Daily Republican., 1885-03-11
THE WAGES OF SIN.
From Q San Francisco Letter.

From San Francisco Letter.
Some few years ago an eccsu trio
Frencbman died here possessed OF COOL
million or NO. He Lad 10 heirs here,
but there were u score Of nephews ana
nieces in France. When his will wa
opened 1t was found that the old mai
had provided literally for all, aud 10
Sallie Hinckley, > former wull-known
ctiess, who has lived hera for many
years, he had left an annuity OF 500 u
month, TO i'e paid hor 30 long as she liv-
od. But Sali;e pooh hooed this prOvis-
Ion. She began suit at once, ciaimeH
" b, the vile and u have dow rights,
and all that, and she made such q hub
bub AZ 70 scare the French heirs out of
their wis, and they GLAD y compromi
sod. Sallie took $S0, 900 IN cash IN lieu
OF her annuity. and Sl0O, 700 besides
She now lives in hue sty 10 here, and
though 10 longer . young woman by
any means, il attractive and ieads u
quiet and respectable life.
The dead RalstOn was a prey to ad ven
turesses as long as he lived. He WAS q
man OF open imMOralities, and mum Der.
Ell LIS mistres ses by the duZeDs. His
bachelor apartments on Commercial
street, which occupied o whole floor and
were lifted ur Ia regal style, were the
scene Ut many champagne supper to
choice but toiltd coHrie OF friends.
After his death his estate was no. open
ly attacked for the excellent reason, per
haps, that there was nothing 70 DO gain
I'd by II, tor Ralston died n pauper.
Sharon, who took charge of his af-
fiirs and wound up the estate, did,
however, pay some small sums to twv
or three OF the women who had been
dependent upon II ,ls;on. and by that
n-eans secured "quit-clailn deeds" 40
to speak. Out Of the ~reck of the Raj
ston estate WAS saved for his widow the
country reside nee known as "Littl.
Belmont" and $75,t00 TO support the
family. This has all been dissi pated.
MIS-. Ralston got into OWL habits and
contracted evil >associatioLs Her
Property Is now all gone, and sne has,
IL Ii believed, hoily lost the respect OF
her old friends and her family.
w. O'Br,en, the dead bona, ~
monarch. thought he would save
scandal and money, too, by fixing up
his death. "Uucle Billy" had been
one OF the boys in his car iier days, and,
later on, at the period Of his aSiusnce,
he had not forgotten the companions
of his more youthful joys. It. was said
that there YVES no less than four ladies
who lived udsomely at Mr.. O'Brien .
expense during his later ears. Not
that they we're all his mistresses By
any means, but At soine tune or other
In their lives he had relations with
them and he felt the obligations to
care for them.
Uncle Billy" was i'll for several
months before he died, aud during his
illness he took his old partner and
friend Flood into his confidence, and
between them they provided for all the
ladies In the handsOmest manner. To
each was decided the beautiful house
she dwelt in and u sufficient sum to
support 1t together with furniture,
horses, carriages, &c. Rumor put the
cost of all this TO Uncle Biliy's"
estate at 5000, 900, but 1t vas all done
quietly, and not q soul but Flood
knew. From each of the ladies' was
taken q cast iron document, signed,
sealed and delivered, releasing W. s.
O'Brien and his estate from any claim
whatsoever.
But alas Uncle Billy forgot one In.
nainorata of the days of HIS poverty.
A Mexican woman, in humble lie,
cdiICp-On uays at Tue Nevada Bank
not long after O'Brien's death and ask.
I'd 10 see Mr.. Flood. The latter re-.
clgnized her at Once. She bad been n
friend" of Uncle Billy's when Flood
and O'Brien kept the 4" Auction Lunch
and Saloon" The woman, who seen. ed
quito poor, asked II Mr.. o Erien ha d
not left er some little keepsake.
Flood said he bad net. "He must have
forgotten me-" she said and then she
pulled from her pockets a bundle of
yellow, faded love letters OF Uncle
Billy Is, written in a mixture of pretty
bad English and horrible Spanish, and
said /:
"He used to think much of me Il was
greatly shocked to hear Of his death. i"
The woman did not ask for anything,
but the cool headed Flood knew that
he must get those letters, for an limo
cent woman with that budget was too
dangerous q quantity to allow to run
loose In community al ed with hun
cry aud interruptions lawyers He sent
for his co executor, j. V. Coleman,
nephew OF Uncle Billy, and the tive
took the woman into Il private room.
Whatever took place there nobody
knows, but the letters passed INTO
Floods possession and 1t was afterwards
learned that the O'Brieu estate was
charged with forty thousand dollars