The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-03-29
JAY GOULD AND THE WOMAN.
A Solution of the Enigma He Fired at
the Town.
From the Ne1o YORK. Sun

from the NetO YORK sun.
Jay Gould fired an enigma at this town
yesterday-in fact at the whole country-in
an apparently authorized interview printed
in the Tribune. In speaking of the efforts
to secure the Indictment of himself and the
Hon. Russell Sage for grand larceny in con
nection with the Kansas Pacific conSolida-
ton, he said:
1.-The motives behind this assault area
newspaper, cable company, and a
wOmanm
The newspaper and the cable company
referred to were readily recognizable, but
the woman was, indeed, mystery. 1t was
upon its face an unfortunate statement for
Mr.. Gould to make, for whatever other Of
fences he may have been charged with, no
one has ever ventured to breathe word re-
fleeing upon his personal morality. lnveS-
LEGATION, with the view of learning who the
woman is who has effected an alliance pre-
sumably with the Hern d and the CONNER
clal Cable Company to secure the convlc
ton on a criminal charge of two of the most
eminent financierS in the country, revealed
that no scandal about either of the finan-
cierS was involved.
Some of Mr.. Gould's most intimate friends
were perfectly willing to talk about the
woman in the case, in fact seemed glad of
the opportunity to do so. According to
them the woman is the divorced wife of
Amos Lawrence Hopkins, Second Vice
President of the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Company. The story they tell has some
elements of improbability, viewed from a
common sense point of view, but these are
perhaps disposed of by the consideration
that frequently human nature crowds COM
mon sense aside.
1t will be remembered that when Mrs
Hopkins began her divorce proceedings
she brought an action in this city for alb
solute divorce, alleging infidelity. She
asserted that the offence that furnished
her with ground for action was COM
mitted with member of her household
who was employed to prepare the family
meals
This was about two years ago. Mrs.
Hopkins has just obtained her divorce, but
her decree bears the seal of California
State Court, and the ground upon which it
was obtained was desertion.
When she began proceedings here she en-
countered vigorous opposition. Though
willing to indulge his wife's desire for a
separation, Mr.. Hopkins was averse to hav-
ing his name dishonored by any such pro-
ceedings as she proposed. Mr.. Gould
espoused his cause, and said publicly that
he would give his friend all the assistance
he could to defend his good name. Rumors
of u cross bill were current, but were never
confirmed, and for this reason, according
to Mr. Gould'S friends: The matter was
placed in the hands of Dillon & Swayne
the lawyers of the Gould corporations, and
it is said that they not only gave Mrs. Hop
kins' lawyers, Elihu Root and George Bliss,
to understand that they would bring a coun-
ter action, but intimated that they would
name a correspondent who could not afford
the exposure. OF this mans identity there
have been three versions. One names a
prominent member of the Stock Exchange,
another a well known lawyer and sill
another well known Wall street opera
tor.
Mrs Hopkins lived at l East Forty
seventh street, which adjoins jay Gould's
house, and is now George Gould's house.
As one of Mr.. Gould's friends said last
night:
"The goings on in the house excited COM
ment among Jay Gould's servants, and in
the family of Mr.. Gould, too. They couldn't
help noticing, for the back windows of
Gould's house looked right out on the Hop
kins' front stoop. When Mrs. Hopkins be-
gan her suit for absolute divorce, Mr.. Gould
came to his friends rescue. His servants,
and well, perhaps others than his servants,
made afiidavits Dit is intimated that Jay
Gould made an affidavit HIMSELF, and Mr..
Goulds influence exerted i'll other direct
tons than through his back windows en-
abled MIR. Hopkins to make out mighty
good case Mrs. Hopkins lawyers backed
down when Gen. Wager Swayne, Mr..
Gould's own lawyer, went to them with the
affidavits, and said that it would be pity
to have the facts come out, but that he'd
have to bring them out if Mrs. Hopkins
kept on trying to get divorce on the ground
of infidelity."
The result, according to Mr.. Gould's
friends, was that Mrs. Hopkins was driven
to abandon the fight, to take her case out
of New York State and to proceed upon
some other ground than adultery. To this
her husband assented. But this upset her
plans, it is said, or in some way gave her
occasion, to hate Mr. Gould, and accord
to that genueman's friends, she has sue
ceeded in getting her own friends to press
the indictment proceedings against Gould.
Whether she is working independently, or
in concert with "the newspaper and the
cable company" Mr.. Goulds friends do not
state.