The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-08-09


woman, inconsolable over the loss OF her hus-
band and daughter charged Mrs. Wharton
with ha wing caused their death, she was de-
clared to be lunatic, and by some OF the
friends Of the accused has been so regarded
ever since.
PERSISTENT BORROWER.
Asis well known, Mrs. Wharton had pas.
sion for borrowing money from her friends.
She was profuse in her hospitality, and had
way of making her home exceedingly pleas
ant to her guests; but whoever formed an in
timacy with her family III aperson of means)
was likely to be importuned for pecuniary
favor either by way of loan or endorsement.
Sometimes her promises were kept and re-
payment promptly made, but, IN majority OF
cases, the con6ding creditor had abundant op-
portunity of regrettlng the good nature that
some difference of,opioion, as to her clrcum-
stances Some Of her intimate friends sup
posed her to be wealthy, but the opinion
seemed to be founded upon her eXtrayagant
use of money rather than any knowledge OF
her resources. The house In McCulloch street,
purchased by Major Wharton, was conveyed
to Mrs. Wharton, but shortly aaer Major
daughter Nellie, in whom the title to the prop
erty is now vested. She did not own the
house in which she lived on Eutaw street.
Since Major Wharton's death Mrs. Wharton
MAS been in the receipt of a pension OF twenty
five dollars per month from the United States,
which che drew quarterly, the last payment
being made June 4th. She may have other
resources than these mentioned, but H she
has they are not generally known.
THE INSURANCE MONEY.
Part of the $50, 600 which Mrs. Wharton re-
ceived from the insurance companies after the
death of her SON, was no &oubt expended In
the payment of debts previously contracted.
Fourteen thousand dollars of this sum seems
to have been secured to Miss Nellie on the poll
cies; at least that sum was inveStedin United
States bonds, and deposited at the banking
nams.,. United States bonds. representing
s5QN ere also deposited to the credit Of Mrs.
WliS ~. This money she appeared to be saw
Ing fd&Sa rainy day." With persistent credit
.ors pressing her on every side, and her trip to
Europe In Immediate prospect, (for which she
was trying to borrow money! she appears to
have made no promises founded on q hypothe-
them as collateral security with the gentlemen
whom she asked 20 endorse for her.
FICTITIOUS HOUSE.
Whatever may be. the result of the charge
of poisoning, there is one statute offence Of
which,. rumor says, Mrs. Wharton has been
repeatedly guilty, namely, ',misreprese atation
of existing facts, In her efforts to borrow
money. The devlceSAnd subterfuges to which
she resorted are by 81 means consistent with
that simplicity and aRliability and lofttneBs OF
character which her friends claim for her. To
9 gentleman well known In financial circles,
she applied, about ten months ago, for the
loan Of five thousand dollars. Although a
personal friend he. did not care to make such
,.an inveqement, and at first declined. She
- told him such plausible story, to the
6t that she was about to purchase fine
4 y on Walnut street, IN Philadelphia; that
had twenty-five Thousand, and only need
of the whole sud- asked for the property; the
h6hse was being sold by 9 trustee, VINO was
friend Of hers, and she did nat want; to
smiss the opportunity Of buying IT. The
. reluctant capitalist then suggested that, II
she had twenty-five thousand dollars ready
to pay down, there would be no difficulty
in getting an accommodation for She balance,
or lfthat could not be done there would be
no difficulty in raising, five thousand dollars
In Philadelphia on house worth tweQlsev.
en- thousand. The borrower still persistsdx
an0at last got the money, giving her note.t2e
the amount, payable In tour months. For
some time the credulous capitalist supposed
that the house had been purchased, and he
had no apprehensions a6out the safety OF his
money The note became due, but there were
ESuch positive promises OF payment at the end
'of the next ensuing four months that Mrs.
wharton was permitted to renew 1t, upon
stating two separate and distinct sources from
which the money was to be derived (neither
Of which had any existence.l In the mean
tin5 4heiender began to make some inquiry
about the Philadelphia house, and to his utter
astenishment he learned that the whole story
waSa pure fiction. He was Informed there
was no house for sale In the locality mention.
.ed-no trustee appointed to sell, and, of
course, no purchase by Mrs. Wharton.
THE PLEA oF INSANITY.
Misunderstood that Mrs. Wharton's friends
utterly reject tie very suggestion that as plea
of insanity ought to be iRterposed IN ner case,
and It has also been asserted that she herseit
showed great Indignation when she read IN
defence. If, then, this charitable mantle which
the community.s .s ready to throw over these
many moral idiosyncracles Is discarded, all
who loEaShe woman and believe her innocent
of the3 fcrime OF which she Is accused are
bound t0z3Gcept;the judgment which the. pub.
lie pNs upon these misrepresentation and de-
.ceptlons which she practiced upon her credi-
tors. If they are the acts of q sane person,
there can be no complaint Il she is judged as a
sanaperson. A very good woman, no matter
how pressing the necessity, would scarcely
make i,p such story as that related above for
the purpose of obtaining loan. II seems,
too, that at this particular time there were
other friends that might have been made avail
able.
MRS. WHARTON PREscRIBEs FOR VISITOR.
Mentid 3has already been made in the Amer.
ican. of a case in which Mrs. Wharton under.
took to prescribe for one of her. creditors, who
was suddenly taken i'll in. her house. In the
west end Of the city there lives an unmarried
lady, lnthe enjoyment of competence, which
sometimes permits her to lend money to heI
friends. tone time the Wharton's lived In
house which belonged to this lady's brother,
and from this circumstance an intimacy sprung
up between the families, which eliminated In
a loan-of two thousand dollars to Mrs. Whar'
ton alters she became widow. The relations
of the parties were most friendly, and the lady
had no apprehensions about the safety of her
money. The notes were tor different sums
..amounting to two thousand dollars in the ag
:gregate. Upon Mrs. Wharton's suggestion