In re Estate of Douglass

William Jay Smith, on June 16, 1904, was appointed an appraiser along with Joseph M. Quay and Homer S. King, to make a new appraisement of this estate.

He met his fellow-appraisers at Wells, Fargo & Co.’s Bank. W. J. Douglass and R. L. Douglass, executors and F. M. Huffaker, their attorney, were present and were asked by William Jay Smith to exhibit any property they had belonging to the estate. The executors and their attorney stated to this board of appraisers that there was no property in California and exhibited nothing. The code requires the appraisers to appraise the property exhibited, viz.: “See. 1445. Their oath ‘that they will truly, honestly and impartially appraise the property exhibited to them according to the best of their knowledge and ability. ’ ’ ’

Mr. Huffaker, on August 15, 1904 filed an alleged inventory which he prepared and caused this second board of appraisers to sign. It stated that the appraisers qualified on the same day. It set forth that the executors reported to them that all the property of J. M.. Douglass was in the state of Nevada, and that there was no estate in California. The executors signed such a statement in the inventory and the…