Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-04-22

most especially Mrs. Price, warned
him against Mrs. briggs.
Threw Her Gifts to Dogs
She regarded these marks of sus-
picion with dignified sufferance, but
Mr. Charnock had been influenced
either by his own observations or
what had been told to him, and when
Mrs. briggs brought dainties hot
from her own pans and oven, Mr..
Charnock would throw them, before
her eyes, to his dogs.
This, of course, is one side of the
story. When asked last night if
Mr.. Charnock had proposed marriage
to her, Mrs. briggs laughed and said:
I'D rather not discuss that; it's a
personal affair."
Not less remarkable than this al
legged history is that of the two in
struments between which there is a
huge difference of $4,000. The fl
nancial aspect Of the case is put
mildly. In ten years the property
would probably quadruple in value
and Mrs. briggs would therefore have
100000 for the scratch of an old
mans pen.
The chronology of the document
airy part of the dilemma is as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Charnock, according to the
records, decided the 1877 acres to his
niece, Mrs. Price, on February 26
last.
On March 3, or five days later, he
executed the lease and option on the
same property to Mrs. briggs.
! On March 16 the deed was record
ed.
On March 25, two days after his
death, the lease and option were re-
corded.
Deed Executed First
This record shows that the deed
was executed prior to the execution
of the lease and option. Having
given a deed to the property, Mr..
Charnock, of course, had no further
claim on it and could not, therefore,
give the lease which Mrs. briggs
holds, unless he was an eccentric or
absent minded man, or Mrs. Price
recorded vaqueless deed.
The lease and option, by the way,
which are included in one document,
were subscribed to before Charles
M. Alderman, acting in the ca
pacity of notary public. He is al
SO Mrs. briggs attorney.
Mr.. Alderman stated yesterday
that he and Mrs. briggs called on
Mr.. Charnock in the latter's home
at The Palms, March 8, and that
he there affixed his signature to the
instrument.
Il had known Mr.. Charnock for
some time prior to March 81 said
Mr.. Alderman, "and regarded him as
a sound minded, shrewd business
man. I had drawn up the lease
some time before March 8, but both
he and Mrs. briggs desired to make
changes in it. On the day he signed
it he both read it over and discussed
it. 1t met with his approval and the
execution of the lease and option was
the result
&c 49,
II was very much surprised to
learn that deed to the 137-acre
tract had been recorded. 1t seems
peculiar that while this was ostensi-
bly, executed on February 26 it was
not offered for record until nearly a
month had elapsed. 1t gives rise
to the suspicion that the deed was
ante-dated.
Gin answer to your question why
the lease was not recorded until
two weeks after it was executed,
will say that Mrs. briggs made the
request of me that it be not made
public document. 1t is not necessary
however, to record lease
The lease and the signature of
John j. Charnock were the objects
of a good deal of scrutiny yesterday
and, it is understood, handwriting
this writing with other samples that
experts were engaged to compare
samples that appear on checks made
out by the aged farmer
Someone representing the state yes
terday had photograph of the sig
nature made and this will be sub
mitted to other experts.
The will was Photographic instru-
ment, written by Mr.. Charnock en-
tirely. Apparently he sought no ad-
vice in bequeathing his property.
Lady Dutton Green, daughter of
his deceased brother, William Henry
Charnock, who is in England, has
been notified of the situation and
may come to Los Angeles in case
a contest is instituted Attorney
Haas anticipates no counter claim