The Osceola times., 1881-02-26
VICTIM OF AN ADVENTURES.
A China Merchant Robbed and in the Poor
House.
san Francisco Chronicle,

Several wears ago John III. Horgan was
a very prosperous merchant residing In
China, where he had extensive business
interests and was also the owner of con-
siderable real estate and improvements
thereon. He regarded himself as wealthy,
and was so considered BY all who knew
him. His business was large and con-
stantly increasing, and he seemed to be
a favored child Of Fortune, destined to
amass wealth, the possession of which
by an East Indian or China merchant Is
considered a matter of course. 1t was at
this period that Fortune gave the first of
a series OF frowns which have driven the
prosperous merchant almost into beggary,
have made him wanderer, and have
eliminated by almost depriving him of
his earthly existence-if not this, at least
to days and perhaps weeks of suffering
upon cot in the City and County Hos
pital. His Nemesis has been woman,
a serpent which has been nurtured in
his bosom only to turn upon and strike
him with the pangs of extravaganza and
treachery. She was young, beautiful and
accomplished, and thoroughly facinated
him, and succeeded in not only gaining
his unreserved confidence, but in obtain
ing such firm hold upon his purse that
ruin soon stared him in the face. lie
was blindly infatuated, and she waste
fully and unscrupulously extravagant
There could be but one result. Piece by
piece his property was converted into
coin, only to be recklessly squandered by
his evil genius. His business struck
many rock and became a complete
l,,rt oil nf - Mt no
remaining. The woman now found she
had bled her victim of his dollars until
the flow had nearly ceased, and she de-
termined to throw him aside as being OF
no further use. He had some money
left, and never dreaming that her pro
fessed love for himself was other than
genuine, allowed nearly all of it-some
S20,0 0,000-to get into her possession. This
was all she desired, and, coolly appro.
priating it, she decamped, coming to
San Francisco, where She married shir
broker, who is well known in mercantile
circles. The assumed love OF the adven.
turess had taken mighty hold upon
llorcan's affections, and her robbery and
desertion broke his heart and ruined
him. He left his business to others and
it soon collapsed, and penniless and
bowed down with his troubles he wan
dered to this city. He had friends here
and being fine scholar and good bust
ness man, they readily secured position
for him. His trouble had been too heavy
for him to bear up under, however, and
50 affected his spirits that he neither
could keep this place nor others provided
for him. 1t is only when mans for
tunes are rising that so-called friends are
willing and even eager, to render assist.
anCe. llorgan was on the down-grade
and he received none, unless it might
have been push to expedite his move
ment in his downward course lie soon
reached the bottom, and was glad to ac-
cept job shoveing coal in the hold of q
vessel on the city front. Yesterday he
began his second days work there, bu,
as early as : o'clock in the morning fell
into the hold of the vessel, fracturing his
right wrist and receiving other seriou,
injuries. He was removed to the city
receiving hospital, where he told hi,
story as it appears above, his manner
and conversation indicating that he wal
speaking the truth. He was soon after
removed to the City and County Hos
pital.