Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-05-29
SELECTIONS.
/" FANNY LEAR" DEAD.

wise known as Hattie Blackford, is
announced by cable as having oc
Cured at Nice, France, on May the
LIST. This woman, whose career as
an adventures is unparalleled in
history, was the wife OF Parkers
burg gentleman, whom she drove to
a premature grave, if not by foul
means direct, by course of action
no less fatal. She was originally
from Philadelphia, which was heI
home and birthplace. Her mother
and child, the former now a gray.
haired old woman and the latter a
young lady grown to womanhood
are both living there in retirement
Her fathers church is still standing
his grave is there, the house she
was born in is quite unchanged, and
some of the men who were her vic.
tins and some who no doubt were
as much or more to blame are among
the prominent citizens of Philadel-
phia.
Up to the time of her marriage
Hattie Ely, which was her maiden
name, had nothing more to her
detriment than the vanity, ambition
and willfulness that are so often ac-
companied by such great beauty as
she undoubtedly possessed. Her
father, the Rev. Ezra Stiles Ely,
named after his maternal grand
father, who was Chaplain to Con-
gress, succeeded the Rev. DR.. Alex
ander as pastor of the old Third
Presbyterian Church, at Fourth and
Pine streets, and became the most
prominent minister of the denomina-
ton in Philadelphia and one of the
most prominent in the United
States. He was of Puritan stock,
and both his farther and grand
father, on both paternal and mater.
nal sides, were ministers. This is
the sort of ancestry that Fannie
Lear came from. Ministers for
three generations on her fathers
side and her maternal grandfather's.
DR.. Ely was born in 1856 in Con-
necticut and educated at Yale,
where he was graduated with honor.
For many years before he went to
Philadelphia he was city missionary
in New York, and it was there that
he began the publication, in London,
Of Ely's Journal, which became quite
famous. Even in the height Of his
career DR.. Ely was considered eccen-
trio, but late in life he became more
so. At all events he was very popu-
lar with large following and be-
fore there was any division in the
Presbyterian church he was Moder-
ator Of the General Assembly that
met in Philadelphia.
DR.. Ely married as his first wife a
daughter of Samuel Caswell, mer-
chant prince of Philadelphia, who
was contempora2eous with Stephen
Girard, Jacob Ridgeway and others
equally prominent in the early years
of the present century. DR.. Ely by
his first marriage had four children
two daughters and two sons. The
eldest daughter married DR.. Samuel
Mcclellan, the uncle of Gen. George
B. Mcclellan; his other daughter
Mary, married John II. Patterson
of Baltimore, and the sons remained
single. DR.. Ely's wife, upon the
death Of her father, was given {
larger share of the property thar
the other children, a separate amount
being given to build house suitet
to DIR. Ely's position. This house
which is still standing on Second
street, between Spruce and Walnut
with iron gate and wall in front O
it, was at that time the finest hous,
in what was then the Court end 0
the city. The first Mrs. Ely died il
1912 leaving her children surviving
Not great while after his wife,
death DIR. Ely, then quite advance,
in years, married Miss Carolin
Holmes, the daughter Of DR.. Ho
mes. a gentleman of prominence i
Virginia. The children and all th
relatives of the first Mrs. Ely, lad
e of great popularity and the utmo,
refinement, culture, and distinguish
ed social position, were bitterly OF
posed to DIR. Ely's second marriag
and the second wife, though Of a
excellent Virginia family, well ed
3 Gated and of good social standin
) was repudiated and all intercourl
9 broken off. This non-intercourse e
y tended to the children of the secon
wife, and it is stated that there
not one of DIR. Ely's children by b