Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-12
NOW ON THE TRAIL
OF MISSING TRUNK
Further Hearing of Walker Contempt
Proceedings Is Held Today Before
Commissioners Baldwin.

In tho cross-cxaminnt ton of Mrs. Al
thea Walker. widow of d. f. Walker,
who Is charged with contempt Of court
4 in violation Of nm injunction restraining
her from removing any property Of the
estate out Of Utah, Attorney c. e. Dcy
Istalked on the trail of trunk Mt the
hearing this morning before Charles
w. Baldwin, master in clancory Of the
United States district court. After
tracing 1t from the safety deposit box
in the Utah Savings & Trust company
to the Walker residence at 1,365 east
South Temple street he lost It. Among
some household effects which were
packed and shipped 20 San Francisco by
freight, he found scent OF 1t again and
there learned something of Its contents.
Mrs. Walkers faulty memory made
close examination of 1t almost impossi-
Bile, however, but Attorney Dey has
fairly good description of II. This trunk
Is small, made of dark stained wood,
heavily strapped with metal. When 1t
was removed from the safety deposit
box 1t was only locked with II spring
lock. After 1t was taken to the South
Temple street residence, It was said
and sealed and locked again. According
to the testimony. so far. all this little
old trunk. which had been in the family
a long time, contained. were some busi
ness letters OF Mr.. Walker, some cor
respOndenCc of Mrs. Walker, of no I'M
portuncc, score OF old worthless checlt
stubs ands some receipts for bills that
had beeen paid. Yet Mr.. Dey brought
out the fact that Clarence Walker. Il
son. and a man employed to help pack
the household goods, spent some time
making this trunk as securely fastfJcd
rs a treasure chest
The trunk. made it's appearance in
the Walker viii contest case this morn
ing while Atty. Dey was carrying on a
searching examination OF Mrs. Walker
In regard to her affidavit filed some
time ago In which she denies that she
removed from the state bonds. stocks.
notes and securities valued at 100000,
which belonged to the estate. While
asking her about the frequent trips
made to the safety deposit box after
the death of her husband, It appeared
that there was standing order to al
Low Clarence Walker. her son, to open |
the box. Tile trunk was removed by |
young Walker while accompanied to
the bank by John e. Bennett. chief |
counsel for the Walker family. Bennett |
is n resident Of San Francisco and is
looking after the interests of tho estate
there. For some reason, Mr.. Bennett
wanted this correspondence. these old
check stubs and these old bills marked
paid. so tho trunk was securely fas-
tened and shipped away.
After u was wired and sealed Mrs.
Walker has no personal knowledge OF
what became of 1t. 1t was all con-
fusion at the house. she s.ld, and she
did not know whether the box was
shipped or not. She declared she had |
not seen 1t. The contents might have
been taken out and the trunk packed
with other goods and shipped away.
When the hearing adjourned at noon,
Mr.. Dey took UP the list OF bonds and
stocks mentioned in tho affidavit and
questioned Mrs. Walker In regard to
them. She admitted that she held some
Western Pacific bonds but declared
that her husband had given them to
her some time before his death. Every
thing she held In her possession. sho I
said her husband gave her. During
her examination Mrs. Walker was conf
PEELED to use smelling salts to stand the
ordeal. She appears to be extremely
nervous. and on the verge of a collapse, |
being unable to remember dates and a |
number of other things which occurred |
since her husbands death