New-York tribune., 1911-03-21
PATENT LAWYER |NO|CTEO'
F. E. Baker Mixed Law. Love
and Larceny. Girl Client Says.
STEWART ESTATE INVOLVED
Executor Says He Stole $40, 900
and Promised to Marry Her,
After Getting Divorce.

three indictments filed in General Ses-
sions few days ago. The SPECIFIC
charge was that he stole securities of the
value of $685. ~ belonging to the estate
Of Mrs Mary Reeves Brincklc Stewart
q granddaughter of Commodore stewart
of the American navy. known in history
as "Old Ironsides." and "A niece Of the
Irish leader. Charles Stewart Parnell.
Mrs. Stewart died in Newark in Au-
gust. 1907. leaving an estate valued at
$4,000 Her three daughters and one
son were the only heirs. II was charged
that Baker, who is married and has
country place at Port Jefferson. Long
Island. gained influence over Miss Eliza
beth Tudor stewart. one of the daueh-
ters. who was named as cXecutriX, NY
promising 10 marry her when his wife
obtained a divorce. and dominated her
completely in the management of the es-
tate. She charges him with having there
bv misappropriatcd securities amounting
10 about $50 600. and when arraigned In
General Sessions yesterday his bail was
fxed by Judge O'Sullivan Al Sl'"S.
This was furnished later in the day by
the National Surety Company ana he
was released pending his trial
The records of the District Attorneys
office showed that Miss Elizabeth Stew
art. who is at present employed by the
Chartered Bank of India. AuStraha ana
China. nj No. s. Wall street. is joined IN
The complaint against Baker 10y her SIS
Ter. Margaretta Parnell Stewart Of NO
40 East 21th street and Mrs Frances
Stewart Cooke. of Mobile. Ala, ana
charles Stewart. of Pittsbure, the re-
manning heirs of the estate.
Their complaint was originally made
bv Chief Magistrate McAdoo. who IN
81 communication urging action ny the
District Attorney referred to the com
rlajnants as members of "a New Jersey
family Of the highest character ana
antecedents." and to Miss Elizabeth
Stewart especially as "a young. at
trsotive and highly educated woman
who met Baker. AN educated man OF
pleasant address. who told her he
would get a divorce and marry her
Miss Elizabeth" wrote the Chief
Magistrate. has been stripped of every
dollar she had in the world
The information supplied 10 the Dis
trict Attorney. and on which the Grand
Jury reported the indictments against
Baker. was that at the time of her
mothers death Elizabeth Tudor Stew
art knew Baker. who represented that
as a lawyer he would be able in
friendly way to assist in winding up the
estate Matters dragged along for
year and half with no sign of settle
men,.
Miss Marsaretts Parnell Stewart
brought civil action in the chancery
courts Of New Jersey for the purpose Of
having her sister removed as executriX
R4ker retained the law firm Of Ray
rnord. Mountain s. Van Blarcom. Of
Newark. to fight the litigation, but they
finally withdraw, it is said. and Baker
then retained James Buchanan. another
lawyer, to continue the fight.
Miss Elizzbeth was finally removed
as eXecutriX. In the mean time. she
charged Baker induced her to bring TO
this city all the securities Of the estate
end deposit them in box in the Prod
uce Exchange safe Deposit Company.
BAKER then had an Office at No. 90 Wall
street.
She said both she and Baker had
keys To the box. The investigation
showed that within a few months after
they were placed there they were re-
moved and sold through a certain firm
Of brokers.
Assistant District Attorney Du Nivier.
20 whom the case was assigned by Dis
trlct Attorney Whitman. discovered
that the money for the sales Of the
securities could be traced To his ac-
count in the Columbia Trust Company.
The securities included five shares Of
the Western Union Telegraph Company.
$3.50. the basis Of the first indictment:
twenty sharcJ Of the 18th and 18th
Street Passenger Railway. $j,012 20. the
basis Of the second indictment. and one
bond Of the Philadelphia Wilmington &
Baltimore Railroad. 81 900. the basis of
the third indictment against Baker.
The complaint against Baker charged.
however. that heirs OF the estate had re-
ccived each share of $4,000 in mort
cages, which were disposed Of. but that
he had appropriated to his own use the
proceeds Of the rest Of the estate.
Miss Margaretta Stewart said last
night that her sister Eliza beth had been
engaged TO marry Baker and that ii was
through the influence ne had over her
by reason of the marriage engagement
that he had been able 10 gain possession
Of the estate Of their mother.
in May Of last year Baker stopped
seeing my sister There never was any
quarrel that heard Of but he kept out
Of tho way. She couldn't find him
Whenever she could see him. though, she
tied 10 get our money for u.s.
Last November / brought suit in
the New Jersey courts against m. sister
for an accounting of thc estate. When
the suit came 10 be tried we found that
my sister had not known anything about
IL Baker had received the papers and
had done all the consulting with law
ycrs and had kept everything from her.
Then we went 10 the District Attorney.
and We have been searching for Baker
ever since. Yesterday tho detectives
found him and arrested him
Miss Stewart said that 50 far as she
knew her sister was still engaged to
Baker.