The Shadowy War for the Yesler Fortune
Attorneys, doctors, and secret witnesses clash in court over the lost will of a Seattle pioneer, exposing a trail of bribery and paranoia.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Yesler case in Justice Humphrey's court continues to captivate the city. Daniel Kelleher, an attorney representing the Lowman interest, took the stand yesterday to detail attempts by Dr. Van Buren to sell evidence regarding the existence of a lost or destroyed will belonging to the late Mr. Yesler. Kelleher described a web of negotiations involving Dr. Jordan and the mysterious disappearance of C. L. F. Kellogg, the alleged go-between. Testimony revealed that Van Buren, while acting as an assistant to Dr. Jordan, was actively peddling proof of the will to the highest bidder. Kelleher recounted several clandestine meetings at the Russell House, including a moment where Van Buren hid behind a telegraph pole to avoid being seen by his employer, Dr. Jordan. Witnesses further testified to the atmosphere of suspicion at the Yesler household, where the pioneer feared he was being poisoned. The court also held attorney L. E. Thompson in contempt for refusing to disclose the whereabouts of the missing witness Kellogg, though a bench warrant has been issued to compel his appearance.
“The witness said: 'Jordan would not hesitate to do anything. He said Jordan would not hesitate to cut his throat.'”
The legal battle over the massive estate of Henry Yesler, one of Seattle’s foundational figures, serves as a vivid reminder of the city's early, cutthroat era of capital accumulation. Today, the Yesler name persists in landmarks, but the 1893 fight mirrors the modern-day anxieties surrounding inheritance, probate, and the influence of wealth on the judicial system.
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