Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1872-02-08
The California Life Of Helen Josephine
Mansfield LaWIOr.


A San Francisco correspondent of the
New York Sun gives some interesting
particulars of the California life of the
woman who was the indirect cause of
the death of Col. Fisk. 1t seems that
in 1852 her parents removed from Bos-
ton to Stockton, Cal. In 1854 Mr..
Mansfield was killed in a duel. The
widow soon after removed to San Fran
cisco, where Josephine, at that time
fifteen years old, attracted the attention
of Mr.. Carter, a young and wealthy
gentleman, who proposed marriage.
Mrs. Mansfield objected on account of
her daughters youth. Carter then pro-
posed that Helen Josephine should go
to the convent of Notre Dame, at San
Jose, about fifty miles from San Fran
cisco, and finish her education. He
offered to pay her expenses until she
was of age, and then marry her. Helen
Josephine was sent to the convent.
After she had been an inmate of that
institution about two years, her mother
married a Mr.. Warren. About one
year after the marriage of her mother,
the theatrical company which had been
playing in Maguire's Opera House went
to San Jose to fill an engagement. At
taehed to this company was Frank
Lawlor, a young and promising actor.
Lawlor was tall and handsome young
man, just the person to attract young
and thoughtless school girl. During
the company's stay in San Jose, Lawlor
and Helen Josephine became acqualnt-
ed. This acquaintance ripened into
love, and in less than ten days they
eloped and were married. When the
news of the marriage reached Carter he
was for a time inconsolable, and his
friends were compelled to keep a close
watch on him to prevent his commit
ting suicide. Time assuaged his grief,
however, and six months afterward he
married another. Lawlor and his wife,
on their return TO San Francisco, went
to board with the mother, and Lawlor
resumed his connection with the Opera
House company. His wife was regu-
lar attendant at the Saturday afternoon
matinees. She was an incorrigible dirt,
and when at the theater was always
surrounded by a circle of admirers.
Among them was d. w. Perley, an Eng
lishman, a law partner of Judge David
S. Terry, who killed Senator David G.
Broderick in q duel. Perley was
wealthy, and for him Helen Josephine
showed marked preference over all
other admirers. About one month after
this acquaintance had been formed,
Perley was visiting at the house of Mrs.
Warren. He was in the par!or with
Mrs. Lawlor at l o'clock in the after
noon. The door was locked. Suddenly
a loud knocking was heard at the door.
Before the inmates of the room had
time to respond, the door was burst
open, and Lawlor and Warren rushed
into the room. Each had a cooked re-
volver in his hand. Lawlor quickly ad-
vanced to Perley and placed the revol-
yer to his head. Warren stood guard
at the door, while Mrs. Lawlor pretend
ed to faint. Lawlor said to Perley,
" You internal scoundrel, you have been
tampering with the affections of my
wife. If you do not instantly sign a
check for 5000 will blow your brains
out"
Lawlor then produced check already
filed up for the amount, only lacking
the signature of Perley. Perley said
that his visit was only one of friend
ship, and denied that he meditated
evil. Lawlor told him that he had no
time to parley, and Perley signed the
check. Lawlor then placed his pistol to
Perley's head a second time, and or
dered him out of the house, telling him
that if he ever spoke of the affair that
he would certainly shoot him on sight.
When Perley escaped he hurried to the
bank and stopped payment OF the
check. He then published the whole
transaction in the daily newspapers, de-
scribing it as a conspiracy by Warren,
Lawlor and his wife to blackmail him.
He also sent friend to Lawlor warning
him out of California within thirty
days, on penalty of death. Lawlor and
his wife fell into disrepute. He was
discharged by Mr.. Mcguire, and, find
ing it impossible to obtain an engage
ment on the Pacific coast, he sailed with
his wife for New York. Their later
history is well known to the public.