Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 55, Number 25, 22 March 1886
CREDITORS.-ESTATE OF H. B. CHATFIELD, deceased. Notice is hereby given by the undersigned. Administrator of the estate of H. B. CHATFIELD, deceased, to the creditors of, and all persons having claims against the said deceased, to exhibit them, with the necessary vouchers. within four months alter the first publication of, this notice, to the said Administrator, at the Law Office of W. H. Beatty and S. C. Denson, No. 425 K street, Sacramento, California, the same being his place for the transaction of the business of said estate. THOMAS F. CHATFIELD. Administrator of estate of H. B. CHATFIELD, deceased. Dated March 15, 1886.
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Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 56, Number 127, 17 January 1887
AFTER MANY YEARS.
Was Chatfield a Bigamist?-An lnteresting Case In Court. Some weeks since Richard CHATFIELD, by his attorney, General A. L. Hart, filed a petition in the Superior Court of this county, asking that Thomas F. Chatfield be removed from the administration of the estate of H. B. CHATFIELD, deceased, and petitioner be appointed as such. Also, asking that the said Thomas F. Chatfield be required to render an accounting of his administration of the estate. The petitioner claims that at the time of the death of H. B. Chatfield his only surviving heirs were Richard and Silas Chatfield. The case on its face would not indicate that it was of more than ordinary interest, but if the petitioners succeed in establishing the truth of what they assert, it will prove one of the most interesting cases in the Court records of this county. Richard Chatfield came to California last summer on an excursion train with two purposes in view— one to see the State, the other TO VISIT HIS FATHER. On his arrival here he found that the latter was dead. At least be was told that his father had gone to Mexico, and in that country had been murdered. He commenced immediately to look up the property of the deceased, to which he claims he and his brother are the legal heirs, the result of which was the commencement of this suit. Petitioner claims that at the time of his father's death the latter was worth in real and personal property $20,000. He has been unable to ascertain a description of his father's personal effects, and hence asks for an accounting by the administrator of the estate, Thomas F. Chatfield. Petitioner recites that Thomas F. is the son of one Amy E. CHATFIELD, who claims to be the wife of the deceased, but whom the petitioner believes was never legally married to deceased. In 1869 or 1770 deceased received a deed to some land near Florin from J. Keebo. Shortly after receiving this deed H. B. CHATFIELD MYSTERIOUSLY DISAPPEARED. Petitioner believes his father to have been murdered, but says he is of the opinion that his remains are not buried in Mexico, but repose in this county in a deep grave on the ranch he purchased from Keebe. He says that some time after his father's mysterious and prolonged absence, Amy E. Chatfield procured another deed, and in her own name from Keebe, on the ground that the first had been lost or destroyed. He further believes that the procuring of the second deed was for the purpose of defrauding the rightful heirs to the estate. In February last Amy E. Chatfield sold the real estate for $20,000. The case came on for hearing Saturday before Judge Van Fleet in Department Two of the Superior Court. The petitioner was represented by General Hart and the respondent by Beatty & Denson and Grove L. Johnson. The first witness called was Mrs. Amy E. Potter, formerly Mrs. Amy E. Chatfield In response to questions by petitioner's counsel she stated that SHE WAS LAWFULI.Y MARRIED To H. B. Chatfield in Concord, Michigan, by a Justice of the Peace by the name of Bigelow. She could not produce her marriage certificate, claiming that it had been lost. Several questions were asked witness regarding the procuring of the marriage license, which were objected to by witness' counsel, who claimed that it was no part of petitioner's case, and that he must first prove his own standing in Court. General Hart claimed his right to prove by the witness whether or not she was lawfully married to deceased. After considerable argument, the Court ruled that for the present the objections would be sustained. Witness was asked if she had a picture of deceased. She said she had, but, on advise of her counsel, refused to give it to the opposing attorney. A SISTER OF THE DECEASED Was next called to the stand. She is the aunt of the petitioner, and arrived from Chicago, where she resides, Friday last. Her name is Mrs. F. Wilson. Deceased was her eldest brolher. She had known Mrs. Potter since the latter was 11 years of age. The deceased had another wife besides Mrs. Potter. His first wife's maiden name was Lucy Perry. He lived with her in Latrobe, New York. Witness was asked if she had a record of the first marriage, and she replied she had, and also the family Bible containing the record of the marriage in the handwriting of her father. On a visit to his sister, some years ago, accompanied by whom now is Mrs. Potter, deceased mutilated the Bible by cutting out that page having the marriage record. He assigned as a reason for so doing that he did not wish his wife to see it, for IT WOULD MAKE HER JEALOUS If she knew he had another wife. Witness demanded the leaf and he returned it. Subsequently deceased told witness that his first wife was dead, and that he had found her grave. The family Bible was then produced and subjected to a close scrutiny by the opposing counsel. The slip which was cut out contained the following: Henry Chafield and Lucia A. Perry, joined in holy matrimony on Wednesday, March 15, 1841. Witness then gave a brief history of the Chatfield family, claiming that the deceased's legal wife was Lucy Perry, and his only rightful heirs children born to him by her—namelv, the petitioner and his brother Silas. J. H. Wolfe, who was at one time a Justice of the Peace in Brighton township, testified to making out a deed lor some land once, but he did not remember whether it was in the name of Amy E. Chatfield or H. B. Chatfield. Both sides desiring time in which to gather testimony, the case was continued without day. The defense claim that they can substantiate every fact which they are called upon to produce. Important developments may be expected.
