Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-16
DUPNG sHARoN,s LAWYER.
The Sensation in the AIimony Proceed
ings in san Francisco.


One of the most sensat.oaai scenes in
the Sharon case occurred to-day, says a
San Francisco special to the New York
Tribune, in Use supplementary proceed
ings before Judge Sullivan on Miss HIPS
claim for alimOny and counsel fees. On
Saturday argument was begun on the
propriety Of granting her $4,000 monthly
allmony from the time when. as she says,
sharon deserted her, and $150.0O0 counsel
lees. The hearing was resumed this
morning before crowded court. When
the case was called. Gen. Barnes.
SharOn's chief lawyer, arose and
IN ms most Impressive manner stated
that he had new evidence which threw
important light on some testimony i'm the
case and might affect the Judges esti-
mate OF the application tor alimony. He
then produced a formidable document
winch was a long affidavit by Nellie
brackeCt. she describes infinitely the
way IN which she traced most of the d0Cu-
ments, using ordinary window glass for
the purpose, and then baking them in an
oven 70 give the requisite appearance of
age. In few letters which she did not
trace, she erased the word .'Hilv
with acids and substituted "Alie,v
or WIFE" and then smoked the
paper IN coffee to make it look
yellow. This affidavit, which was writ
ten with such art, made an impression
on the court. The bold reading of what
purpOrted to be a contract between Gum
pel-the expert who originally was hired
by Sharon and afterward testified for Sa-
ran ana George Tyler-by which Tyler
agreed to pay him $4,000 in cOnsidera-
ton OF his testifying that the marriage
contract and the ''Dear wife letter" were
genuine. This was duly signed and read
In Barnes's most dramatic style. Tyler
was the only man who appeared unmOved
with the reading. In fact he grinned and
seemed to think that it was a good joke.
Judge Sullivan looked intensely disgust
ed; as II this document were genuine, his
decision was at fault.
Barnes was called to the stand and
asked TO tell how the document came into
MS possession. He answered some Ques-
tons, but refused to answer others. Then
Tyler offered to take the stand and tell his
side of the case. file related how his con-
fidential clerk, Mclaughlin. had been APP
preached by Barnes and offered a liberal
reward if he would procure a contract be-
tween Gumpel and Tyler, which, Barnes
said, he had the assurance Of Capt. Lees,
the head or the city detective force, was
locked up in Tyler's desk. This the clerk
made half promise to DO, then revealed
the whole thing to Judge Tyler. The
latter at once asked the clerk to
close with the offer and he
would prepare a document, if they
were so eager for one. This was done.
Tyler wrote out a contract last week, and
obtaining GumpePs signature practiced
writing it IN GumpePs presence for an
hour or more, and succeeded in making a
document which was spurious through
out, except his own signature. 1t bore a
date of several months before the case
closed and before Gumpel testified. This
document was given to Sharon's lawyer
Barnes) on Saturday, the shrewd clerk
having run up the price of it from $500
to $4,000, which Barnes paid in $1,000
bills.
Tyler's clerk cOrrObOrated this story.
While this was going on Barnes face
looked as it did when the decision was
recently given against his client. He
said that from the circumstantiality of
the account given, he had no doubt of its
truth. There were some eXaggeratiOns in
regard to fees in connection with the case,
but he admitted paying the $4,000. He
would have paid any price for the dOcu-
ment. as he believed it to be genuine. He
said that he had been duped by a shabby
trick and lost his money, of which he had
no doubt the opposing counsel had pock-
eted share. He, therefore, withdrew the
contract.