Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-26
JUDGE CHRfsrIANCY DYING.
A Life That Was Swallowed by Great
Scandal.

A Life That Was Swallowed by . Great
Scandal.
A Lansing, Mich. spee,st tothe Philadelphia
Press today says; Hon. IsaacP Christiancy, ex-
CHIEF tusticeof tho sapreme court Of MiehigaR.
ex-United States Senator and ex-Minister to
Peru isdyiag ~ hisIensIy home Abroken down,
ruined man. The story of his life is a sad one.
Few men in the state ever attained higher
houora, He lad rare learning. perfect probity
and an unblemished reputation, until his un-
happy marriage late in life with young and
pretty Treasury girl in Washington. His mis-
fortunes date from that day. His
case ia striking example Of how
short step it IL from honorable
fame and poiiticGf success to total obscurfty
Ten years ago Judge Chrfstfancy was a promi-
nent figure among American Judges and diplo-
msts Now he Is dying afinost in poverty, and
very few people outside Of Miehigan eall
his nanas unless it be in connection with the
scandal which caused his retirement to private
life. For the last month he has suffered in
tensely from cancer near the roots of the
tongue, and the hopeless old man will welcome
denth Indeed, fer several years he has stated
that he had nothing leftto live for, and the re-
greet he expressed last spring when his lifelong
friend. Chief Justice Campbell, passed away,
was that he should be left behind while men
still in the prime of their usefulness were
taken.
FOUNDER OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
Judge Christiancy is now sevensyAeighs years
of age. He was born in Johnstown, Ny, but
removed to Monros, Mich, in 1886 Here he
lived for a scoreof years, rising from the ranks
Of struggling young lawyers to the position of
one Of the most widely known attorneys in
the new state and gaining additional promi-
nence as the editor IF the Commercial From
l84lto 1886 he was prosecuting attorney. In 1S4S
he was one Of the leaders in the free soil con-
vention at Buffalo. and state senator in 1850-5t
and free soil candidate for governor in the fol-
lowing year.
He was one Of the founders Of the republican
party and u delegate TO its first national con-
vention in Philadelphia in 1856 In 1857 he
was elected justice Of the Michigan supreme
court, and was reelected in 1865 and in 1873,
serving three terms AZ chief justice.
In 1875 he resigned from the bench to be-
come United States Senator. and two years
later resigned that position to accept the post
of United States minister to Peru The death
of his first wife left him with several sons.
1t was not long after HIS election to the
United States Senate that his Michigan friends
were startled at the news of his marriage to
Lillian Lugeabeel, a bewitching young en-
ploys of the Treasury Department. He brought
his bride with him when he returned to Lam
sing to arrange for his journey to Peru. and his
friends did not wonder that the dienified iurist
petite, rounded figure, auburn hair aud
dazzling complexion, was a rare beauty.
FINALLY DfvoReEp.
Not long after the minister went to Peru
grave stories we're told about the young wife's
conduct 1t was said that she soon tired of the
minister and had transferred her affections to
a vvttlF vrkn al bod baa
fascinated before meeting the Senator and who
had boldly followed her from Washington 70
Peru The scandal culmiRated in an exposure.
Before the expiration OF his first year in Lima
Mrs. Christiancy returned alone and gossip
vas again revived When Minister Christiarcy
administration he applied for and secured q
divorce.
Mrs Christiancy became insane. One cold
night in December she Was found wandering
in the streets of Washington arrayed emily in a
thin night dress. When taken home it was
found that she had managed TO escape from
the house without alarming the family, but
how she had done 30 neither she nor they
| could tell She was very i'll for some time fol-
lowing.
On December IS. 1888. she died a maniac in
Brooklyn. For several months she had been
| staying at the residence Of DIR. Dnpre under
her maiden name. physician who was
called to treat her for failure Of the eyes, dis
covered her mental condition and also her
| identity. II was believed that she had become
| craSed by choral and was killed by the drug.
She was twenty-nins years old The mesal-
fiancs and the divorce bent and crushed the
aged judge, and he was a changed man ever
| afterward.
THE SAD END.
Soon after this came the robbery Of $50, 000
worth of diamonds from Judge Christiancy in
hotel. They had been intrusted to his care
by Peruvian friend. No trace of the missing
gems could be obtained The spirit of the
! Judge was absolutely crushed by the series OF
disasters He retired from public life and has
| passed his days since in absolute obscurity.
| although engaged in literary labors most Of Me
time. During the last ten years Judge Chris