The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-03-19
THE WIDOW 0LIVER'S STORY.
SAYS SHE WAS UOOED IND BETR1 TED
Br EX-SENATOR CIMERON


band, from whom she Claims to he Divorced.
! WASHINGTON, March 1s.-The second days
| proceedings in the case of Oliver vs.. Cameron
wore opened in the Circuit Court Mt 10 o'clock
| this morning. OF the parties most Interested.
| Mrs. Oliver and her friend Miss Charlton were
| the first to make their appearance. They occu-
pied seats back Of tho plaintiffs attorney. and
| Immediately hccame objects of general Httrnc-
| tion. Some minutes Inter the counsel for the
! defendant came into court. Mr.. Cameron wos
| late in arriving but quietly seated himself bnck
! OF his lawyers and watched their manner OF
conducting his case seldom entering into con-
vcrsation with them.
At tho adjournment Of the court yesterday.
| the point under discussion was whether or not
! the plaintiff had the right to introduce tcst-
mony to prove seduction under n promise Of
marriage. no such charge being laid In tho dec
| laration.
Mr. Toney Of Mrs. divers counsel submitted
two other adiudicntions on the admissibility of
| the testimony to be considered 10y the jury in
aggravation Of damages in an action for breach
OF contract 10 marry. He contended that 1t was
original evidence in itself OF an intimacy which
tended to show that there was such promise rs
alleged in the declaration.
Gen Butler thought the point ot nsdcrahlc
importance in the Wow that it sent the parties
!
given. and which would involve tedious and
decidedly unpleasant Investigation. II would
bring pain 90 the defendant aud by number
OF witnesses place the plaintiff in an uncnviabc
| position before the public. For this. IL for no
| other reason. he would prefer not to see this
question opened. But the authorities were III
| vided on the admissihility OF testimony Of this
character especially whore the charge Of se-
ducton wns not set down In the bill Of COM
plant. He did not think case could be cited
10 show whore It was asked to admit testimony
as TO seduction when the averment wns not set
out in the plcadings They had here a widow
OF at least one husband and they wouldtry and
nnd two or three more before they got through
with the casel going to the room Of an aged
man. and then making the allegation that he
| promised TO make her his wife. By the way. he
would say that this widow was no chicken and
did not need much protection. Stll she wants
damages for an injured reputation. This was
mrrelya breach Of contract. and there was no
difference between this and any other contract
in the law. for the Inv has one. and the same
| rule. This was "a cnse Of consequential dama-
| grs. and special damages could not he claimed
| unless they were specifically set out. He cited
! authorities To- sustain his view OF the incompe-
| ten'y OF the testimony.
chief Justice Cartier said tha, tho plaintiff
| proposed To- prove seduction. and also to show
| acon'ract of marriage, He thought II would hc
an error To reject testimony tending 90 prove n
| marital contract and IL might bn that tIis COM
| tract hai H. uutgrovih in acts. He WIS in doubt
on the point in relation TO seduction. but he
| would admit the testimony. and open this sewer
as little as possible for none OF them desired 10
Mrs. oliver then resumed the stand. and tos-
titled that. relying upon the promise Of Mr.
10y improper Tylegcs with her. In the winter
ot lS75 Mr.. MrN"ash came to the St. James
! Hotel in this city with her children. and that al
! ternoon Mr.. Cameron sent for the witness to
rcm" 20 ms parlors a. the Congress ioual h.t"i
| N" door ana took the key out. He said that his
daughters came with the children aud annoyed
MN. ana nc would not 1T th"m "a. ll"toid her
cou'eal herself. and n th'v went 10 the window
for her o. 20 behind the curtain, and that would
tho children dii come and knocked. but re.
ceyng no answer. went away. He then sad
that she must not leave the room alone. ~ IL
would look strange. Mr.. Cameron had cham
saving that .t would help her She took a rae.
the door locked. and hold the kew She re-
m9incd in The room all night, Mr. Cnmeron
said she was 10 marry him. aud insisted upnn
her complying with his request. Nonoiy would
know IL. aud ia ihr sight of God u would bee mo-
H. asked her ior all hi- letirrs and as shs sus.
pertel him. she lid not give them up.
| At this point the letters published In THE
SuN We're handed Gen. But'r. who read them.
and the General said Mr.. Cameron never prom
is.,d To- marry her end never meant t1.
