The San Francisco call., 1910-12-30
WALKER ESTATE
BATTLE is begun
Attorney for Bankers Widow
Tells Where Valuable SeCuri=
ties Were Taken
Especial Dispatch 10 The CALI


REDWOOD CITY, Dec. 29.-what
promises to become a sensational legal
battle between the heirs of David F.
Walker, the California and Utah bank
er and capitalist, who died in Salt Lake
city September II, was begun in Judge
George H. Bucks court in this city to-
day when Attorney John f. Bennett,
representing Mrs. Althea Walker, was
placed upon the stand and asked the
whereab bouts of certain valuable securi-
ties belonging to the estate.
The examination of Bennett was con-
Quoted by Attorney Walter Linforth for
the children of Walker by his first
marriage.
DETECTIVES EMPLOYED
The children of the bankers first
wife cut off from any interest in the
vast estate, have employed skilled de-
tectives to shadow Mrs. Walker, her
two children, Clarence H Walker and
Mrs Margaret Smoot, and Attorney
Bennett TO prevent them from dispos-
ing of anv property of the estate until
the contestants claims have been set
tied.
Last week Special Administrators Carl
W. Elfving of San Mateo was informed
by his secret agents that securities be-
longing to the estate and valued al
$4,000 were held by Mrs. Walker and
ATTORNEY Bennett in the formers safe
deposit vault in the Wells Fargo Ne
vadaL national bank in San Francisco.
A restraining order was issued by Judge
Buck preventing Mrs. Walker from dis
posing of any such securities.
Attorney Bennett testified upon the
stand today that the following securf-
ties were held by the Wells Fargo bank:
Bonds of the Los Angeles gas and
electric company, $4,000; bonds of the
Utah light and railway company, s75,-
600; bonds of the Western Pacific, S40,-
0oo
Reading from a memorandum made
by Bennett Walker showed that the
banker held 2,02o shares Of Wester:
Pacific stock, valued approximately at
$50. 600: l, 900 shares of stock in the Cen
tral California traction company of a
par value of 800, 900, and various other
securities.
BREAK TRUNK OPEN
Bennett told of how upon his arrival
at Salt Lake City September 13. two
DAYS after D. F Walkers death, he
accompanied Mrs. Walker and her son,
Clarence, TO the capitalists vault in
the Utah savings and trust company
and broke open a trunk sealed and
bound with iron bands. They were
looking for a well, he declared. Mrs.
Walker took two check books from the
trunk and two life insurance policies
from the vault
Before their departure with the body
of the dead banker for California the
following day he accompanied Clarence
Walker to the safe deposit vault and
they emptied the contents of the trunk
into a bag, which Mrs. Walker brought
with her to California.
Attorney Linforth sprang the sensa-
ton of the day when he asked Bennett
about a package which he received
from Mrs Walker by Wells-Fargo ex-
press last month. The witness declared
that the contents were merely papers
of no consequence"
Further hearing Of the case was con-
tinued to January 4, when Attorney
Bennett will bring to court the invent
ory Of the securities which he made al
the Metropolis bank.
Following was the array of lega'
talent in court today:
Attorneys Walter Linforth and Ross
& Ross, representing the contestants
Attorneys John E. Bennett and Archer
Kincaid for Mrs. Althea Walker, and
Judge Edward F. Fitzpatrick, repre-
senting the special administrator.