Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-23
or-rwErrEp BY A WOMAN.
Whv Mrs. Amos Lawrence Hop
Ixins Commenced Her Suit

detaiIs which uuderiie tae naked an-
.oorncement that Mrs. Amos Lawrence
uontins has commenced suit for abso-
int divorce against her husband. The
wealth and social prominence of all the
.rsrlies mixed up in the ecandal, either
directlv or indirectly. give but faint
rroynise that these efforts will be sue
rrnssf,ll. The persons who have an in
,crest in the litigation either as
nrinciDals, correspondents, or wit
rosses are rated TO be worth
W.T. less than $50, 100000. Among them are
magnates of the Standard on Company,
the w estern Union Telegraph Company
and the Missouri Pacific and Illinois
central railroads. The papers thus far
served disclose absolutely nothing beyond
,ha "a ct that suit has been commenced.
Col. George Bliss. who represents Mrs.
uorkfns. was found at bis Office on Broad
way to-day. When asked as to the present
stafus of the legal controversy, he said:
~ nave decided to say nothing about the
case. 1t is true that suit has been COM
mpnced. but as to the turn matters may
MKe my lips are sealed" Amos
lawrence Hopkins, The defendant, has
an office in the " estern Union building
IN broadway, where he transRcts his
hnsine ss as Vice President Of The Missouri
Pacific railway and as director OF the
Western Union Telegraph Company and
other large corporations. Ii was said at
Mia Office to-day that he had gone to Wash
ngtou on business, and that the time of
his return was uncertain. Messrs. Dillon
ESvavne, whose offices are in the same
milding. have been retained 10 represent
him. Gen. SWayne is absent from the
civ. and when Judge Dillon was ques-
rioned IN relation to the defense OF his
ellen he simply said:
owe can gave nothing 10 the public at
this stage Of the proceedings"
A gentleman who is in a position to
know whereof he spoke expressed himself
yery freely, and threw new and lurid
Ug6t on the darksome situation.
THE commencement of the divorce suit
byMrs. Hopkins" he said. ''was q shrewd
stroke OF diplomacy on the part OF her
counsel and her friends, and she has no
intention or desire to press the case to
trial unless she is forced to do So"
DO you mean to be understood as say
ng that she has instituted this suit with
out believing that she had good cause for
action 2"
Mot precisely that. What / mean to
EXPRESS is that she would not have COM
menced the suit had she not reason to
know that her husband had retained
counsel to sue her for an absolute divorce
She took time by the forelOck and seized
on the best horn of an awkward dilema by
striking the first blow. Sne did this to
head off the threatened suit against her
and If possible. to force a compromise"
"0n what grounds do you base this re-
marka BILE assertion ?"
ut Is well known in the social circle in
which the parties have moved that the
married relations OF Mr. Hopkins and his
chicago wife have not been any too
pleasant. He is an elderly man and has
been married before, while she is youth
fol, VivaciOus and beautiful. She was
cOurted and idolized wherever she Went.
i She seemed to take more pleasure in the
society of young and handsome men than
10 that of her husband, and naturally
people got to talking. Some said tAat
she was giddy, others that she Vas
angelic, while almost everybody who
knew them said, without intending to be
Wkind, that they were badly mated.
scandals were circulated time and again
connecting the names of prominent men
with the lady, but the reports were stu
dOusly suppressed and a serene exterior
1 preserved. 1t was false gloss and gilt
| Ter and the facts had to come out sooner
Or later"
These seem to be but rumors and spec
Nations. Have you any fact on which TO
base your assertion that Mr.. Hopkins
was about to sue when his wife COM
menced sut?"
"thereis this tangible and unassailable
TACT; some weeks ago Hopkins moved
away from his palatial dwelling on the
corner OF Forty-seventh street and Fifth
q nd lnff III,
ne removed only his personal effects and
slt the lady to conduct the establish
mehI as she pleased. He is now living
temporarily with Gen. Wager Swayne in
MS dwelling IN Gramercy Park. His
Ileqds Understood that he DELAYED pro-
cseulhgs IN the hope that the trouble
DkhV De smoothed over in some way, but
'uat now seems next to impossible."
Gins?'
sac Is conceded to be the most beauti-
u woman IN this metropolis. She is
yum, VNacIous, panionable; has
peuuiu conversational powers; she is
'e "a uslclan; she has created a Juror In
sVcleJy as an amateur actress and her
uehISi faculties are vigorous and highly
n",neo. she Is woman any man would
O9 WrRlVen Tor falling in love with"
no are the gentlemen whose names
D0S oeHh associated with hers?'
hat 1t would scarcely be fair TO give them,
co ovaase gossip is not always authentic. |
Hv ,ono. give You the names of half dozen
.Vnihent mllliOnaires, but prefer not to
uoSo. There can De no harm i'm aaving,
"G,ever, that the lady was always a
VTTole guest at the residence of
MIahl g. Whitney. Secretary of the
NAVY NAVY, and that Oliver Payne, a 5000 900
~"', mas DeeE very attentive to her,"
conn ~ Z hoI Mr.. Payne and Dir. Whitney
VU1ecied by marriage y,
o1Ftf fayne is the son Of Henry B.
u!le' OF the Standard Oil Company.
5v'e daughter is the wife Of MIR.
NJ Ting developments in the litiga-
Bnn,tLe m0meatarily expected Mrs.
vl pn'HS Is conducting the Forty-seYenth
- sOilN hment which belongs TO
M V ts Her aunt Is living with her,
on,frao saiHIy carriage and n complete
msi "a servants are still at her dis.
socio, ny mas. mas not figured prominently
,,0'e'y mus far this season. She owns
Ts ulles ana jewels valued at a fabulous
n ALI The intimate friends Of the
nt, is nave known OF the estrange,nent.
6e na'ter was kept as secret as pos
akf, en aunt of Mrs. Hopkins has
aS uu up residence with her, and her
nmi,, george L. Dunlop, WHO Is a
M 49,, ',,'i.'Ig Ohicago merchant, is in the
Gcnt,iioos counsel to his daughter in her
S Iu l.',, Mrs. Kimball, Mrs. HopEius'
prFs n'U tonight the matter was in the
I'M -, tue lawyers, whose instructions
,c 10 taIk on the subject II was ueces.
s. w wy. y The story OF the proceed.
Nav "'ed much surprise in w all street