A. Sangteller, her
husbands life long friend. He died
/ six years later.
Issue of the three marriages were
nine children, all of whom survive. ex-
1 cept Sister Mary Benedicta martha
| Edwards).
Buffers and his wife came to Oak
land and established themselves at
Alta Vista, the scene of much social
life After his return Buffers invested
in Oakland real estate, attending to
his many business affairs, and finally
launching the Northern electric rail-
way company project. He carried this
along until the financial troubles OF
1s07-0s, when the pressure forced him
to seek every possible avenue of re-
cuperation. His worries caused a ser
ious attack of nervous prostration,
which eliminated in his death
Buffers wife died in Yosemite vsl-
ley June 90. from pneumonia, follow
ing a cold contracted during a trip to