The San Francisco call., 1909-02-19
Mrs. Edie w. Gonzales Deeply
Affected by Recital of Her
Husbands Accusations
Attorney Says Provision in Will
Against Remarriage Was
Due TO BrainstOrms
Insane Jealousy and Suspicious
of TestatOr Attributed to
Former Wife's Guilt

Mrs. Edie W. Gonzales, who is con-
testing the viii of the late Dr. Mariana
Z. Gonzales, shed tears as Charles S.
Wheeler. her attorney. in his opening
statement before the jury in Judge
>Graham's court yesterday told of the
jealous Spaniard's many accusations of
unfaithfulness against his loyal wife.
The very day after their marriage,
Wheeler said, Gonzales accused his
bride of undue intimacy with boy
OF 15 years. At other times he con-
uected her name with that of an aged
and trusted family physician. with that
of a hotel keeper and with that Of a
lawyer whom both had known for
many years.
While a man of culture and of kind
~. gentlemanly feelings in all other
respects, Gonzales was absolutely in
sane so far as his suspicious of his
wife were concerned. Wheeler said. His
Jealousy was abnormal the attorney
informed the jury. and this caused him
TO incorporate the provision in the will
that his widow should forfeit all her
share in the estate should she remarry.
COMPROMISE Is REJECTED
Mrs. Gonzales was left the income
from practically one-third Of the estate
of her husband. the income from an
other third going to Miss Anita C.
Gonzales, daughter OF the testator by
a former marriage, while the other
third was willed to- the 46 grandchil-
dren of Francisco Rico, halfbrother Of
Gonzales. Just as the afternoon ses-
sion of court was about to open yes
terday a short recess was granted the
attorneys. and Charles s Wheeler; Bert
SchIesinger. representing the executor,
j. c. Lazier; Charles ". Slack, attor-
ney for Miss Anita Gonzales. and Will
liam Humphrey, counsel for the Rico
heirs. engaged in consultation in
which compromise was Intellectually
discussed.
II is understood that in behalf Of the
as Rico children an offer was made to
accept $1,000 each. or $4,000 in the
aggregate. in satisfaction Of all claim
against the estate. The offer was,
however refused by Wheeler II the
viii is sustained the Ricos viii. upon
the death OF Mrs. and Miss Gonzales
inherit practically the entire $500, 900
estate. If it is broken they viii get
nothing.
BRAINSTORMS FOLLOW TRAGEDY
Two witnesses were examined yester-
day, Alfred Gonzales and J. c. Lazier,
the executor. but little of interest de-
veloped in their testimony. Attorney
Wheeler's opening statement traVersed
the entire married life of Mr.. and
Mrs. Gonzales. He attributed the doc
tors alteration on the subject of his
beautiful young wife's faithfulness TO
the fact that he had surprised his
first wife IN guilty circumstances and
had secured a divorce from her
This ira agedy in his life was fol-
lowed by intense grief and the break
ing Of a blood vessel in his BRAIN" said
Wheeler. He Was afterward subject
10 brainstorms. He would cry out that
all women were unfaithfuL Mrs. Con
zales was a devoted slave to her hus-
band. She was by his side every day
Of their 13 years Of married life. Dur
ing the dry years following 1895 she
turned her wedding gifts into money,
raised chickens, sold the eggs and lived
on the ranch in Monterey county on
S. month"
GONZALES CHARGED CONSPIRACY
The day following their marriage,
Wheeler said, MIS-. Gonzales was asked
by boy Of Is TO step into the back
room at the store at Gonzales to in
spect some venison, and her husband
accused her Of improper motives.
While they were staying at a Tahoe
hotel she one evening stood on the top
Of the stairs and said Goodnight to
two Of her husbands men friends. AS
soon as she got to her room Gonzales
seized her in a frenzy, shook her and
declared that she had immoral inten-
tiOns toward the two men. He broke
from a San Francisco hospital in which
. he was under treatment and. bursting
into the room in a hotel in which his
wife was sitting alone eating dinner,
charged that she and an aged doctor
had conspired to keep him in the hos
pital so that they might be together.
UNSOUND MIND ALLEGED
Many other similar incidents were re-
lated by Wheeler. all of which, he
said, he would prove in order to estab-
lish the unsOundness of mind of Con
zales.
The night before Gonzales gave Reu-
ben II. Lloyd the instructions for his
viii he had had a very serious attack
Of his malady, Wheeler said He
walked the floor all night. upbraiding
his wife, and at O'Clock in the morn
ing went to Llovd's Office. Gonzales
had always declared that he would
leave his property equally divided be-
tween his daughter and widow, Wheeler
said. He had very little TO do with
the RicOs. and his wife was not even
acquainted with most OF them.
Lazier in his testimony said that Dr.
Gonzales had informed him he in
tended leaving his property to Mrs
Gonzales and his daughter. The trial
= VIII be resumed Tuesday morning.