Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-12-27

From the New York SIM.
SAN FRANCISCO December 2-The celebrated
Sharon divorce suit has been decided in favor of
the plaintiff. The suit as brought by the plain
tiff, Miss Sarah Althea HILL claiming to be the
wife OF Senator Sharon was for divorce and
division of the common property. Judge SulIi-
vans decision ia very comprehensive contain
ing 5000 words. After reviewing the testi-
mony, he concludes Ivy declaring that. under the
laws OF California. the plaintiff is the legal wife
OF sharon. and a. such. on the ground OF wiful
desertion, is entitled to a divorce and division
OF the community property. The latter is es-
timated to be worth so 600 900. The verdict is
great surprise to the public. it having been
generally supposed, from the contradictory
character OF the testimony, that the plaintiff
would have been non-suted
w IL. l.. Barnes, the leading counsel for Mr.
Sharon. says of Judge SuIlivan's decision: 1T
Is an entire surprise to the profession both as to
law and fact. The judgment if it stands will
not be serious pecuniary injury to Mr. Sharon
L don think lie has $4,000 worth of property
winch could be made subject 20 the decision.
MI Sharon is greatly annoyed by the decision.
but mas not the slightest idea of submission and
OF course will appeal, and We are confident of
reversing the decision. The suit brought by
Dir. Sharon in the United states circuit court to
nave the marriage contract declared invalid will
be prosecuted"
The plaintiffs counsel will make application
for counsel fees and 5000 per month alimony
LOT fourteen months, or since the beginning of
the case.
Inc trial Just brought to close was begun
early In the spring Of this year. and on the Pa
ci1lc coast created one of the greatest sensa-
tlons ever produced by anv cause that has come
before the courts. There is in fact hardly a
sensational feature that has in
any trial that has not been developed in this
curing the many months it has been in progress
Attempts to shoot lawyers in court, fainting of
witnesses IN court. necromancy. Geathbed con-
LESSONS. comical Chinese witnesses weird negro
youdoo witnesses. fierce disputes searchings for
concealed weapons, skulking detectives. fist
nights, and perjury in endless variety have
pranced through the shifting scenes of the drama
IN beWllderng confusion.
=, Miss HIii was never wealthy woman and
the mystery OF how she employed four LAWYERS
at regular salaries. and incurred an ayerare
expense of about 81 600 per day. was explained
by the statement that regular stock company
had been formed to back her and that i'm the
pool was wealthy widow and half dozen or
more OF wealthy men who expected to make a
handsome profit If she won her cause. On the
other hand. Senator Sharon had said he would
ngnt the case through if he had to spend mil
lion dollars So the lawyers fourished and
fought On with ardor
A1toS NH HcFStii. OF MIS-. SHARON, az judge
sullivan now decides her to be- is one of a tyne
OF adventurous women who have MANAGED in
one way ana another to have their names get
INTO PRINT pretty regularly in connection with
those OF men conspicuous for wealth and social
slandlng- Young, handsome. dashng and
reckless. their game has ALWAYS been hirh one
and they have played it with extraordinary
nerve aud desperation. Miss Hill. in her first
testimony on the witness stand said that her
nrst conversation with Senator Sharon WAS in
1851, when he told her he had heard she was
one OF the stock sharps, and wanted to know
II she did not want him to give her tip. He
then. according to Miss Hill. proposed to rive
her Sl.OJo per month if she would live with him
without the formallty OF marriage. This pro-
posai she spurned with the proper amount OF
Indignation, Whereupon the smitten Senator
declared to her that he was only testing her and
wanted her to become his wife by a secret mar
rage Ihls. too, she at that time refused 1t
was afterward proven that she and the Senator
mad IlVed together as man and wife. and letters
from him TO her. in which the relationship was
inlerentlaliy acknowledged. were produced az
evidence IN court. But the great point on
Whlch Miss Hill hung her case was q certain
document which she called her certificate OF
marriage. 1t read as follows:
"In the City and County of San Francisco. State
u Saiiiorhla on me 25tn day OF August A. d. $780,
Sarah Althea Hill, OF the City and County OF san
francisco, state of California age 81 wears do here
IN Ine presence OF Almighty God, take Senator
ia"Iul ana welded husband, and do here acknoWi-
edge and declare myself to be the wife of Senator
"hllam Sharon OF the State or Nevada.
agree not to make known the contents Of this
paper or Its existence for two years unless MIR.
sharon himself see tit to make it known.
In the City and County of San Francisco State
or california, on the 18th day OF August A b. 1880
aged 60 years, do here in the presence of Almfhty
COD, take Sarah Althea Hill OF the CITY OF San
francisco, Cal, to be my lawful and welded wife,
anu uo mere acknowledge ySef to be the husband
vi oarah AlVhea HILL HM. SHARON, Nevada
This document Senator Sharon declared to be
a forgery, though he admitted that the sigma
lure 10 1t was genuine. 1t was written on the
second page OF an ordinary sheet of commercial
hoLe paper. and continued over back to the first
page Senator SharOns signature was near the
top OF the first page and the writing above it
was strained and cramped as though an error
III spacing on the other page had left the writer
out little room In which to put the necessary
words Inc paper was yellow with age and
pafely hung together at the creases where il had
been folded. 1t was over this document that
the brunt OF the legal battle was fought. The
theory OF the defense was that Miss Hill had SO.
cured the slip of paper with the Senator's sigma
lure ana lad inserted the words above it and on
the page opposite to it.
All around this central point of the conflict
nerce sk1rmishes ragged, involving testimony as
TO Miss Hills relations with other men while as
ISOLATED with the Senator her consultations
with voudoO women and necromancers to get a
love charm with which to work upon her ven
cradle Lothario. her visits to the Senator's
mouse and her alleged presentations there by
the senator TO his friends as Mrs Sharon. 4
dramatic incident In connection with the test-
lnony on this last point was that Of the two
men, H. NJ. True and Harry Wells These two
men sWOre positively that they saw Senator
Sharon and Miss Hill together In Suttar street
ana that Senator Sharon had introduced Miss
Hill to them as Mrs. Sharon. This was one Of
the strong points in the aill case The other
testimony as to similar introductions had been
riddled under crOSs-eXannnation until NOTHING
out shreds were left of it. The servants includ-
ing the amusing Cinnamon had all deposed
that Miss Hill, when at Senator SharOns house
was always treated as guest aud never acted
or was recognized or spoken Of by Senator
sharon IN any other light than as Miss Hill his
guest But the True and Wells Testimony
stood out clear and strong, and could not be
bowlcd over.
About two weeks after True testified he died
and just after he died the counsel for the de-
Tense thrilled the court by reading death-bed
confession from him. in which he declared that
all that he had testified to was false; that he had
oeen hired to commit perjury, and that he could
not Ole with the fact unconfesSed The son of
young True had in the meantime hunted Wells
up on distant ranch and so worked on his
fears that Wells agreed to go up to court and
recant- Ihlsh he did amid tremendous sensation
the witness breaking down repeatedly and Sob
Ding bitterly. Young True then went to Sha-
ron ana tried TO get some money out of him for
his services. Sharon kicked him out of his room
anu Sharons friends compromised his bill of
$500 for S175.
There b,e