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Sacramento Daily Union, 10 March 1887
RESURRECTED BONES.
Are They Those of the Missing H. B. Chatfield?
The Record-Union a few months ago published an account of the peculiar condition of affaire developed in the family of H. B. CHATFIELD, who, about the year 1870, owned and lived upon a ranch which he had purchased near Walsh's station, about eight miles from the city. Directly after he purchased the ranch he mysteriously disappeared. His wife said he had gone to Texas, and a report got in circulation that he was killed by the Indians while returning with a band of cattle. However that may be, he was never seen again. The suspicions of Mrs. Chatfield's neighbors were aroused by certain peculiar circumstances, and there began to be whispered about a belief that Chatfield had been killed at home, and that his body was thrown into one of the wells ou the ranch. This suspicion was strengthened by the fact that this well was abandoned about this time and to some extent filled up. Richard CHATFIELD, a son of H. B. Chatfield by his first wife, came out from Nebraska last November to make inquiry as to his father, whom he had not heard from since 1869, soon learned of his disappearance, and gained all the information on the subject possible. He found that Thomas F. CHATFIELD, son of H. B. Chatfield and his second, or California wife, had been granted letters of administration upon the property of the father, and these he proceeded to take legal steps to have set aside, and letters granted to himself instead. This matter is still pending in the Superior Court. Latterly he has been examining the suspected well. upon the ranch, which is now the property of other parties. Securing the services of G. V. Churchman, who has had much experience in sinking wells, an effort was made to clean it out, but they found it a difficult task, there being much water in it at this season of the year, and this their pumps were unable to wholly remove. They have taken out. however, a large quantity of debris, bricks, stones, bottles, timbers, earth, etc.— and finally a few bones, supposed to be those of a human being, and also some that doubtless came from an animal. The bones that are thought to be the remains of a human, have been brought to the city for examination by a physician, to determine what they are. Meanwhile work at the well has stopped, but will probably be resumed in a day or two with more capable pumps, and before long it will doubtless be made known whether the rumor so long in circulation has any foundation in fact.
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Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 57, Number 20, 16 March 1887
The Chatfield Case.
In Department Two of the Superior Court yesterday morning the matter of the estate of H. B. CHATFIELD, deceased, in which some evidence was taken several weeks ago, came up for further hearing on the application of Richard Chatiield to be appointed administrator, in place of Thos. CHATFIELD, appointed a few years ago. A. L. Hart and J. W. Hughes appeared for the petitioner, and Beatty & Denson and Grove L. Johnson for the respondent. On the side of Richard Chatfield it is claimed that his father married a second wife in California before his first wife, mother of Richard and his brother Silas, was either dead or divorced, and that consequently the second marriage was void, and the children by it illegitimate, neither they nor their mother having any claim upon the estate. Depositions were read yesterday to establish the fact of the marriage of H. B. Chatfield and Lucia Terry in 1841, and that Richard Chatfield was their son, etc. J. H. Wolfe, a resident of Brighton, who was a Justice of the Peace in 1870, testified to drawing a deed conveying the ranch near Walsh's station, in 1870 or 1871, from Jarrett Kibbe to a party named Chatfield; he was quite sure it was H. B. Chatfield. A document purporting to have been drawn by him, conveying the property from Kibbe to "Ames" E. CHATFIELD, and which is claimed by Thomas Chatfield to have been the original deed, his father having it made out in favor of his mother instead of himself, but the Justice by mistake in writing, the name " Ames" instead of " Amy was introduced. Mr. Wolfe identified the writing and signature as his own, but when three other documents, purporting to be made out by him on the same day, were presented to him for identification, he denied their validity, and declared his opinion that all were forgeries, because he was confident that he drew up but one paper in which the Chatfields were interested, on that day. H. B. CHATFIELD, it will be remembered, disappeared immediately after he purchased the property, the price of which was about $6,000. It was subsequently sold by Mrs. Amy E. Chatiield to Robert Anderson for $10,000.
