Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-02-01
TRAPS FOR MlLLlONAIRES.
FONEYED SAMSONS FLEECED
on THE PACIFIC COAST.

y
Senator sharoR's New DiIemma-John
w. Mse!Sev's Irish Blood at Boiling
Heat-Wm. = O'Brien's Mexican Ne
mesis-Fate of Poor Ralsten-Blythe's
and Colton's Experiences.
81. Louis GlsIe- Democrat.
SAN Francisco. Jan. Ex-senator
Sharon is beginning 20 realize that
Judge SUlliyau's Teeest decision declar-
ing the validity OF Sarah Althea Hills
claim 70 wifehOOd Is something more
than, as be in his first burst of rage
termed II, a ID focfs decision. not
worth the ink il took to write IT. The
Senator is in q whirlpool Of trouble and
yexatiOu- ali growing cut OF this decision.
What makes sharon angTier than even the
thought OF what il is going 20 cost him 10
get out OF the snarl is the tact that many
OF his friends are disposed % chat him on
the result. and those who dare do il fire.
Quently amuse themselves By sly refer
ences 10 the Senator's new-fOund .'nappi-
ness,'' spiced occasionally with delicate
inquiries as to tae health OF the bride.
Notwithstanding il Is the opinion of the
whole bar OF the city that SulliVan's de-
cisiOl was. to say the least OF it. strained
as 10 law and at variance with facts,
there are many who believe that il will
cost Sharon a great deal OF time, a great
a
money to get the decision reversed.
The supreme Court OF California, as
now organized. Is very con sentative
body. The Chief Justice is q rigid Cath
ole and q stern mOralist. Another JUS
tice is a strict religiOnist of Puritanic
faith, and still another is a Eirginian
with all the Southern prejudices against
laXity In the marriage relation or out of
1t. From these three Justices Mr.. Sharon
MAJ hope for very little sympathy. and it
IS a toss I'D if they will not prefer to al
low SulliYan's decision 20 stand rather
than by setting II aside even appear to
look leniently upon SharOn's acknOwl-
edged immortality with the fair Sarah.
sullivan Is a very young Judge, but
very few-indeed, none are recalled-Of
his decisions have been reversed. He is
not vet - years old. He graduated from
the University of California but a few
years ago, and studied law in this city.
He was elected a School Director in 1877.
and was the youngest member of the
board. In 1880 he was nominated by the
Democratic sand-lOt combination to
Superior Judgeship. and to the surprise of
every body, on account of his youth and
ineXpeTience, was elected. He stands
well with the bar, and he certainly ac-
quilted himself we'll and patiently in
the long and yeXatiOuS trial of the
cause.
But il is not alOre the chagrin. NORTH
cation, and chatting of friends that an
nOys Sharon. There is something more
serious than that that worries. In the
first place, there Is the question of alimO-
ny and counsel fees, which is to come up
in a few days. Sarah Althea will move
for $4,000 counsel fees and $4,000 a month
alimOny TO date, from the time the litiga-
tiOn began fourteen months ago.. Judge
Sullivan VIII grant the mOtiOn-he can
not do OthsTW!se. Sharon will refuse to
pay; then comes action to punish the Sen /
atOT for contempt of court, and so the old
man must tumble about in a tub of hot
water for months to come.
