St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-12
IHETITIO vs.,

Hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue,
and imitation Of certain social forms is one
OF the diversions Of the doubtful world. A
scene worthy of Hogarth took place in San
Francisco New Years day.
The Hill woman had cards issued in
scribed: 'Mrs. William Sharon: At Home
Jan. /, 1885, 327 Larkin street" OF course
the announcement brought crowds of curious
callers. The table was loaded with salads,
fruits and wine. The presiding Hecate was
gorgeously dressed, and received the atten-
ton due to her peculiar popularity. The
buns, political hacks, and sports cast anchor
around the plentiful board, until many Of
them were uproariously drunk. 1t ought to
set Judge Sullivan pondering upon the pos
sble CONSEQUENCES OF his recent decision In
favor Of Sarah Althea Hill. To give immUr-
ality and pruhigacy the sanction OF legality
is a serious invcstiture. The Sharon case is
one in continuous calendar of the various
courts of law. Tue ever recurring danger
lying in wait for the suddenly and exces-
sively enriched, is the adventurer, male and
female, bound to fleece the fortunate at any
cost.
When Croesus is coarse, ignorant, and
gulliblc, and quite ready to embrace tempta-
ton, the snare is all fixed and the ugly jJtaie
only a question OF time.
Sharons snare has come to halt
in one court, and there is prospect Of its
dragging It's putrescence through another
The decision Of Judge Sullivan is a sugges-
tive exposition of what the law may do,
I'LL, bf,vtIlv I,avln., ont ~ oil consideration
what It ought to do, when such infamy is
revealed as evidence to assert claims and
"rights."
Nauseous wickedness of this fragrant and
towering sort should have no rights out
side the penitentiary.
But Sharon is millionaire, and his oppo-
nent is backed 10y lawyers openly and con-
fesscdly banded to have a rich plucking of
Sharon II they can-when the adventurer is
foisted upon him as wife with tho immuni-
ties OF divorce. The affair as 1t stood was
bad enough, but 10 dub II
a marriage is giving dlabolism dangerous
rights.
The truth is that this pair OF sinners, Will
lam Sharon and Sarah Athea Hill, struck
an infamous bargain and when the male got
tired of IL, the female depredator resorted
to every neiarious means to hold him. Let
tiers were forged, and n written marriage con-
tract produced which borcSharon's signature,
while the body Of it was condemned as sus-
piclous, il not wholly spurious, by the ex-
perts. The slums furnished purjurers al
libitum and ''shy neighborhoods, as Dick
ems calls them, were rausscked for suspic-
ious characters as witnesses, pro and con,
who we're nevertheless none too suspicious
to be regarded as familiars by
the precious pair OF litigsuts. The grave Of
an old man was dssecrated by having pair
Of Sharon's socks put into his coffin, to re-
cover for Miss Hin, by such necromantic
spell, the lost boon Of Sharon's favor, and
surely this was an extra lavishuess Of cor
ruption which the corpse might have been
spartd.
Enough iniquity was unearthed in the
course Of the trial 70 have caused the dismis-
sal Of the case, and the arrest Of half the peo-
pie figuring in It as having no "rights" out
side a prison.
Instead Of such a deserved Cromwcllian
ooitp OF Justice, Judge sullivan bolds to the
geuuineness Of the marriage contract that
the quality Of the partnership Instead Of be-
.ug limited, merceuary and negotiable
was binding. valid. and entitled to 4 divorce
with division OF common property, etc. Il
might be added with the privilege Of having
a disor,ierly reception New Years DAY as
''Mrs. sharon"
The .fftgi, Is very fine. As far "a Sharon
is concerned no one Is sorry TO have him pay
for his scuuudreliy bargain. But the triumpa
Of thoroughly unscppulous adventures Is
bad precedent, and win stimulate the
courage Of the most drsplcaale class Of
women in the business of plun'er.