A LAWYER'S WILL

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 33, 9 February 1928, Page 9

A LAWYER'S WILL

BAD ADVICE LEGACIES A SCOT IN THE STATES (From "The Post's" Representative.) SAN FRANCISCO, 11th January. A remarkable 17111, by Gavin M'Nab, a Scottish-American lawyer, nationally known, was disclosed hero shortly after his death. v Mr. M'Nab, a native of Glasgow, came to America in his youth, and, while employed as a clerk in a hotel in San Francisco, studied law in his spare time, and in the course of time ■wag admitted to the Bar. Ho became famous for his defence of Eoscoe Arbuckle, who, after three trials, was acquitted of the murder of Virginia Rapp. M'Nab had many famous briefß, and was chosen by the late President Wilson to arbitrate in the shipbuilding dispute during the war. . He ■became a noted leader of the Democratic Party on the Pacific Coast. His will disclosed an estate of £160,----000, of which i, 36,000 was bequeathed to public, institutions, old friends, employees, and former clients. One of these bequests read:"l give to Mrs. A. M. Elkins, of Palo Alto, the sum of thirty-five thousand dollars, to cover the results of certain investments I made for her, and certain advice which I gave her, which did not turn out well. In caso she dies before me, the money is to go to her daughter." A bequest under similar terms was made to J. P. Fennell, to compensate him for advice Mr. M'Nab gave him which turned out wrong. The will confirmed to Mrs. M'Nab, the widow, her half-interest in the estate as community property, but made no other special provision for her, because, he wrote, "she is abundantly provided for with property of her own." He left his secretary, Miss Lucy Dunn, £7000 for faithful service and £4000 for charities, within her discretion. The will was penned entirely in Mr> M'Nab 's own handwriting, and there iveee bo witaeeses. •