Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1912-12-06
TRACE AROUND WORLD
rHREE.YEAR SEARCH FOR HEIR
OF COLORADO ESTATE.
Old Not Know That Fortune Of $780,
600 Left by Father Was Await
Ing Him-orioInal VIII Brok-
en- by Youngest brother.

Oak Creek, Colo.--To cut himself
Oft from all relatives because OF his
indignation over what he believed to
be an unfair division Of his fathers
100000 estate; to be tracked entire
ly around the world In three-year
search instituted by brother who
was also ignored in the WILL and who
succeeded in obtaining a new divi'
sion of the property, and finally to
learn that a fortune is awaiting him.
are the experiences Of James M. Bal
ley Of Oak Creek, who has left for
Burlington, Iowa. to assume posses
sion Of his share Of the estate
amounting to over $4,000.
For the past three years Bailey has
resided here and has acted as night
engineer for coal company. He
had considered ak relations with his
father, brothers and sisters ended. un-
til George Getz, a detective, who has
searched the whole world for him. ar
rived. and after Identifying him In
formed Bailey that he Ia to receive
an equal share with his three broth
ers and three sisters in the fathers
estate.
Ten years ago p. d. Bailey, the ia
Their. was declared to be a mental In
competent, and a will. previously writ
ten. hestowing the bulk Of his prop
erty on the first-born son, John G..
Bailey of Oakville, was probated IN
the courts of Iowa. James NJ. Bailey
was at that time in San Francisco,
and he received by mail draft for
the $25 which his father had be-
Gueathed to him. Knowing OF the
fathers wealth, he was so disguised
with being thus practically ignored
that he remailed the draft to the at
torneys and has never since commu-
nicated with his family. except to
attend the funeral of his mother. who
died nine years ago.
James M. Bailey had been living
at the Winchester hotel, San Fran
cisco. When it was destroyed by
the earthquake of April 7, 1905, more
than 800 persons in the building were
killed and his relatives believed that
he was among those who lost their
lives. Immediately after the disas-
ter Bailey, who happened to be at
Vallejo. Cal, the day OF the quake.
shipped under an assumed name as
engineer on a steamer leaving for
Japan, and for q year followed the
sea, encircling the world and finally
landing at New York, from which
point he returned to San Francisco.
There he remained until five years
ago, when he came to Colorado and
took a position as engineer with
sawmill at Fraser, in Middle Park.
William Bailey, his youngest broth
er, who was also cut of in the will
with SIS, went to Alaska, where he
met with success In the mines. He
returned to lowe a millionaire three
years ago, and proceeded to investi
gate the validity OF the probating OF
the fathers estate, with the result
that the case was reopened on q
charge that undue influence had been
used by the brother in the writing OF
the will, and a new distribution OF
the property ordered. giving an equal
share to each of his seven children
William was unwilling to believe
that his brother James was dead, and
he engaged George Getz to undertake
search for the missing man. This
has continued without interruption
until now, more than $4,000 having
been expended IN the chase.
Getz began at San Francisco. where
he learned that Bailey had assumed
the name Of James NJ Wilson in or.
der to avoid the attention of certain
impecunious acquaintances. He found
that Wilson" had gone to sea as an
engineer, and following the trail
found the name of Wilson" on the
port registers at every place that Bal.
ley had touched, including Honolulu,
Nagasaki, the Philippines. Constan-
tinople. Liverpool and finally Oak
Creek Colo