The New York herald., 1877-01-17
AN EPIsToLARY SHOWER BATH.

Mr. A. B. CRANES IMMENSE Musx-PEaYUMxD
M'MAHoN LIBEL CASE.
Mr. A. B. Crane, lawyer At No. % Broadway, 10 .
gentleman who. excepting John KslIy Collector Arthur
Judge Hilton and William H. Vanderbilt receives more
letters than any other person In New York. The de-
lcious but powerful odor OF musk stealing from his
letter box provokes the envy OF the Post once ocala
They guess from this musky accumulation that the
letters must be billet doux, and say. who the lucky
fellow who many love letters day after day ~
Yesterday Mr.. Crane showed to representative Of the
HERALD perfect bale Of those fragrant epstles but
aas instead Of breathing the gentle coongs Of turtle
dove found upon inspection that they either
the mssives OF hatred scorn and revenge cpstolary
sermons leoturing M Crane the necessity for Guilt
vating the virtue morality, goodness and all the other
good qualities Of that hitherto vainIy sought creature
the perfect Tho sender Of this shower Of letters
postal cards, newspaper extracts 60, is Mrs. Dennis
MoMahon. wife OF the we'll known lawyer who became
somewhat conspicuous In the notorious XcMahon libel
suit which was tried in December, 1878, at Whto
Plains
rHB kAAHoH LIBEL SUIT.
That suit, it will be remembered, grew out Of
a romance of real life In which Mrs. Mcmahon ana
her former but divorced husband, Francis E. Eldrdge,
were the central figures Mrs. Mcmahon sued Eidrdge
School, libel the ground OF the alleged pubIica
ton OF q letter from Eldridge 10 Mrs. Mcmahon, his
former wife, and Of which tho Rev. Dr. Holden was
the bearer, in which Eldridgc threatened to write
book, revealing her former life, unless she complied
with certain pecuniary conditions named by him.
The case was compromised the last day. after all its
romantic features had been disclosed, by the with
drawal OF Mrs McMahon's suit aud tho formal COM
initial to the flames OF tremendous heap OF letters
nv.& npiu
cipaly to Mrs. McMahons married lilo. The HERALD
gave full reports Of that extraordinary case
at tho time but naturally declined to publish the
highly spicod correspondence. II now appears that
Mr. A. B. Crane, who associated with Judge Emott
in defending tho has been punished by the fair
plaintiff Mrs. Mcmahon, In the epistolary manner
above Indicated The Rev. Robert Holden has also
ceved largo food Of such letters and cards. and even
of her own counsel exJudge Robert Cochranc. OF
White Plains with whose conduct Of her she be-
dissatisfied, got episolary shower BATH until
he became dangerously i'll, when the sender kindly
spared him further cOmmun cations.
Musk-PERFUMED MAIL
The letters and cards are nearly all dated from
ssCastle den In the Twenty. third ward this being
the namc oil Mrs. McAIahons paradisical residence
Castle Eden must be place favorable 70 the gr0Msh
Nine do Stael and Mme dc Seviyn6 never in their
paniest days approached Nine McMahon IN point oi
fertility One letter Is twenty-cght pages long, and
begins as iollows-
You would do we'll belong to that whose brain:
and heart and they FL paws Ssws ans %
demon that is Etrascan vases Or limned on he
Ss s a ys s SSusS os
sn II Ike sass So
volcanic ares DC, &c.
The letter goes on in the strain. and good
many other choice gems might be culled here; but
other will suflce:-
Yet might .;", as well argue in desert and I; Y.n m
the opinion your oIsnacy viii DO death
reduced to very meagre life &C.
POSTAGE STAMPS cHEAPLY GOT.
This letter, like every otner contains postage stamps
Tor answer but as Mr.. Crano has not yet noticed
these postage stamps together with the letters, he
has quite a respectable accumulation OF both. Another
envelope bearing two twelve cent stamps and con-
pages on Mr.. Cranes villany and backness gave Mr.
Crane twenty -four conts worth OF stamps, and his
stamp business IN he lower portion Of Broadway As
the supply from The iair sender could scarcely tall IN
the future he would do an exceedingly rcmanerative
One Of the poems, supposed to illustrate tho fall OF
Ms Grave iSaars III. .v' eAss ~nNas' Sn sasfn7nf -
ssThe Fall Of Lucfer." On the hcels Of this came
another poem, 'Scrvod Him Right" and then there
huge packages OF postal cards, mostly written 10
maxim may serve as an examplc:-
La verite c'est Hambeau afreuse. -
And then como little d,stichcs like these:--
~
The blackest Ink Of late may be your lot
Whom fate wrote your name did Il make y blot :
And tender verses ike tho following, picked up at
random out OF tho immense heap BY the reporter:-
And will poor Crane leave this world soon,
To fly to his native seat, the moon
Twill stand, however in some little stead,
That lie sets out with such an empty head
Who Knows himself braggart.
Let him fear ths-ior IL will come to pass
That every braggart shall be found an asst
| Then there are poctical sermons like shb:-
Truth and justice are eternal,
Born with loveliness and light
Secret wrong shall prosper
| While there Is a starry night.
| Then thero arc printed cards bearing the gentle
m,ssive, "You lie; you know you lie'' and written
ones with these laconc mcssages:-"How sad TO see
q plodding asst" mono but towards liei" "That's o
valiant flea that dare breakfast In the lip Of
lIonln s'The pen OF the tongue should bo dipped In
tho ink OF the heart and there are cven some with
| rude caricaturos drawn by the writer's hand Somo
| OF the letters are anonymous, and othors are
| signed Mrs McAahon, and still others purport
parties parties 10 her, in which Mr. Cranes true
nwardncss painted in the blackcst colors. somo OF
| tho mssives enclose cards-"Mrs McMahon, Castle
Eden 23, ward-and others request Mr. Crane 70 Tor.
ward the letters alter he has perused thcm to third
| parties. Sometimes the lady drvos up to Mr. Cranos
residence and the servant leaves tho epistc person
ally Even Mr.. MITCHELL partner Of Mr. Crane and
nm inocnsve old gontleman got ono cpistc, charging
him with having once refused 10 give ten cents TO
| deserving applicant for charity
After the last trial in White Plains, whore the case
| was compromised, Mr. Crane wrote a card TO the
| HERALD in answer to q card published by hr Dennis
McNahon. This card is the ground for another suit
Tor libel soon to be tried al Whtc Plains, and broush'
claims S. 900 damages The whole romance Of thii
truly startling will thea be :eopencd.
|
THE PHETPS' CASE