TIMMS, HINKSTON, CLUVER

Posted by Cathy Gowdy on Sunday, April 22, 2012 at 09:35:17 :

The Marin Journal
Thursday, March 29, 1900
page 12

His Last Boat Ride
Frank Timms Drowned Near Lakeville Saturday

Petaluma Argus
FRANK TIMMS is dead and his body lies on a slab in the J.S. Blackburn undertaking parlors till the coroner comes and determines whether his death was accidental of otherwise.

The news that Timms was missing and was supposed to be drowned was brought to town Sunday by Joe Lampkin, an employee on the Fair Ranch. Not long after a telephone message was received from Marshall Collins at Novato saying that the body had been found and asking that the dead wagon be sent for the remains. The body was brought to Petaluma about 11 o'clock Sunday night.

Just how the fatal accident occurred will probably never be known. It was first reported that he had fallen into the creek from Bihler's wharf but later this was disproved. Timms fell from his hunting boat in some manner. He was unable to swim and perhaps was helpless from sudden sickness or from unknown causes.

Timms was last seen alive Saturday afternoon by John Nimmons. He was then sitting in his hunting boat cleaning fish. A little later his absence was noted and Sunday morning when no trace of him was found, and the evidences of hasty departure were noticed, a search was commenced.

The body was recovered with grappling irons about 100 yards from where he fell in. It was placed in the hunting boat and when Frank Blackburn arrived with the dead wagon, the hunting boat with its burden of death was towed behind another boat across the 3 miles of water to the wagon. The heavy wind made hard work for the rowers. The men on the Fair ranch picked up the boat and carried body and boat for some distance.

Marshall Collins went down Monday morning to investigate but found nothing to indicate anything save an accident.

Timms was an unmarried man. He leaves a paralytic, bedridden mother of some 80 years of age and two nieces, Annie Hinkston and Mrs. Henry Cluver.

The deceased recently acquired a clear title to the half of the Timms ranch deeded him by his mother. After the deed was made, Annie Hinkston, as guardian of Mrs. Timms, brought suit to have the deed set aside, alleging Mrs. Timms was incompetent to execute a deed. The case was bitterly fought. Lippitt & Lippitt, counsel for Timms, successfully defended his case and the deed was confirmed by the court. A motion for a new trial is now pending. Timms turned over his part of the farm for the benefit of his mother during her lifetime.