Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-03-23
A MILLIONAIRE MULCTED.
A CELEBRATED CASE CON.
PROMISED.

4 AROMASfIO.
ex-senator Sharon Compelled to Dis
gorge-RalstOn's Widow and Children
Restored to Ease-The Dead Prince of
Ftnanciers-Secrecy as to the Details
of the Agreement.
The San Francisco Eraminer. in a re-
cent issue, says: The central figure in
the history of San Francisco between the
years 1855 and 1875 was the big-hearted.
| big-brained, progressive man of business.
VIM. q. Ralston. Every cent he had or
could control was invested in enterprises
that gave work to thousands, planted
new industries on the coast. beautified
the country and made San Francisco
and California famous all over the world.
The Palace Hotel, the refining works,
the chemical works, the West Coast Fur
niture Factory, the Kimball Carriage
Factory, the Berkeley Watch Factory,
and dozen other fiourishing enterprises
remain to-dap monuments of his public
spirit ana nls desire to advance the State
| in which he. had acquired Eiehes ana tlfs
people with whom he lived. His beautf
ful home at Belmont, and the romantic
| mode OF travel therefrOm by the RELAYS of
| horses, outyieing the famous stud of the
Count of Monte CristO, have furnished
theme for glowing descriptive letters by
hundreds of sojourning correspondents.
His death on that memorable dav in Au-
| gust, 1919, when all business seemed to be
| put to stand-still, the failure of
the Bank of California, the general crash
that ensued, which was but the COM
mencement of years of hard times, of low
wages and business depression in San
Francisco, furnished food for wonder
ment in two continents. Out of the wreck
OF his estate comparatively little was
saved to his wife and children, and so
| poor has the family become that one of
the sons of the dead prince of financiers
| was glad to earn pittance in the office of
the County Clerk, while another found a
| place as clerk in the Office of a LAWYER
| who is neither rich nor conspicuous.
1t Will be remembered that fresh mis-
fortunes were the lot of Ralston's widow,
in addition to her social decline after the
losses from his estate. Her subsequent
connection in Paris with graceless ad-
Venturer, and her retired existence since,
dependent, according to common report,
upon the bounty of the managers of the
estate, are too well known to be repeated.
For some years she has been living a life
that, while her circumstances were not
those CT absolute want, could scarcely
have been cOntented one to the woman
who had been the wife of the greatest
capitalist of the West. The Belmont man.
| sion passed out of her possession, and
to her in its stead appears to have
been allotted the homestead that in her
husbands lifetime was occupied by the
superintendent. Instead of having a
stableful of fashionable equipages to
choose from, she rides about the country
in vehicle of the pattern known about
the plaza here as a ''nighthawk." The
country people say that she lives the life
of recluse, seldom visiting and not often
visited. Having seen her fall from so
high an estate, the good people of the Vi
clnlty sympathiZe much with her. and
give her great credit for her pride. Her
sons are known in the neighborhOod as
fine, manly young fellows, above the
| average in character.
After Mr. RalstOn's return from Paris
she commenced a suit against William
Sharon, manager of the Ralston estate,
for an accounting of certain funds it was
claimed were held in trust. The title of
the suit was: "Lizzie f. Ralston, Sam
uel f. Ralston, William C. Rails
ton, Lizzie F. RalstOn, guardian
OF Emalita I. Ralston, by j. M.
Nouges, her guardian ad litem, against
w. Sharon and j. ID. Fry" The
complaint was voluminous document,
covering nearly hundred pages of legal
cap. 1t tirst set forth that the late vii.
liam G. Ralston had conveyed to j. d.
Fry, Tor the apparent valuable cOnsidera-
tloh OF $9l, ,461, certain lands and stock,
and, for a consideration of $4S,437, all
right and title to the lands and sheep of
the late W. G.. Ralston in Kern county:
that these deeds had been revoked. and
that the property was held by Fry in trust
for the family of the deceased. 1t further
set forth that, for an apparent valuable
consideration, all the estates and interests
of RalstOn had been conveyed to
sharon to be settled up for the
benefit of his family; that vast
profits had accrued to Sharon from
the settlement of the estates: wherefore.
petitioners prayed for an accounting, and
for interest on money that should have
been paid to them out of the estate. LLOYD
Newlands, attorneys for Sharon, and
General Barnes, for Fry,-p in de-
murrer to this complaint ON the ground
that it did not state sufficient cause of
action. This plea was overruled. and
from time to time the case has come up
in the courts, the last paper publicly filed
In the case being the findings by Judge
Sullivan on October l2, 1882
The court proceedings have been so long
delayed that but little interest has been
taken in the suit. 1t will, therefore, doubt
less cause more than passing sensation
when it becomes known that ex-senator
Sharon has concluded to end the contest
by agreeing to compromise and bv the
payment of large sum of money, and
that the transfer, in return, of certain
lands has induced Mrs. RaIston and her
children to abandon the suit and allow
Judgment to be entered against them.
This compromise was doubtless made to
save the public scandal consequent upon
a trial in open court of the cause upon it's
merits, or it may be that Mr.. Sharon, who
is in feeble health, dislikes the physical
eXertion of trial. However, it matters
little what the cause of the compromise
so long as it is satisfactory to the parties
in interest. 1t is probable that the sum
paid Ralston's heirs was in the neighbor-
hood OF their claim, for all parties seem
to have mutually agreed to keep the
terms profound secret. One intimate
friend of Mrs. Ralston states that
100000 in cash and a large rancho in the
southern part of the State were handed
over by Mr.. Sharon, as well as $4,000 in
cash and lot of land on California street
as fee for her lawyer, Another phase
OF the compromise will doubtless be very
Interesting to many. During his lifetime
Raiston was in the habit of making loans.
which were virtually gifts, to all sorts of
persons and for all kinds of purposes.
curious and ordinary. Some memoranda
relating to these loans have recently come
to light, and it is hinted that the rec pients
of Ralston's bounty will be given chance
TO pay or plead the statute of limitations.