The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-19
CUPID BETRAYED HIM.
EX-SENATOR JONES OF FLORIDA
WRITES IN HIS OWN DEFENSE.

SPOIL His Career By Depriving Him
of Bis Wife and Son, and Then In
ducing Lovely Bellies to Fascinate
Him-The Massachusetts Lady and
the Detroit Lady.
From the Nelv York World
l now avail myself of your kind offer of
June 6, and propose to lay before your
readers partial history of the wrongs and
sufferings of myself and family, almost
& from my first entry into public life in 1875
q until the present moment-a period of
fourteen years. That we have been the
a victims of one of the most infamous con-
spiracies ever organized on this continent
admits of no doubt The object of it was
nv destruction as a public man. If ever
there was a member of the United States
Senate whose life and character and public
services furnished less ground than that of
4 any other for such an unusual and infamous
Il proceeding as this put into operation against
me and mine, | am that man. have no
q lofty pedigree behind me or great fortune
accumulated from the spoils of office to
cover up the infirmities of rotten character
3 or the vicious habits of life
3 / was born of poor but respectable
parents, and came to this country from Ire
81 land mere lad, led by devoted Irish
mother, whose maiden name was Mary
Donnelly. From the time / first put foot
on this continent until the present time
had to rely exclusively upon my own re-
sources for my support and elevation. NV
lot was laid in the south, where have re-
4 sided since | was IA. 1 was first me-
4 chanic. like Douglas, Morton and Garfield,
n with whom don't pretend to compare my
"a md aft ord oAO ha
II fession, in which think can say am
not failure. In religion | was born,
baptized and confirmed a Catholic before |
left my native land | entered politics in
4 Florida IN the dark days of reconstruction,
8 and my efforts were in opposition to the mis-
Il rule of that dark period, when there was
hardly CLEAN of hope for the Democratic
party.
TWICE SENATOR.
This brought to me in the first Instance
the support and confidence of the people of
my state. think | can say that | am the
only Irishman that has ever reached high
official position in this country without any
aid from the people of his own race. 1
took my seat in the United States Senate
on March T. 1875, for the first time, was re-
elected in 1881, and for ten years | labored
in that high body for the good of the
American people. had very little money
when entered office, and | had less when
left it, and | lived poorer than when was
engaged in professional life. My worst
enemies don't pretend to say that was
ever connected with job.
In the summer of 1885 left Washington
for this city, and | have been here ever
since, and for nearly two years have held
the Office of senator and drawn the pay
without doing any duty. When came to
Washington l had an interesting young
family of five children, four boys and
girl, four of whom are still living. 1 can
say that happier family never followed
the fortunes of public man than mine.
And the Intensity of this affection for me
attests the love and kindness l always bore
them. Myself and wife knew but little of
high social life. Our happiness and pride
was ever in our own home. The greatest
happiness of my life was derived from my
home, my wife and children, but when
lost my beloved companion and under cir
cumstances which gradually produced the
conviction that she was the victim of foul
play-strong as my mind was my reason
Ing and will power gave way, and | drifted
about a helpless waif, incapable Of any
service to my family or the country.
BEREFr OF HIS WIFE.
This was the condition in which the death
OF my wife left me, and it was precisely
what the conspirators labored to produce
preparatory to my own final destruction.
AS early as 1876 the social conspiracy
against me and my family began Occupy
ing the position that did, / felt it to be my
duty to take the best position could in
social life. | met people from all parts of
the country, and / thought it perfectly
harmless to listen to the little hattery of
society women, many of whom were very
bright and charming. Among the number
OF ladies met was young woman who
lived between Washington and New York ,
p0O1 family nd
up in society life Imet her often in society,
as l did hundreds Of others, and introduced
her to my wife. She wanted me to visit her
family. which did, and l thought no more
Of it than of the little innocent relations
I Of home life. She came to Washington
frequently, and would call to see her in a
social way, as her friends there | imagined
were my friends. | little imagined that
this innocent relationship would be made
the basis for villainous intrigue against
my pure and unsuspecting wife, from whom
no power on earth could have alienated my
affections. Letters were written and ad-
dressed me at my home which were never
intended to reach my hands. but to furnish
evidence to my wife that this young woman
had alienated my affections. My wife was
too proud and jealous of her position ever
to let me see the letters, but she brooded
over them in secret and they
destroyed the happiness of my
Home, drove my dear vile TO
insanity and finally to the grave. For a
year or more before this event my own
mind began to give way under the pressure
OF domestic affection, for can truly say
that after this vile correspondence had
reached my wife's hands, followed up by
the base ISLANDERS of bad society women,
neither myself nor my children had any
home
SEEKING sURcEAsE OF SORROW.
FINALLY l gladly awaited myself of every
social opportunity that promised relief
from the wrerchedness and despair that
TOOK possession of me after my wifes death.
In the spring of 1881 the high social circles
OF Washington were excited over the ar
rival OF great beauty from Massachusetts,
reputed to be very rich and highly &C
eeomplished. She stopped at the Ebbitt
mouse and was under the wing of an old
VeOeran politician, who introduced me TO
n nesr one evening as we came over from tea.
0ne pinned white flower In my coat and
asked me to call and see her. / did so enc
sunday evening and she took me straight
way to a Unitarian church, where there
was fine singing. This was the first
Protestant church that l was ever in
IN Washington, and it was soon
IN circulation at the capital that the Catho-
Ac senator had changed his religion ia order
10 WIN the hand OF this great beauty. The