The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1885-01-04
TIE HILL SUIT.
Its Counterpart Tried Tventy-elght Years
Ago In the California Courts.

Ago In the California Courts.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN-Sir: THE
Sun OF Dec. Is contains n minute history OF the
Hill-Sharon marriage and divorce suit latoly
decided in San Francisco. Cal. 1t is intimated
that it joint-stock litigation. wherein
there WAS immense wealth IL n marriage could
be made to appear between the parties.
The first genuine joint stock marriage enter
terprise in San Francisco came to the front
about twenty-eight years ago. when an adven-
ton said to hase Seen Ma 1se
nincant cash pay for tho loan Of her name to
Woman was tho Wife Of an italian who brousht
and there husband ana vito mutually separ-
ated The wife had once rented from the dc.
in her ,domicile to collect rent: and so a jury
shsh goes wsdG s1 LAW %ndf a hs ANY
nct. overt or otherwise constitutes marriage
jures do not stop to ascertain or dscriminate
whore coneubinage ends and marriage begins.
elors u great moral Lesson. as in the instance
asrs he sS wns %rIb &c
The nns6nad 1ro Of The SpHn h w3man had oag
OF the litigation ho was resurrec,sd, brought
into court in an evening, and testified that the
cathoiies and We're not married. This witness
was hronSht intP 81, San Francisco on tho sly, and
and was UNEXPECTEDLY sprung upon the dead
himsef tho defendants counsel put to him on
cross-exRmin ina ion questions to ascertain his
residence. He fixed his abode about thirty miles
from his own mining camp; which was 200 miles
out. and. pretending to be iutrres ted on his side
and In his behalf in the o ock litigation said
To him that he must come down to San Fran
cisco to testify further for the plaintiff his wife.
The Italian declared'he dared not Tor all OF his
Testimony given at the trial for tho pIaintir was
false, and the defend ants might find bin out
and arrest him for false swearing. At the trial,
the Italian testified. through an interpreter
because English was language he did not I'M
derstand. The detective afterward, in CONVEX
ss;ation. discovered him fluent in spoken Eng;
iihsh; and asked why Ia court hc testified
time TO answer questions" This interpreter
bus mess in California was often resorted to by
equivocal aud evasive foreign witnesses. This
Italian, n non M recOrdO witness WAS arrested
Francisco was straw bniled, and fled to Boil
via. whence he had como. Leaving California
about that time. we did not learn tho outcome
81 this Joint stocked lega! On torprise. which had
the run of the courts.
The surprising part Of the litigation was the
New Englnn6 men fresh from the six moral
States The Jurors excuse for depriying heirs
oil the DECEASED German OF their iuhe ritance
was to teach California bachelors a great
moral lie ssonr' As the foregoing was the pio-
neor case OF the implied marriage. it created q
sensation among the single men of wealth.
Alter this entry OF the thin edge of the wedge
to California matr mony. left-handed matrl-
Inony and breach Of promise allegations became
as plenty as blackberrie. in the Eureka State,
Wealth along ths Pacific Is looked upon through
harry eyes and rendy TO be pounced on when
ever Opportunity offers. o.
JAMEsTowA. N. T.. Dec 40.