Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-06-14
A LEGAL LABYRINTH
Queer Complications OF the Sharon d.
yOrce Scandal.

vorce Scandal.
ANCIENT EGGS. GLORIOUS GARMENTS, PERJCRED
WITNESSES BULLYING DETECTIVES AND OFT
RAGEoUs CHARGES IMPEDING SARAH ALTHEA
HILLS MEDICATION.
Correspondence of the Philad 1ah;a Press
SAN Francisco, June 1.-The celebrated
Sharon divorce case. which has just been adj
journed for recess of thirty days, has entered
Its fourth month, and there is still no sign OF
the end. From present appearances there
would be little cause for surprise were next
year to see the case still in full blast. 1t is
quite certain the iDnuEerabe trials and troubles
that have ALL directly or indirectly sprung from
this case. Will not be settled this year. and in
deed the litigants will be fortunate If the end OF
another year witnesses an end to their disputes.
Senator Sharon is skinny ugly little man,
and old in the bargain; but his income is some
/ thing over q million q year aud that doubtless
served considerably to reiuyenate him in the
eyes OF the fair plaintiff. The aged. but amor
Gus. Senator first met Miss Hill in 1873 and fell
victim the more easily to her blooming looks
and viyac'ous manners from the fact that he saw
good cIlance for business as well as love. Miss
! Hill was dabbler in stocks. and the Senator
knew CT no pockets better adapted to holding
her lOsin9s than his own The more Miss Hill
| went to his Office the more she lost her money
ard the more she lost her money the more the
! Senator lost his heart until finally bv q curious
/ coincidence. when Miss Hills money was all
| gone the Senator's heart was all gone, and there
was marriage according to one; a ''mere
| cohabitation" according TO the other.
| 1t is to settle which is which that the present
| divorce case is instituted. 1t must be confessed
however, that. SO tar. the further the case pro-
ceeds the less likely seems just conclusion,
there being new developments every day.
LEGAL WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS
When the trouble began last fall by Miss Sarah
Althea Hill and her adviser, Mr.. WIN. Nelson
arresting Senator Sharon a. charge of adult
cry, the Senator promptly returned the compli-
ment by arresting Miss Hill and Mr. Nelson fol-
conspiracy. Two main items were thus originated
and from each has sprung a bonntifu supply oil
veXatiOus complications. Mr.. Nelson felt so in
dignan at his arrest for conspiracy that he at once
instituted proceedings against Sharon for SIAN
der Upon this Sharon sent a detective to Aus
tralia, Nelson's former home. and gathering
the main points Of Nelson's life, repeated his
charges Nelson's indignation then waxed to
such an extent that he delivered a public adj
dress on his wrongs, in which, among other
things, he very imprudentlv abused Capt. Lees,
of the police force. and, in consequence, shortly
afterwards. found himself in Jail on charge OF
libel by that gentleman.
Managing to procure bail. Mr.. Nelson again
resOrted to the public ear. and spoke to an i'm
mense crowd on the sand lots. the one-time
| scene of Dennis kearney's agtatiOns. In this
| second speech he used Senator Sharon 80 hardly
| that the friends of the Senator held committee
on the spot, and In very short time a large box
of ancient eggs was procured and the speaker
| greeted with an unpleasant shower general
riot ensued. in which q number of bruises and
black eyes were manufactured. and one or two
| men nearly beaten to death; then the meeting
adjourned. The investigation of this matter
adds more fuel to the already large legal conia-
grafton, and yet these are but 1.-THE Of the
troubles that have arisen and are still arising
from the one suit of Sharon vs.. Sharon.
WITNESSES SUED FOR PERJURY.
A few days ago three suits for perjury were
commenced against three witnesses who, some
weeks ago, gave certain testimony in favor OF
the plaintiff, yet recently came into court, and,
having been, as supposed, bought up by Sharon,
admitted they had perjured themselves, and
now testified in SharOn's favor These wit
nesses are out on $1,000 bonds. and it Is gen.
orally thought Sharon will pay their bonds
while they HE themselves to some foreign cline
One of the plaintiffs counsel was fined $500 for
contempt of court; this fine was thought I'M
just, and long and tedious law suit. ending
only in the supreme court, and affirmation by
the way OF the lower courts decisions. was
the result. These instances suffice to show
what coon to the lawyers Sharon's gallantry
has proved.
Aside from the enormous amount of iitga-
ton thus arising, there have been other fea-
lures making this one of the most remarka-
bic trials on record. Witnesses have been
garrOted in broad day and spirited away; the
tomb has been made to give up its dead, and
decayed clothing. reeking with odors of the
grave worm, has been introduced in court as
testimony Microscope experts. with ma@ni-
fyinG glasses of enormous power have been
retained on both sides to examine every ex-
hbt with lynx-eyed scrutiny, witnesses have
drawn pistols and attempted to shoot examining
counsel-from beginning to. not the end
Tor there IS no sign of that yet, but from the
beginning to the present moment the legal
battle has been of the very hottest and most
dramatic kind.
THE PUBLIC EXCLUDED.
The public has been excluded from the trial
altogether, and the lawyers and witnesses are
only admitted after careful search for weap-
ons Two policemen stand guard at the door
for this purpose. and when o bunch of keys or
stuffed pOcketbOOk bulges the clothing as would
knife or pistol, the officers smile grim smile
and order Glands up as they 20 through the
pockets in true Jesse James style. Even this
extraordinary caution is not by some considered
sufficient. and Senator Sharon and his counsel
employ corps OF private detectives to shadow
and protect their precious persons Sharon has
appeared in court guarded by as many as four
MEN at one time, and a bulldog lOOking fellow
with large stick tags after Gen. Barnes. deten-
dant's chief counsel, to kpOck down Sarah AL
thea or any other ferocious person that NAV
happen In his way.
To an outsider all this fuss and trumoery
ABOUT divorce case seems silly, but the way of
San Francisco trial passeth all understanding,
and 1t may be necessary for these 200 pound
lawyers to employ bOdy-Suards against one lone
woman. for if it is not Miss Hill they fear. who
is il?
Miss Hill Is yOung-lOOking woman rather
handsome. and seems terribly in earnest She
Is OF a good Missouri family not over 80 wears
old. and tells her story with an air OF sincerity
that usually mpresseS her listeners quite favor
ably.
when I came to California. ten or twelve
years ago." she said 80. had few Thousand
dollars, and, like everybody else at that time.
caught the gambling fever and dabbled in
stocks. l was quite fortunate, too At one
time made great rise. and there was nearly
a million dollars to my credit. but in rs I met
senator Sharon. and have never had any luck
since. When | was introduced to him he said
ne would give me some points, ne gave me
the points. and / lost nearly everything had
men he made proposition that | spurncd
: GU have lost me my fortune but don't think
you can insult me- l said, and then he apollo
gized and said he meant marriage. We were
married soon after in his Office"
THE FAMOUS MARRIAGE CONTRACT.
She claims she wrote the marriage contract at
Sharon's dictation, and they both affixed their
signatures at the bottom Of the paper. The
whole case turns on this point. Sharon admits
the genuineness Of the signature, but says the
contract was written over the name. and not
the name under the contract; that he had. I'm