Los Angeles herald., 1910-07-16
BALDWIN ESTATE
FIGHT TO BEGIN
Mrs. TurnbuIl and Daughter Ar
rive Here with Attorney
7. w. CoakIey
GUARDIANSHIP FIRST STEP
To Try to Show Lucky and Al
legged Wife Welded Under
Old Laws
GUARDIANSHIP FIRST STEP

Beatrice Anita Baldwin Turnbull and
her mother, Mrs. Lillian Ashley Bald
win Turnbull, and one of their attor-
neys, Timothy w. CoalSley, arrived in
Los Angeles yesterday from Boston,
and fight for what is said to be the
daughters share of the $20,00O,00O es-
tate of Lucky Baldwin will be start
ed in California courts Immediately. An
application will be made first for guar
dian for the young woman who is now
IL years old. The second step will be
the filing Of petition to revoke the
allowance of the will which attorneys
for the Turnbulls say may be done
within one year after the girl reaches
are age of Is years.
Mr.. CoaHley says that in the legal
battle it will first be shown that Mrs.
Turnbull and u. J. Baldwin were unit
ed in what was recognized as COM
mon law marriage under state laws
which at one time were In force in
California, Baldwin at the time having
another wife in San Francisco, but Mrs.
Turnbull entering into the contract in
good faith. The marriage was there
fore null, void and invalid. 1t will then
be proven, says Mr.. Coakley, that
bull.
The state laws OF California legiti-
matize a child of a null marriage. Such
a legitimate child 1t is claimed is Miss
Turnbull. 1t is also provided in Cali
fornia statutes that child left out of
a will, as was Miss Turnbull, shall be
entitled to the same share of the es-
tate which she would have drawn had
she been mentioned, which is either
two-thirds or three-fourths of the $780,
100000 estate, according to the number
of children of Baldwin, which it is
finally decided exist.
The attorneys for Miss Turnbull, Isl
dore B. Dockweiler being Mr. Coakley's
associate in the case, maintain that
Roselda Selby, who was named by
Baldwin in the will as one of his chill
dren, is not a child of Baldwin and that
only two other children besides Miss
Turnbull exist-Clara Stocker and An
ita McClaughrey, the two undisputed
heirs who have been prominent in past
controversies in which the will was in
Volved.
The attorneys will also endeavor to
prove that Baldwin was of unsound
mind, on the ground that he had for
gotten a child over which there had
been extensive litigation after its birth.
Mrs. Turnbull sued Baldwin for seduc-
tion after the daughters birth, and 1t
WAS uGClQ6u ny lAlC JuuSO lllehb IotlAN" "AAA
was the girls father, although the
claim of seduction was decided against
on technical grounds. By this action,
If it is successful, the general fund of
the estate will be enlarged, and Miss
Turnbulls share will be proportion
ately enlarged. A number of provis-
ions for proportionments were made in
the will which will be annulled If the
action is carried through and which
will revert, therefore, to the general
fund.
Mrs, Baldwin was married to DR.. J.
w. Turnbull of Boston after she left
California, shortly after her experience
with Baldwin, and DR.. Turnbull adopt
ed the daughter.
Associated with Mr.. Coakley and Mr..
Dockweiler in the case are two Boston
attorneys, Walter B. Grant and w. G..
s McCorkle, who will arrive in Los An
geles soon to engage in the battle. An
agreement between the attorneys of
the San Francisco wife of Baldwin,
Clara Stocker, Anita McClaughrey and
Roselda Selby will involve all of them
in the contest against the turnbul
lawyers.
The executor of the estate is H. A.
Unruh, whose attorney is Bradner w.
Lee of Los Angeles.