But worst than all is t. cloud upon his |
estate. AS long as the decision stands, |
S"~ah Is in law his wife, and he can Meth |
s-- ~'nsfer any Of his real proper
er sell nor g.. INT and signature. /
~ without 1es oous been felt in |
Already has this restriction. for the I
y CO .ngtOn, where negotiations -
sale Of some valuable property 10 >ecTes-
~ FrelinghuYsen and others have been
r'---.,.~rdeI because SHARON. on account VI
nose complications, cannot give d 80 10
,itle. Il IS believed here tnal lnese -
- othpr VevatiOus attending the uneX-
--octad decision will force Sharon into a
afomDromise. Indeed. the compromise
migbt have been effected already had II
moi bcan for Sarah's counsel. who VIII mol
hermit her 70 accept for herself n reason
5blo sum and call 1t quits. they have a
csst-iron contract with her. which has
iust been published and recoruen ~ Z
which thev are TO have half .. all she re- /
covers. Judge Tyler s@ys he considers his
share alone wcrth $500. 0oc. and he will not
take a cent less, ,
Ii is "a disgusting business all around,
-kts -.tV~f IN Ffr0TI
which the immortality of California NH
lionaires brings upon them. There IS no
state in the Union where wealthy men
are so uumindful of social. moral and DO
nestle obligations as in California. IL Is
one of the remarkable features OF social
life here. and a disgracetulrenecton upon
cur social economy. The number OF large
estates in the city alone which nave neeh
attacked before and after the death OF
their owners by pseudo wives, acknOWl-
edged mistresses, victims OF seducuOh
and blackmaIleTs generally, 1t would take
uewspaDer columns to record. From the
time that Laura Fair blackmalled, then
killed. Judge Crittenden until now, nearly
every very rich man has had MS pursuing
Nemesis in pettlcoats. But lew nave e5-
capped.
Vow and then one fights and wins, as In
the case of John w. Mackey. who was in
directly assailed some seven years ago Cy
a brace Of English adyenturers-N llllalh
II. and Amelia Smallman. These two ar
rived in san Francisco in 1910 from Lon
don, and put up at the Grand Hotel. Inc
woman, who was plump and yoluptuous,
managed to get acquainted with Mackey,
who frequently came down from the
mines. She also managed on one or TWO
occasions to get him TO take her out rid
mo II does not seem that the woman in
tended TO blackmail Mackey at first. Her
scheme, as il was aiterWard developed,
was to have the appearance OF being on
good terms with him, and on the strehgtn
Of that get money from others TO lnNestln
stocks on the pretense that Mackey was
giving her points. This was compare
lively easy and safe game, and II WorkeG
we'll until a widow lady, who mad gwen
Mrs. Smallmau $1,000 10 invest, lost her
money, got mad, and had Mrs. sandman
arrested for swindGng. The defendants
defeDre was that she had not deceived the
lady. that Mr.. Mackey was her friend,
and had given her points. This made
Mackey angry, and he published card
denOunciug Mrs. Smallman as an lmpOS-
tor. Then the woman bodily sent Mac
Kew word that, as he had been intimate
with her, if he didn't sustain her IN her
hour of afflicuOn her husband would sue
him for seduction Of his wife with dam
ares A. SIOO. O0G. Compliant on this suit
Mackev. but II was never 1led IN court,
for Nackey's Irish blood got up TO boiling
heat. and he had both the Smallmans ar
rested for attempt at blackmah. ihe
millionaire never let up minute untlI ne
had them both indicted, tried, and sen
fenced to four years in the penitentiarY.
Both served their terms.
Not so lucky, however, in resisting at
tacks and Furnishing assailants are the es-
tates Of dead men. These are almost in
variablv made 10 bleed, and bleed cOpi-
OusIy. Some years ago an eccentric
Fre1chrnan died here, possessed OF a cool
million or so. He had no heirs here, but
there were a score Of nephews and nleces
i'm France. When his Will was opened II
was found that the old man had provided
literally for all, and TO Sallle HlnchIey, a
former well-knOwn actress, who mas llHeu
herr many years. he had lett an immunity
OF 5000 month. 10 be paid her 80 long .
she lived. But Sallie pOOh-pOohed TINS
provision. She began suit at once
claimed 10 be the wife, and TO have dover
rights and all that, and she made sucd a
hubbub as TO scare the French heirs out
az their wits, and they gladly ccmpro-
v1ise5 Sallie took $4,000 cash in lieu OF
mr. annuity. aud 100000 besides. She
cfvTp here ana. though