The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-03

HOW AN ECCENTRIC cHARAcTER WON WIFE
avn lrrcpv ApD LOST HER.

AND AFTERwARD LOST HER.
[san Francisco Correspondence NY. Tribune,
A case in Los Angeles has excited mucn
attention this week because OF the dlilicu,Y
OF drawing the line between eccentricity
and insanity. Friedrich nj. Shaw, VINO
lives I'm the Cahuenga mountains, nlne
miles from Los Angeles, was declared in-
sane by the Superior Court, but on re,
hearing tbi Judgment was set aside ana
he was released. The charge was brougne
against him by neighbor VINO, IL -
shrewdly suspected, coyets his anu,
Shaw's history is 80 peculiar that II Is wen
worth recalling briefly. He is relative OF
Chiof-Justice Shaw OF Massachusetts,, ana
was first heard OF on this coast about Ten
years ayo, when he issued prospectus OF
hygicnic colony 10 be founded in South
ern California. the members TO live Ike
himself, on a strictly vegetable diet. lie
went 10 Englsnd to float his scheme, btt
although he obtained some encouragement,
the enterprise was q failure. This MADE
Shaw misanthr0pic; ht retired to the MICH
olas Canon, I'm the mountains, made him
self house In tree top, and every night
assembled TO his aerial tenement and pulled
up the ladder after him. He dressed In
peculiar style, wearing only flannel shirt
and trousers, and lived upon fruits and nuts.
The fruits OF this communion with nature
were series OF letters on the creation OF
the human species and the best methods
Of securing health, which were printed IN
the Los Angeles newspapers, and gave him
local reputation as philosopher. half
crank. His fame even spread beyond the
coast, and among those who became deeply
interested in the philosopher was New
Jersey schoolmistress named Margaret
Carey Wright. A correspondence sprang
up between the two. Shaw proved to be
an impassioned letfer-wIiter, and the WOO
ing which he carried on NJ long range was
appropriately ended Ivy marriage by tele-
graph on June 4, 1879. A dispatch was
sent TO Shaw by the Rev. G. 5. Colt, OF
Newark, n. j., saying: " Will you take
Margaret Gmey Wright. OF this city. now
present, TO be your welded wife?" To this
Shaw responded. 81 willv; and two wit
nesses being al each end OF the line the mar
rage was accomplished. The bride was
very slow about joining her husband. but
at last, after he had given up all hope OF
seeing her, she appeared one day in Los
Angeles and was taken out to the recluse's
mountain retreat by a mutual friend. The
latter went on in advance TO prepare the
bridegroom, whom he found clothed only
in shirt and cap, gathering honey. He
was prevailed upon to don pair of trous'
ers to meet his bride. The meeting was
rapturous, and the couple set up house
keeping i'm a shanty which Shaw had built
under the branches OF his flvoriie tree. To
the bridegroom's store of walnuts and ho-
ney was added the gift OF box OF raisins
from the mutual friends. In this primitive
fashion the couple lived for two years,
when the woman grew weary OF fashions
in fg-leaf and an ascot dietic, and took up
herresideDce IN the town. Shaw grew more
eccentric, and some Of his utterances in
the presence OF a neighbor who had wor-
ried him led to the charge that he was in
sane. The testimony on the rehearng was
very conflicting, but it was shown that the
philosopher was not dangerous; so he has
once more returned to enjoy his commu-
Mon with nature.