The San Francisco call., 1909-11-05
Son of Eccentric Editor Gather
ing Evidence Here to Prove
Fathers Insanity
Strange Conduct in This City of
Journalist Who Killed
Himself in Vienna .
Peculiar Actions While at the
Fairm0nt Hotel and Mt.
Tamalpais Tavern
Gertrude AthertOn, the Novel
ist, Was Greatly Annoyed
by Erratic Millionaire

THE eccentric life in San Francisco
of Albert Pulitzer, author. pub
- Usher and millionaire, who killed
himself in Vienna last month. is TO be
made the basis. for determined effort
on the part of his son. Walter Pulitzer.
the New York author and poet. to
break his fathers will Agents from
New York are in this city now collect
ing all the information obtainabIe re-
gardfng those vagaries Of the million .
aire that astonished the Fairmont ho-
tel and the Mount Tamalpais Tavern
Gertrude Atherton. the novelist. is TO.
be drawn into the case. and an am,
davit secured from her concerning the
tiff she had with Pulitzer in the Tavern.
The decedent's barber. the hotel at
tendants. every one that came in. con-
tact with the man are cantributing
their quota of information to prove that
Pulitzer was insane.
international Aspect
The contest has assumed an interna-.
tional aspect. for. ranged on the
American side are Walter Pulitzer. the
conte-tant. and Joseph Pulitzer. pro-
prietor OF the New York Wopld.
brother of the decedent. while in Aus.
tria, where the major portion of the for
tune was left, every effort will be. made
to prevent any change in the provisions
of the will. Pulitzer placed the bulk
of his money in European banks, he
was largely interested. there. and the
affair is further complicated by the fact
that, under the Austrian. laws. Walter.
Pulitzer, the only heir. is entitled to
half the estate. whether there were a
will or not Youns. Pulitzer was left
$4,000. a sum he considers far too
small. The estate is said to contain
several millions of dollars.
His Erratic Behavior :.
Pulitzer's extrava CANT notions here.
the eabIegram he sent TO Doctor Pollak
at Vienna, inquiring whether or not he
could eat horseradisn-the Affirmative
answer cost $40 in tciIs-his encounter
with Gertrude Atherton, into whose
private study at the Mount Tamalpafs
Tavern he broke. leading a party of
friends. while she was fn.the midst Of
writing novel; the. Thousand and one
queer actions that marked him from
the usual run of giobe trotters. will
not. however. be the only ground for
the contest. Pulitzer's former valet:
George SCHNEIDER of $50 Tenth street,
Oakland. will be called on to testify
when SCHNEIDER, who Is an accomplished
linguist. was in the authors service. q
strange entoursse of assistants accom-.
panied the party on it's tour of Europe
and Asia Not only was a physician
one OF the train, but a mesmerist also
travelled with them. and often used his
psychic influence in attempting TO cure
Pulitzer of the nervous attacks that
finally led him to end his life. These
nervous disorders had troubled the.
editor for years.
Walter Pulitzer, who is now 81 years
Of age. was left so small a portion of
his fathers estate. those familiar with
conditions believe. because he persisted
In supporting his mother in the marital
troubles she had with her eccentric hus-
band Mrs. Pulitzer died but few
months before her husband, in June 25
of this year. at New York. She was an
English woman. SO years Of age at the
time Of her death, and she met and
married Pulitzer while on visit to
this country.
Struggling Reporter
At that time Pulitzer was struggling
for recognition as a newspaper reporter
in New York. following his emigration
from Mako. Hungary. When he rose
to be. the star reporter in New York
newspaperdom and finally acquired the
ownership of the New York Journal.
which he sold to William r Hearst in
1895, Pulitzer appeared to become dis
satisfied with his wife and they had
constant quarrels.
1t was while at outs with his wife
about 1880. that Pulitzer made a will
cutting on his son entirely. This was
done to frighten the youth, who per-
sisted In remaining with his mother.
into joining the father. This the boy
refused to do and the small bequest is
the result OF his refusal
Walter Pulitzer has risen to consider
able fame himself. He was one OF the
promoters of the American Chess Maxa-
zine. editor in 1902 Of American TIT
Bits and the author OF numerous works.