The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-12-16
FIGHT FOR LUCKY"
BALDWIN'S MILLIONS

Los Angeles. Cal, Dec. 1O.-What
promises to be an almost endless lit
igation for possession of the millions
left by Elias J. ("Lucky") Baldwin
is scheduled to begin in the superior
court here today, when Judge Riyes
will consider petition for the dis
tribution of nearly the entire Bald
win estate, amounting to about $12,-
900, 900.
For many years prior to the death
of Lucky" Baldwin, which occurred
at his Santa Anita ranch on March
l, 1909 the public was more or less
familiar with his checkered career,
but even those persons who shared
his confidence most We're scarcely
prepared for the many sensational
chapters which have been inserted
in the life-story of the famous old
bonanza miner and turfman since he
passed from earth. If half that is
rumored is true, the court proceed
ings now about to begin will reveal
| the persistence with which the old
millionaire hammered the Seventh
Commandment, beginning before he
left Racine, Wis, way back in 1850,
for the California gold fields, and
continuing up to the very end of his
remarkable career nearly sixty years
| later.
! Many years ago friend of Bald
win was heard to remark that the
millionaire had knocked the Seventh
Commandment endwise in nearly ev-
cry county of the State, and that in
nearly every county of the State a
! divorced wife or pensioned female
sat mourning. But later develop
ments would seem to indicate that
the old man did not coutine his wild
cat crop to the flfty-seven counties
of California, but extended it to 9TH
er States as we'll.
| Lucky" Baldwin's matrimonial
ventures were not less sensational
than the startling fluctuations of
fortune which made his life full of
kaleidoscope change. 1t is known
that he was married when he start
sd for California, as three times at
ter he got hereafter proper inter-
walls succeeding divorce. In addi-
ton, he defended four different
suits for breach of promise, and paid
one Judgment of $4,000. His life
was twice attempted by women, one
of these being Anita Baldwin, later
said to be his niece, who wounded
him with a pistol-shot in the Bald
win hotel in San Francisco in 1888
; Small wonder, then. that the ole
millionaire when he saw death ap.
preaching deemed 1t wise to add tc
his will specific statement deny.
| ing the existence of more than a sin
gle widow, in an effort to provide
against possible contest in that di
rection.,
: Although possessed by all the dew
: lis that usually drive men to de
struction with which devils he al
1 ways was on good terms) Lucky
Baldwin had the good sense to hole
on to his fortune and increase 1t
: Many times In the course of his sen
3 sational career it was reported tina
he was broke, an don several occa
4 etons these reports were doubles
e pretty near the truth. But eacl
I time the astute old plunger manage
r to recoup his losses and he die
8 leaving many millions.
: Litigation promises to wipe GU
r the bulk of the Baldwin fortune
: dls: ributing it among many claim
t ants and scattering it over man
r States, leaving only the great SAINT
Il Anita ranch as his only memoria
9 in the State from which he SCOPE
= millions in mines and stocks VIVA
he had hoped at one time woul
i stand as an everlasting monumen
4 for the diffusion of his name an
l. fame proved scarcely more everlas
n ing than soap-bubble. This wa
!. the palatial Baldwin hotel and Thea
k ter that he erected on Market stree
n in San Francisco at cost of SO
a 100000. All the culture and prid
r that he had were conferred in thu
d hotel. A few years after it wa
e built he saw it go up in smoke, an
It as he watched the flames wrap then
It selves around it he wept for the fir.
a time to anyone's knowledge
d
4 BIG MEETING OF
\ ENGINE MANUFACTURERS