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Sacramento Daily Union, Volume 57, Number 118, 8 July 1887
The Chatfield Case.
In the matter of the estate of H. B. CHATFIELD, deceased, which is on trial in Department One of the Superior Court, Richard CHATFIELD, petitioner for letters of administration, rested his case yesterday, and W. H. Beatty. for the defense, made the opening statement on that side. He said that after Chattield had been gone some time, a wandering sheepherder stopped at the ranch, saw the missing man's picture and recognized it as that of a man who had been killed in Texas. The sheepherder remembered the name ol the man to be Chatfield. The attorney said that it would be proven that the land had been deeded to Mrs. Chatlield, and that Richard Chatlield can therefore have no interest in the estate, even if he is a son of H. B. Chatfield. The attorney accounted for papers which were missing some years by stating that they had been left by a man (presumed to be Chatfield) with a harness-maker named Morris in Sacramento, who kept them some years and then gave them into possession of Pressly Dunlap, the documents finally reaching Mrs. Chattield, and would be exhibited in evidence. They consist of deeds, contracts, etc.. and will, the lawyer said, prove that the land was in Mrs. Chatfield's name. The only reason she had taken out letters of administration, it is stated, was that when she desired to sell the property it was discovered that the title was not perfect, and she desired to have it straightened up by the Courts. The attorney contended that whether the marriage between Chatlield and the administratrix was legal was a secondary matter in consideration of the case, as she had taken the pledged word of the father of the contestant, had been joined to him in what she believed to be lawful wedlock, and made him a true and loyal wife. Witnesses were then introduced, including experts in handwriting, the latter to testify as to whether certain documents were written by the same person.
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USA Census, 1860
Name: Henry Chatfield
Event Place: Castoria Township, San Joaquin, California
Gender: Male
Age: 38
Race: White
Birth Year (Estimated): 1822
Birthplace: N. York
Page: 33
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
Henry Chatfield M 38 N. York
Amy Chatfield F 35 N Y
Andrew Chatfield M 11 Mich
Cornelius Chatfield M 9 Mich
Thomas Chatfield M 5 Cal
Florence Chatfield F 1 Cal
Household ID: 266 , GS Film Number: 803064 , Digital Folder Number: 004211323 , Image Number: 00291
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California, Great Registers
Name: Henry Bruce Chatfield
Event Type: Voter Registration
Event Date: 1868
Event Place: O'Neal, San Joaquin, California
Age: 45
Birth Year (Estimated): 1823
Birthplace: New York
GS Film number: 977281 , Digital Folder Number: 005030117 , Image Number: 00030
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USA Census, 1870
Name: H Chatfield
Event Place: California
Gender: Male
Age: 50
Race: White
Birth Year (Estimated): 1819-1820
Birthplace: New York
Page Number: 250
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
H Chatfield M 50 New York
Amy Chatfield F 39 New York
Andrew Chatfield M 21 Michigan
Con Chatfield M 18 Michigan
Thos Chatfield M 15 California
Florence Chatfield F 9 California
Emma Chatfield F 7 California
William Chatfield F 4 California
Household ID: 1817 , Line Number: 27 , Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) , Affiliate Publication Number: M593 , GS Film number: 000545567 , Digital Folder Number: 004259298 , Image Number: 00510
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USA Census, 1870
Name: H Chatfield
Event Place: California
Gender: Male
Age: 45
Race: White
Race (Original): W
Birth Year (Estimated): 1824-1825
Birthplace: New York
Page Number: 76
Household Role Gender Age Birthplace
H Chatfield M 45 New York
Emma Chatfield F 35 New York
Andrew Chatfield M 23 Michigan
Conily Chatfield M 19 Illinois
Thos Chatfield M 15 California
Florence Chatfield M 9 California
Emma Chatfield F 6 California
Agnes Chatfield F 4 California
Household ID: 548 , Line Number: 9 , Affiliate Name: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) , Affiliate Publication Number: M593 , GS Film number: 000545567 , Digital Folder Number: 004259298 , Image Number: 00334