The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-11
HARDY'S MELTED FORTUNE
Queer Story Brought to the Surface by
bis Daughters Suit Against Him.
Patrimony Of S125, 900. and $40, O00in His Pos
session. and Largely Lavished Upon
The Woman lie Married.

In the Superior Court. yesterday. was filed
. suit ON account by Celia Hardy against
James G. W. Hardy and Sadie Hardy. for
merly named Vawters. Celia Hardy is an
actress. who was at one tIme connected
with the County FAIR Company.
Her principal engagements, however.
have been with stock companies
In New York city. She was more than
ordinarily well fixed 30 far as this worlds
goods are concerned. In addition to her
salary of $50 per week. she had $4,000 given
her by her grandfather, James G. Hardy,
while she was a child. Connected with the
history of this grandfather. there is q little
bit of romance. About Covington.
Ind. where he resided before removing
to Toledo, O.. there Is q legend that he ac-
cumuIated his large fortune as q pirate on
sbe coasts of Indie and east Africa in the
early part of the present century. and
many bloody tales, doubtless largely I'M
sginary. are told of his a~d
John o. Spahr. attorney for the plaintiff,
tells the story giving rise to the suit as fol-
lows
james G.. W. Hardy, the defendant. 10
The father of Celia, and resided on q farm
eltuattQ 6DOub Two miles nOftUcdst VI LOU
anon. The farm was given him by bis ia
Their, James G.. Hardy. and the latter also
paid ali the taxes and expenses of Operat-
ing the farm. yet Mr.. Hardy found it diff
cult to exc out a living on 1t and bis
daughter gave him authority to draw upon
her bank account for what money he
wanted. at the same time It being under
stood between father and daughter that
the amounts so drawn should be within the
bounds of reason, and not exceed $1,000 per
year. In May of 1890 Hardy came to this city
90 establish q detective agency. and did es-
tablisn one. but sold it ont within q
months time. About this time he met his
.co-defendant, Sadie Vgwters. md be-
came infatuated with her. AT the
time he met the woman she was oc-
c~upying rooms in the block at the corner of
North Delaware and Court streets.
From the time he met her his sole
thought seemed to be to devise
some method of spending money for
her. and, taking advantage of his daugh-
ter's permission to draw upon her bank &C
the account was almost wiped out. Money
passed through his hands like water
through q sieve and fell into the woman's
lap.
shortly after making her ae-
. house on North Alabama street.
Afterwards Hardy purchased the dwelling
at Nc. 70 West Second street and gave IL to
the woman. It was furnished with q de-
Los Va OA0konb 81
all of which was paid for by Hardy and
mostly with his daughters money. The
amounts drawn by. him to lavish upon
the woman ranged from 800 to $500
at q time and extended over the period in
tervening between June 6. 1889, and Feb.
IL, 1892. whom the daughter put q stop to
his Wholesale expenditure of her money by
ordering her banker TO no longer honor his
for the object of his i~nfatuation in
cluded every conceivable thing to which
woman's fancy might turn.
He bought furniture of the most
dresses. iewelry and small trinkets by the
hundreds. Among the articles which he
presented to hor were four elegant fans
purchased &c Charles Mayors for which he
paid $40 The checks drawn by bin show
that in the month OF April, 1891. he
expended upon the woman $1,000. The
total amount which he has lavished
upon her will AMOUNT to nearly if not quite
$4,000. Of which s9.ol5 was funds belong
this amount was money received from the
estate of his father. James G. Hardy. who
died in Toledo. o., leaving an estate valued
ss 500. 600
his property to his children for life. and
sfter their death to their issue. By agree
ment. however, among the heirs. the Will
was set aside. the children taking
i iassi s property sssnd IN 1ss 'l SeRIns s so%.
pensated for releasing the property
from the entail. James g. w. Hardy re-
ceived from the estate s125. 600 for himself.
and $25.OO0 for his daughter Celia. and In
the time intervening between February
and September, 1892, he had s~qusndered
ST. COO upon the Vawters woman.
ION Sept IA his wife was granted
. divorce from him in the SUI
perior Court of this county. Hardy
began the action for divorce. and
his wife filed o cross-complaint
upon which she obtained q decree and was
granted 81 1000 aiimoDy. Within two
weeks after the divorce was granted Hardy
married the Vawters woman. Hardy Is
now worth abont $4,000, having run
through with the balance of his property"
Celia Hardy. his daughter. In her suit
against him asks for judgment for $40, COG.
The property at No. rs West Second street
was put upon the Lis pendens record yester-
day. pending the determination of the suit
as the complaint asks that 1t be declared to
be Hardy's property n made subject to
execution upon any Judgment that may be
rendered against him, the claim being
based upon the alleged fact hat it was pur-
chased with the money and the title is In
him By IN implied trust.