Mrs. DIVER was then cro~s-rNluiurl hv Gen.
Butler. lie first caliod her attention to certain
interviews alleged 20 have been given newspaper
reporters regarding her caee. She said tlat re-
! puricr- 'nulr tu see her. aud made NJ what They
said. Tho article published In the Post ul Jan.
2S 1873, was Il sianierOus piece In ref.rrnr. to
her mrny husbands. Il was a libel. II was NJ
New Orleans HAT She Eavc Mr.. Cameron his
tory of herself. she told him thai she was de-
pending upon lady IN tint city tOr q home;
that sh" was uncn in l.it"r Circumstances. hut
had lost everything. When she wa, q liile g'rl
she went 10 live with Mrs. Oliver NJ Louisville.
NY. md she sent her 10 a school kept uy the
Rev. Mr.. Brown. Mrs. Oiiyer's son kept her in
RTas her, ro3m G IN Had qe P2p1y % ana r to
lated her history to Mr.. Cameron he told her to
Keep II To herself. ana tnat sh" should come to
WASH ington ii" would Introduce her ns IN e
daughter Of Commodore stewart, and widow.
Mrs divers son WAS named Thomns Marshal!
Oliver. She told Mr.. Cameron that they had
lived together as man and wife. and that she
had Two children 10y him. She lived with him
from 1854 up 10 the time the divorce was pro-
cured from his wife. and the Judge told her
that II divorced her also. Sge told Mr.. Cam
eron that al the time she lived with oliver lie
had a wife living After the divorce Ouv,r
went away. and she never saw him again. She
was born IN Ireland, nnd was desc"ninLt 81
the Alden family. Her father was Gen. y. Il.
kcever. hut had become reduced hy cireum-
stances and gave her 10 n family named Stuart.
her from thcro To-. Rllrlgh n. C.. nnl after
ward 10 Louisville. Ky. Sine attended school az
Cameron that IA indy IN New Orleans who had
lost her husband hy yellow fever. wanted her To
live with her. Mr.. Cameron said he might
make New Orleans hls home AT some future
day, aud wanted her to come with him.
She thought that sho would like him.
because he was So kind and So gentle.
Her visit North Mt that time WAS to see her
daughter, who was IN a convent in Phadrl-
phia. She spoke 10 Mr. Cameron about il, and
asked his assistance to got her daughter aWu-.
The marriage ceremony between her AMI Mr.
Oliver WAS performed by Mr.. divers book
keeper in the presence of Mrs, Oliver. She
asked Mr.. Cameron II II was LEGAL, and he sad
that II sh" had not seen Mr.. oliver since the
war the ceremony amounted to nothing. She
returned to New Orleans and wrote Mr.. Cam
oron Immediately, but nothing WAS sald Hh0ut
love and matrlmony. a number of letter,
passed between them and then Mr.. Cameron
came 10 New Orleans with Senatorial
party She knew that he was u Senator from
Pcunsy sylyauia, but did not think that u Senator
from Pennsylvania was u grrHt deal She knew
that he had been Secretary oi War during the
rebellion. but did not think that was much. She
knew that he went as Minister To- Russia, lint
being in wNr times she kuoW very little about
it. When bee camr to New Orleans she saw him
at the 81. Charles Hotel. lie sent a mrSseugrr
for her. and she went directly 10 him. She went
into the parlor. A number of grn,irmen w"re
there. but they lett seeming To 10 ont at his re-
quest IL WAS then that she nlHdo the dlstlOs-
ure OF whom and what she was and he made
the promise TO pass her on as Commodore
Stuau's daughter, lie agreed to 80 into that
deception the second time he ever saw
her and after she had told him of her
past life, and make her his wife. Tint wns as