Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-01-10
Correspondence of the Phlladelphi. Press.

! Correspondence Of the Philadelphia Press
! SAN FRANCISCO December 25.-It was one of
/ the dampiest and mistiest days of San Fran
! cisco winter when Judge Sullivan yesterday
! gave his decision that sarah Althea Hill was
| the lawful wife of the millionaire Senator
! Sharon. aad that she was entitled to divorce
and division of his property. The plaintiff
was the most prominent figure in a crowded
court room. Although she is close on to the
downward slope of her years, she presented
quite a fascinating appearance. She has an
abundance of light brown hair. which was
brushed well forward on her head. and her eyes
have a melting look that accOrds perfectly with
her seraphic makeup. She was entirely cool.
but when the Judge reached that portion OF the
decision referring to her as Mrs. Sarah Althea
Sharon" and she heard the golden words. ''di-
vision of the community property. she sighed
family while flush of JOY came over her face.
The decision first held that Sharon's letter of
October is. 1880 addressed to Miss Hill as My
dear WIFE was genuine, and that the word
wife had not been interpOlated IN the manu-
script. Then it analysed the alleged contract
OF marriage entered into between Sharon and
Miss Hill on August 25 1880 in which she
agreed not to make the matter public for two
years unless he saw tit to diyullse it, and also
Mr.. Sharon's denial The court held that the
agreement was genuine.
CONCLUSIONS FOR THE PLAINTIFF.
In reaching this conclusion Judge Sullivan
used the following language:
The defendant was man of unbOunded
wealth. possessed of strong animal passions.
( that. from excessive indulgence, had become
unaccustomed to restraint He had had eX-
perience in public life. which may have discOv-
cred for him the weakness which human nature
sometimes develops in the presence Of strong
temptation. Whatever he had undertaken
.ir
in great measure accomplished. His passion
may have been stronger than his judgment. and
he may have regarded as triae light as air the
miserable bit OF paper behind which a weak
woman could shelter her Virginity and her claim
TO standing in the community he may have
had the pride of rome to add another woman
to his list Of conquests. while he tn ought his
sistless power might crush down into infamy
and Isolation the woman VINO would claim,
under a writing in her own hand. that her iu-
tcrcOurse with man of his character was
bameless and void OF censure
SUMMARY OF THE EVIDENCE.
Summing up the reasons why Miss Hill had
right TO regard Mr. Sharon as her husband,
Judge Sullivan cassed them as follows:
l. On q number OF occasions he addressed
her in written communications as "My Dear
Wife"
2 During the entire period he gave her money
enough to pay her expenses.
- She occupied his rooms with him. dined
with him and received attentions from him pub
cly which would not have been accorded to a
mistress.
!. on number of occasions he introduced
her as his wife
). During all this time she lived in the Grand
hotel to be near him. that their marital inter-
course might be carried on without exciting the
attention that it otherwise would.
sHARON's DAUGHTERS MARRIAGE
I'm; tr1, naI-r
the marriage of his daughter to Sir Thomas
Hesketh Mr.. Sharon had invited Miss Hill to be
present at the reception, and that if Miss Hill
had not been regarded as his wife he would not
have ''dcsecrated the marriage feast of his
daughter by the presence of a lascivious wanton
who had wOrmed herself into his society and
his embraces" The Judge said:
He should not. at the very moment when he
stood there to extend the parental blessing and
TO charge the young man to love- cherish and
protect his child afford to the new-made hus-
band an example of disrespect and d.shonOr to
That child at the time when, above all Others
he should respect and honor heA | cannot be-
ieve that this man. this father. far forgot his
DUTY 10 the memory of his deceased wife his
duty to his daughter. his duty to the friends
and guests who had assembled TO do honor to
the occasion, as to subject them to the polluting
presence of creature who differed from the
common cOurtesaE only to the extent that her
commerce was with one man. He must, in his
heart, have regarded her as more than a mis-
tress. He certainly must, or he would not
after inviting her there and hOnoring her by his
personal attentions, have been guilty of what
otherwise would be the infamy of intrOduc q
her TO his own son and requesting him to paw
the attentions proper for the occasion.
DIVORCE GRANTED
Finally, In decreelng the divorce and the d.
vision OF property. the judge said:
have endeavOred to trace the lives of plain
tiff and defendant from the time of their first
meeting down to the present time. l have ex-
anned the law bearing on their relations. as it
has been opened to my investigation and re-
search. and as result, | have reached the con-
clusiOn that William Sharon, the defendant. bv
virtue of his secret contract OF marriage or
written consent thereof, aud OF sufficient as.
sumption of the marital rights duties and obi
CATION OF the marriage state to satisfy the law
OF the state of California. has become and il now
the husband of Sarah Altbea Sharon the plain
tiff in the case The admissions of the plead
ings and the explicit testimony in the record es
tablish that, in violation of his marriage vow
he has been guilty of wlllfully abandoning his
wife under circumstances amounting to deser-
ton In the eyes of the law. and that such will
FL