Los Angeles herald., 1891-05-28
Pile Denies Stealing From the
COtillion Club.
Former Fashionable Friends
Asked to Vindicate Him.
He Makes No Threats But Bides His
Time.
A Letter From the Fallen Society Leader
He Says There Are Lot of others
Here as Bad as He.

Culdr aJVeuIlOn 10 society as ne louHu III,
in Los Angeles, and who for time
rode on top of the first wave in the fash
ionable swim. That position is peril
GUS one and like many predecessors he
fell. In falling he managed to touch"
all his friends and people he knew for
whatever he could get from them. He
did not disdain to borrow ten from a
keeper of a street fruit stand whom he
formerly patronized, and the night be-
fore he left he got from a colored waiter
at the restaurant at which he was in
the habit of dining, another tenner. The
poor devil of waiter did not have the
money when Hardee asked for it, and
had to go out and borrow it. His fash.
ionable friends also mourn his gain and
their loss to the tune of different
amounts. Two days after his disap
pearance the HERALD announced. his
| fight, and two or three weeks afterwards
the Times published an article
about the young man, and stated
among other things that Hardee was
short in his accounts with the Cotillion
club. 1t is stated that he squared his
accounts with that association, but did
| it with a note which he has failed to
pay, and which will have to be met by
! its endorser.
| Mr.. Hardee has written a statement
! to gentleman of this city, who is con-
nected with the club, about the matter.
As his circle of fashionable acquaint-
ances was very large, the letter may be
of some interest. Mr.. Hardee writes as
the prosecuted melodrama hero talks,
| and fails to make very good case for
himself.
The letter is as follows:
SAN Francisco, May "a, 1891.
DEAR SIR: have just seen an article
published in the Los Angeles Times of
the 21st inst, wherein | am alluded to
as being short In my accounts OF the
club you represent to the extent of some
$500, and that the directors required me
to "dig up" This l have to say is alb
solutely false, and to those who know
anything about the affairs of the club
appeal for vindication of the charge.
Public opinion is more easily in
huenced to believe i'll of one
already in trouble than to think kindly,
and ask you as man to man, and the
now properly recognized head of the
club, to kindly call meeting of the
executive committee to the end that an
investigation be made, in justice to me.
deem it my right to make this request,
and the sooner tbs complied with the
better for all concerned. SA
The article published was the result
of pure malice on the part of'"one ofthe
victims" +" whose lack of all sensitiveness
and manly honor prompted him to al
low letter | wrote to him in confidence
to be published in daily journal. The
n 10
for me, and sent me word that
if l did not liquidate the same "at once"
that he would burn me up through the
papers. 1 was in no position to pay my
obligation, and returned word to that
effect, with the result aforesaid. make
no threats, but bide my time; for surely
as there is God above he will repent
his action. | never yet saw or heard of
work of spite but that it reacted upon
the author, and with interest, too. By
his cowardly attack my prospects OF re-
turning to Los Angeles, securing en-
ployment and maintaining my hereto
fore good position have been ruined, and
thereby | am retarded from being in
way to pay my debt not only to him but
to others who have been kind to me.
To me he is despicable. Suffice it to
quote the old maxim: "People who
live in glass houses should not throw
stones" 1 mention no name, but to the
initiated the inference is obvious.
That I am sore pressed l cannot deny;
but who has not been? And that very
fact should, to any man with the least
spirit of chivalry, have caused him to
refrain from such mean advantage. 70
some people newspaper reports are ac-
cepted without grain of allowance as
gospel truths. The Times article, while
containing some truths, magnities and
distorts small facts, and on the whole
insinuates in such manner as to lead
outsiders to infer that | was the blackest
kind of a criminal, instead of one among
many right in your midst, the only diff
ference being that have no one to pay
my debts and thus avoid exposure.
l wrote my detractor in another letter
to that effect, saying that l had gotten
into trouble by myself, and must rely
upon my own endeavors to get out. The
letter published will give evidence and
confirm my sentiment in that respect. |
asked for time, and signifed not only my
willingness but anxiety to reinstate my
self in the good opinion of those who
may have to suffer through me.
To show where the venom and malice
intent of the party alluded to gave vent,
he even went so far as to bring into con-
nection with my exploits the name and
picture Of one entirely innocent, know
ing thereby would be wounded deeply.
Such person is not worthy OF the name
of man.
If ever you are in trouble of this kind,
which trust will not be the case, you
can then appreciate my feelings and
have a faint idea of the anxiety and
worry which it is my lot now to suffer.
I get no encouragement, but only un-
kind cuts and slurs, illustrating an only
too universal willingness on the part of
the thoughtless of, when mans down,
shove him further.
Ahis is probably wearisome, and /
almost feel that have infringed upon
your time, but simply wish to defend
myself and to put my side OF the ques-
ton. There are some facts in the arti-
Gle referred to, but for the most part it
is tissue of falsehoods; ergo, time will
tell. With best wishes, and trusting my
request will be complied with, / remain,
Yours truly, THEo. u. HARDEE.
An officer of the Cotillion club stated
to HERALD reporter that a meeting
would be called in the near future. 1t
has never been proven that Hardee was
short. The books have not even been
examined. 1t is not thought that he is
short in his accounts.